To not want to move until we buy?

[FountainOfGerkins]

Dh wants to move closer to work (ATM he's doing a 45 minute commute). It would be substantially cheaper to move ($280 a week vs about $100 a week rent plus no commute). But the thought of moving makes me anxious and here's why.
We have never had a good experience with a letting agent or landlord apart from the ones we have now. Have rented for 10 years (8 of which with Dh) and Dh has been renting for 12 years. I really don't want to move again until we come to buy (in about 2 years time).
Aibu to say he should stick it out for a couple years? His reasons make sense but I don't think I could cope with another shoddy agent or LL.

[Allthewaves]

You know your stuff now. You know what to look for and questions to ask.

[specialsubject]

If you meant dollars rather than pounds, you aren't in the UK so I cant point you at local laws on rentals. Look them up.

[Whoville]

I see why your worried but would that mean you’d be saving 4,560 dollars a year? That would mean you’d be able to buy earlier wouldn’t it?

[IamtheDevilsAvocado]

It sounds you're not in uk


Although overall your anxiety at the possibility of a bad agent /landlord will cost 12,000 dollars over the 2 years +.... And 780 hours in commuting.... (-

• presumably the cost of fuel to get there...)

[Ginkypig]

Does your letting agent/landlord have any properties in the preferred area? He gets to move closer to work but you still get the security.

My friend and his family are in the process of moving after the landlord wanted to sell and after lots of crap viewings and panic they eventually found a flat in an area they wanted through the same agent they were currently using so they feel a bit safer because they know him.

[Bluntness100]

That's lot. Of time and money to throw away due to a risk of a shodddy landlord. I'd suggest doing everything possible to ensure uou get a decent one and move.

[bluemoonchances]

I don't think 45 minutes is a long time to commute to work, isn't that a pretty average commute time? So for the sake of saving probably about 30 minutes a day why go through the stress of moving if you're happy where you are?

[IamtheDevilsAvocado]

We moved from an ok landlord... Having previously had all kinds of landlords ... From the negligent /lazy to the borderline tolerable....

We were worried that this unwished for move, we would be moving from a tolerable l/l back into the fire of the appalling...

In reality.. Our current landlord is the nicest /most responsive we've had in almost 20 years of renting...

[FountainOfGerkins]

sorry I got distracted then forgot I posted!
I don't need any help wrt to local laws. It can just be a hell of a fight to have them enforced and our last agents were truly horrific. Down to attempting illegal inspections then issuing unreasonable breach notices to allow them to reinspect (as it means the legal maximum of 3 months does not hold if there's a breach notice, they can use it to come back to inspect the breach id rectified). They lied several times, gave us permission to have a pet then rescinded it (illegal) and threatened us with (illegal) eviction if we did not comply... Told us we weren't responsible for the patch of grass outside of our fence then told us we were. Then accused us of being in rent arrears when we were in fact a week in advance constantly. It was ridiculous; truly an absolute shitshow and when they had no cards left to play they issued a no fault eviction (in the same way a landlord can just give notice in the UK.) and then moving and finding somewhere to take our pet etc was extremely stressful. We knew our rights and enforced them but it was a near continuous battle that culminated in them trying to bill us $9,000 for "damages" (when we played hardball with them - asking them to prove it and take us to tribunal if they felt we were being unfair the bill became $74, the cost of 2 garden lights that were missing. We left them behind but had no energy to argue about $74)

I don't know how to ensure I have a decent landlord/LA. Most of the time it's got nothing to do with the shape the house is in - I'm pretty hot at inspecting properties and identify issues agents/LL's have missed several times in the past.
It's the landlords/agents attitude to things in general, trying to push the law and having to have disputes that gets me so down. In our last rental (described above) it got to the point where I was on anti anxiety medications and I was terrified to have anything out of place during inspections (though the house is expected to not be filthy a bit of dirt; so long as it doesn't hinder the inspection is fine) but they tried to serve a BN for a piece of onion peel by the kitchen bin...

We can afford the rent difference and the money isn't a necessity, it also must be factored in that moving will cost us approximately $2000 + the cost of a new deposit, agent fees and so forth. Plus the cost of a pro clean here (which is standard) but we will also get our deposit ($1100)back. as the other area is very cheap (we'd be paying anywhere from $60-$120 a week) a deposit would be cheaper too, on balance. So it's not an out and out financial gain but I do accept it's a lot of money!

I just don't think I'd cope again with a bad LL :(
If I could guarantee a decent LL/LA I'd go for it. We have a good level of savings secure income good references and so forth - I just don't know how to screen a landlord in the same way. It doesn't seem v fair but regardless I just don't think I'd cope again with a LL like we've previously had I've only recently started to relax a bit and enjoy having decent landlords who don't cause issues for us at any turn they can (or any turn that benefits them, at least).

[FountainOfGerkins]

Also; we could buy right now (with a mortgage) financially speaking but can't yet as I do not have permanent residence (I'm on an open ended visa while my application was dealt with). This should be the case in around 2 years, so no it wouldn't allow us to buy any faster at all.