Phone & internet
Phone & internet · the UK
Checked 2026-10-14

📅 How long can a phone or internet contract last in the UK, and how do I end it?

The short answer

Under Ofcom's rules, the minimum period of a phone or broadband contract can't be longer than 24 months, and providers must also offer contracts of at most 12 months. After the minimum period, you can leave with one month's notice.

Phone and internet contracts often start with a minimum term and then run on. How long that first term may be, and how much notice you give once it is over, depends on the rules in the UK.

Official source: ofcom.org.uk · Checked 2026-10-14

📜 The rules in the UK

The details

  • Your provider can't renew you into a new minimum period at the end of your contract without your express consent. (ofcom.org.uk)
  • Your provider must contact you by text, email or letter between 10 and 40 days before your contract ends, with the end date, notice period, your price now and afterwards, and its best deals. (ofcom.org.uk)
  • If you're already out of contract, your provider must remind you every year and tell you about its best deals. (ofcom.org.uk)
  • Buying an extra service or device must not extend your contract, unless you expressly agree to that when you buy it. (ofcom.org.uk)

Ofcom

The UK communications regulator. It sets and enforces the rules for phone and broadband providers. It can't investigate or resolve individual complaints, but reporting faults and problems to it helps it act on wider issues.

📞 0300 123 3333🔗 ofcom.org.uk
Official source: ofcom.org.uk · Checked 2026-10-14

🪜 Step by step

  1. Find your start date and termYour contract summary or online account shows when the minimum term ends and whether the contract now runs on.
  2. Check the notice periodOnce the minimum term is over, the notice period is often short. The rule for the UK is on this page.
  3. Give notice in a way you can proveUse the provider’s online cancellation, an email or a letter, and keep the confirmation with the end date.
  4. Return equipment and check the last billSend back rented equipment if you are asked to, and check that you are not billed after the end date.

📇 Who to contact

OfcomThe UK communications regulator. It sets and enforces the rules for phone and broadband providers. It can't investigate or resolve individual complaints, but reporting faults and problems to it helps it act on wider issues.📞 0300 123 3333🔗 www.ofcom.org.uk
Citizens AdviceIndependent advice for consumersFor advice, template letters and a second opinion🔗 www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer
Communications Ombudsman or CISAS (the scheme your provider belongs to)Settles disputes between customers and providersWhen the provider has not solved your complaint🔗 www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/service-quality/adr-schemes

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❓ Questions

Can I leave during the minimum term?

Usually only by paying an exit fee or the remaining charges. Some situations, such as a change to your contract terms, can give you the right to leave earlier.

Does my contract renew automatically?

Many contracts run on after the minimum term. Whether the provider must remind you first, and how you can end it then, is in the rules for the UK on this page.

Does a phone bought with the contract change anything?

A phone or other equipment bought with the contract can come with its own payments. Check whether they continue if you end the service.

📎 Sources

Checked: 2026-10-14

🧭 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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