u/dimlightupstairs

I am on a 12 month fixed term tenancy that ends at the end of the year.

My property manager has been asking if I plan on staying at the flat next year so they know whether they need to start advertising it as available. I told them that it is too early in the year for me to know what my plans are, and I won’t know for a few months yet.

They have since come back to me and said they soon plan on updating their website advertising available flats for 2027, and that they aren’t able to “hold” the flat for me, and I’m not automatically entitled to right of renewal. They said they might be able to put off advertising the flat until I know, but can’t guarantee the landlord will be ok with that.

I was under the impression I don’t have to let them know my plans until 28 or 21 days before the tenancy expiry. But then on the flip side, the landlord can also give 90 days notice to end the tenancy anyway.

Now I’m freaking out because the message from the property manager about not having “right of renewal” makes me think that if I don’t make a decision soon, that they will issue me a notice to end the tenancy anyway, and I won’t be able to sign a new fixed term or roll onto a periodic tenancy even if I want to. It’s literally only halfway through the year, and I still have five to six months before the contract ends.

I don’t know what my 2027 living and work plans are yet, but I’m feeling pressured to make a decision now or face a retaliatory eviction notice just because they want assurance that the flat will be signed.

Can they issue me a notice to end the fixed term agreement just because I’m not certain?
How long can I put off making a decision without facing repercussions?

This might be one of the dumbest or more bizarre questions, but is it a requirement for someone to have a personalised and consistent signature for signing legal documents? i.e. Does it always have to look the same every time, or does it not matter as long as you sign something? Does it have to be unique?

For context, I am in my thirties and up until now I've had a very basic signature I've used to sign documents over the years. However, after a traumatic incident last year, I noticed my handwriting changed drastically. This wouldn't be a problem except that I no longer have the same signature as I used to, and I also can't seem to consistently sign anything unique. Every time I try sign my name in cursive it comes out different. Now I just sign my initials in BLOCK LETTERS to save the hassle.

Does that matter for legal purposes? Do I need a unique cursive signature, or can I just do a scribble, or are block letters ok for signing legal documents?