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Subscriptions · the UK
Checked 2026-09-30

📶 How do I leave my phone or internet contract in the UK?

Short answer

A first contract term is at most 24 months. Once it is over and the contract runs on, you can leave with short notice. If the provider changes the price or terms, you can usually leave without a fee.

⏱ DeadlineAfter the first term: the short notice period in the rules below. After a change of terms: act within the period in the provider’s message.

📜 Your rights

The rules in the UK

Ofcom's rules cap the minimum contract period at 24 months. After it ends and the contract rolls on, you can leave with one month's notice. Providers must give at least one month's notice of changes and let you leave free within one month, unless the change only benefits you, is administrative or required by law.

  • Since 17 January 2025, price rises in new phone, broadband and pay TV contracts must be set out in pounds and pence at the point of sale; inflation-linked or percentage rises are banned in new contracts. (ofcom.org.uk)
  • If your provider raises the price beyond what your contract sets out, it must tell you at least 30 days before and you can leave without penalty within 30 days. (ofcom.org.uk)
  • Your provider may not renew you into a new minimum period without your express consent, and must send you an end-of-contract notification (C1.10, C1.23-C1.24). (ofcom.org.uk)
  • If your complaint is not resolved after six weeks, or you have a deadlock letter, you can take it free of charge to your provider's ADR scheme (six weeks since 8 April 2026, previously eight). (ofcom.org.uk)
Law: Ofcom General Conditions of Entitlement, Conditions C1.10, C1.11, C1.14, C1.15 and C1.22
Official source: ofcom.org.uk · Checked 2026-09-30

🪜 Step by step

  1. Check your datesStart date, first term, and whether the contract now runs on automatically.
  2. Price or terms changed?Keep the provider’s message: it starts your period to leave without a fee.
  3. Send the noticeUse the letter below, with your customer number and phone number or line ID.
  4. Switching provider?The new provider can arrange number porting and the switch; the old one may not charge for porting.
  5. Disputed bill or fee?The telecom dispute body under “If the trader does not answer”.

✉️ Your letter

Information, not legal advice. FFCheck is independent and not affiliated with any authority, court or company. The letter is a template filled with your details: you check it and send it yourself.

Fill in your details. The letter appears on this page: copy it into an e-mail or the trader’s contact form, or print it. Nothing you type is stored.

Name of the shop or company
Why you are leaving required
Your full name
Optional, but a letter by post needs it.

🧭 If the trader does not answer

Give the trader the time in your letter. Then, in this order:

An out-of-court dispute body (ADR) can settle it. The trader has to tell you which ADR body covers it (on its website, terms or in its reply).

Communications OmbudsmanFree Ofcom-approved ADR for phone/broadband complaints; some providers use CISAS instead.🔗 commsombudsman.org
OfcomUK communications regulator; sets consumer protection rules and approves telecom ADR schemes.🔗 ofcom.org.uk
Make a court claim for money (county court)Online or postal money claim in England and Wales; small claims track up to £10,000.🔗 gov.uk

📇 Every office for this in the UK →

❓ Frequently asked questions

Can the provider charge the rest of the term when I leave after a price rise?

Not when the law gives you the right to leave without further costs because of a change of terms (see the rules below). A discounted phone you are still paying off may have to be paid.

What counts as a change of terms?

A price rise, fewer services or a slower speed are changes. A change that is only to your benefit or required by law is not.

Can I cancel a new contract taken online?

Yes, within 14 days of the contract, without a reason.

📎 Sources

Checked: 2026-09-30

🔎 What people search

  • “cancel phone contract the UK”
  • “leave internet contract price rise”
  • “mobile contract after 24 months notice”
  • “provider raised price can I cancel”
  • “termination letter broadband”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

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