WIBU to refuse viewings on my (seperate locked) room until I leave?

[SleepyEyes99]

I've given my one month notice to the agent and for the first time I'm uncomfortable with strangers being shown round before I leave. This is for a number of reasons: the agent has been very disorganised and laid back throughout my tenancy ( for example, I have been living with one room in our three bed flat empty since Feb and the other empty since May); previously I have rented directly from landlords who were/became friends so I trusted them to show people around my belongings and keep an eye on them; previously I've rented a whole property, not a room and bathroom, so the bedroom was a) less cluttered and b) only worth about 5 seconds of any tour; the agent (see point 1) doesn't often give 24 hours notice, which doesn't bother me for communal areas but I don't want to keep my room constantly tidy or wonder whether I'm going to have to work around a viewing that evening.

Inspired by being told several times in the course of the current search that viewings are impossible before the scheduled end of a lease, is it that unreasonable or unusual nowadays to say no? I want to call and say whilst I'm happy for viewings of the communal areas, I don't want anyone in my room. WIBU?

[MaizieDaiziesxx]

It depends on what it says on your contract - mine has a clause stating that once notice has been given to leave, we have to grant reasonable access to the property for viewings provided there is 24 hours notice. For most tenancy agreements they say landlord or agent can access the property within reason provided 24 hours notice is given.

Do you have anywhere else you could keep your valuables, eg your own locker at work?

I'm intrigued at what you don't want them to see in your room!

[sillysausagewithsauce]

Not unreasonable at all. You are paying to live there and are well within your rights to refuse viewings.
If you want to, you could offer eg a sat afternoon 2-4 for viewings given that you have given them notice but it is entirely up to you. You have a right to 'quiet enjoyment' of the property-indeed, that's what you are paying for.

[holeinmyheart]

It depends on the wording of your lease. I don't think you can deny your landlord access providing they give notice as indicated in the lease you signed.
If you signed nothing then you have to behave ( in law) in what is deemed a reasonable manner.
They cannot let your room without showing it to a prospective tenant, so perhaps you could agree times when you are there.

I know you might feel like behaving like they have done, but personally I find that behaving badly, makes me feel bad.

[SleepyEyes99]

Thanks, I will check my lease. From memory it's 'within reason' without anything referencing viewings.

hole I'm not annoyed at them or anything! Just, going on their past behaviour, wouldn't trust them to notice if someone lifted, e.g. some pricier bits of jewellery I have, or even my tablet. Which answers your question Maizie... I have a few very expensive and portable items kept in plain view (no cupboards, one of the reasons I'm moving!) that I can't afford to replace (all were presents). They are named on my insurance but I don't believe in tempting fate.

If the wording is as I suspect I will see if I can arrange specific time slots for viewings. I know I sound really suspicious but I live in a city with a very high crime rate and know several people who have had things stolen.

[gobbynorthernbird]

You don't have to let them view. Any clause that says otherwise does not override the law.

[Gartenzwerg]

Yes agree with gobby. No matter what you contract says you can refuse viewings. However your landlord may take a dim view and spite you by refusing a reference. Up to you whether you care or not.

[Bragadocia]

It really doesn't matter what it says in the lease. Leases say all kinds of crap, most of it unenforceable.

The law overrules the lease. You do not have to allow any viewings. At all!

[19lottie82]

It does t matter what your lease States. You don't have to allow viewings, even with notice. Your agent will try and convince you that you do, but you don't. That's the law, and they can't over ride it by including a clause in your lease.

[Oldsu]

Sorry if you want a reference for your LL you may have to, its not fair on the LL who needs to re rent his property maybe to pay his mortgage, to have to wait until you leave to show other tenants around, I could understand your reasoning if you were facing eviction or the landlord has kicking you out for another reason, but if you have decided to leave the tenancy why should your LL have to suffer a loss.

Tell me if it was your own home you were selling maybe making money from it would you actually refuse viewings or would you want to sell your home quickly and for the right price.

[gobbynorthernbird]

Oldsu, the LL is running a business and therefore should account for voids.

[Oldsu]

gobbynorthernbird if the OP was to say they had to terminate the tenancy because of something the LL did, like hiking up the rent or refusing to do repairs, then I would be totally on their side and say stuff the LL, but if the LL has done nothing wrong but why should they suffer a financial loss because the OP doesn't want to do something that they would have no objection to if they themselves were getting something out of it like selling their own home - I mean have you ever heard of someone selling their own home but refusing viewings to enable that to happen.

[thecatneuterer]

I agree with Oldsu. I think you are being very unreasonable OP. And I would bet anything that if allowing viewings meant the difference to you of hundreds of pounds, rather than to someone else, you would have a different attitude.

You could request that they only open the door and look into the room, rather than go in (that is probably what would happen anyway). You could even request that viewings only happen when you are there, so long as you are quite often there.

But if I were your LL and you refused all viewings then you would get the shitest of shit references from me.

[Mehitabel6]

I expect that you can but it seems very unfair and I wouldn't give you a good reference if I was LL. just insist on doing them when you are there.

[JeanSeberg]

Ah but this is MN where landlords are the scum of the earth and must be treated as such at all times.

OP you're being too precious - why?

[Mehitabel6]

I think it very unfair that the LL isn't able to line someone up to move in immediately.

[Spermysextowel]

You may think the agent has been disorganised in letting you live in a 3 bed flat on your own for approx 2 months, but this is probably at the request of the owner who was biding their time until they could let it as a unit rather than on a room-by-room basis. I accept that in some circs someone might sign a contract that is overruled by law (I could agree to send my children up a chimney every day but I wouldn't get away with it!) but I can't believe that there is a law that stops landlords from showing a property to possible tenants if they give notice. Can you keep your valuables somewhere else for the brief time you have left if they're portable?

[worridmum]

their sadly is such a law to quietly enjoy a properity is inshrine in law that tenets can block ALL viewings and even maintanice calls and then complain about things being broken (when the feckers had deined access to the repairman) with the only expections being to emerncies such as fire or floods and you cannot deduct the damage that their blocking of access cause from their deposit (was a water leak in my rented house that i inhertied from my father) and then tenets kept blocking access and their was nothing I could do but eat the god damn 12,000 of damage (increase of insurence payments i mean)

[londonrach]

You dont have to allow viewings if you pay rent even if written in contract. Ask cab for advice. No idea if this works for just room rents.

[Mrsmorton]

YABU and precious. I'd definitely not give you a reference if you did that to me! It's incredibly unfair but even decent LLs have to put up with unreasonable tenants.

[Crocodopolis]

^^^^

[BocaDeTrucha]

Yabvu.... How hard is it to put your tablet under the mattress and your jewellery with it?? Really, noone gets chance to be left alone on a viewing to be able to root around through someone's things. I think you're being a wee bit precious and paranoid.