Landlords, would you consider this if your tenants asked?

I'm a LL firstly, I think your LL is an absolute arse for not informing you of his intention to sell. Deciding to sell a property is not usually done on a whim and if I were to sell a property, which I have no intention of doing, I'd give my tenants at least a year's notice so they could have time to look for something else.

Secondly yes I'd be prepared to wait 6 months providing you could prove you'd have the funds to buy the house then.

Good luck op.

This is outrageous!

I wouldn't let the LL know yet that you've found out about this. Ring the estate agent (or get a friend to do so) posing as a potential buyer who's seen the house on Rightmove and wants a viewing. Find out a bit more.

Rented house go up for sale all the time where I live and they always mention if there's a tenant in situ. It often means they appeal mostly to other LLs who want to buy it and let the tenant continue to live there.

I would be worried the LL has lied to the estate agent and they don't know its rented. Or that they're only looking to sell to another LL.

Can you go to the estate agent and have a chat with them? Make it clear to them you won't be allowing viewings? And also tell them you'd like to buy the house if possible. If the LL is being an ass you might be better to do all the negotiating through the EA anyway (although LL could have avoided paying an EA if they'd just come straight to you!)

Shelter may be able to advise, OP.

Scotland: https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/eviction/private_residential_tenancy

England/Wales: https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/eviction

I'm a landlord, if he's selling it could be because he just doesn't want the hassle involved anymore. I'd ask to talk to him, for what it's worth I do think he should have told you before advertising it. He may wait 6 months and take higher rent but he may need to sell straight away for financial reasons . It could take 6 months to sell anyway so there's no harm asking . It would be unreasonable of him not to give proper notice to you .

As the sitting tenant you do not have to allow viewings of the property.

The LL shouldn't have taken photos with your belongings in the property without asking you first,

Get some advice from Citizen Advice, but I would:

1. Refuse viewings
2. Tell the LL you want to buy it and explain your financial situation and the timescales.

Do your finances allow you to put in any sort of offer right now? Even a cheeky one that's below the asking price.

A house near me went up for sale and the tenant refused viewings. So the house was for sale but no one could see it (I was looking to buy in the area at the time and when I rang the estate agent about this one, they said I couldn't view it, Icould only buy it based on the photos of it). The LL had to do a no fault eviction before anyone could view it and he could secure a sale, and that took longer than 6 months.

If your LL has any sense, having got 13 years rent out of you, they will sell it to you below the asking price to avoid the faff of having to get rid of you before they can sell it.

No harm in asking, id just be a bit miffed that photos were taken whilst I lived there, without my consent!

I'd send him a message saying, " I've discovered the house is up for sale. If you give me 6 months, I'd be in a position to buy it from you. Let me know if that's possible?"

As a landlord I would absolutely do this, especially if you were planning to buy the house because then could arrange a private sale and avoid a whole lot of kerfuffle. Deffo speak to your landlord. Very, very shoddy that they have listed it without notifying you though, and they will still have to serve you a section 21 (I think it is) with 2 months notice.

Agree with PP - ask your landlord. When exH and I split, we sold our BTL flat to the tenants. From landlord/seller’s perspective, it reduces the faff of dealing with potential buyers who might be in a chain or change their mind halfway. The question is whether you are able to offer a good enough price. Your LL was silly not to approach you first as they could have avoided the sales commission.

Good luck with this, I hope they say yes, I'm a landlord and would happily do this if my tenant asked!

Don't be scared. You have a lot of rights and protections. You don't have to move until there's an eviction order and that will take longer than 6 months.

With broken windows an a condemned gas fire this sounds like an unwise purchase. Stay put, save up, and buy elsewhere once you have your deposit together.

Honestly if you were a good tenant i'd have approached you first about the possibility of buying. i certainly would not have let you be suprised by a rightmove listing. I have been the LL in this situation and had to sell due to finances and i was honest with my tenants from the moment i decided to sell.

I would also prefer the tenant to buy if i could allow it even if it took a bit more time. No chain. Less chance of them pulling out or messing me around at last minute, reliable and trustworthy. Also if selling as normal house he either needs to serve you a s21 notice now and risk it being empty for a long period of time if the buyer falls through or risk making the buyer wait for the property and them pulling out if you then refuse to leave. Round here the process for eviction and bailiffs is taking 22 months if the tenant refuses to leave. I would 100% prefer waiting six months and have my tenant buy the property.

Personally think your LL is a bit of jerk and i do think it's worthwhile approaching with this offer.

I am a landlord. I am in the process of selling my late husband’s old home to the tenants. It makes so much more sense to sell to tenants if possible.

Your landlord sounds unprofessional, even arrogant, by putting the property on the market without even letting you know, and if he has accessed your home for photos without your consent he is breaking the law.

If he has to go through the eviction process it will take him many months, as it doesn’t sound like he has even issued a section 21, which in itself has to give at least 2 months notice.

Whilst it may be hard to negotiate without letting emotions get in the way there is possibly a middle path between threats and ‘bribes’ of extra rent.

I would suggest being ‘nice’. Explain it’s a shock after all of this time, and whilst you wish to cooperate it will take time to be in a position to move, that you are saving for a deposit to buy, etc. Do not offer more rent.

Depending upon how quickly/ smoothly he wants the sale to go it just might be worth him offering the shortfall in your deposit to help progress matters. It depends on how much that is, of course.

Whilst you could just stay put and see if you have the full deposit by the time a court eviction could happen, it’s probably not a good idea to incur a CCJ when you hope to buy in future. ( Eviction order shouldn’t affect credit rating, but financial order for costs may do).

I would change the locks in your position. It’s a quick and cheap process to change the barrel ( £6 -£15 ish for barrel and basic DIY/ handyman job).

The landlord can't give a section 8. Section 8 is for rent arrears/breaking tenancy agreement he should be giving a Section 21.

OP - we are LL's

Not letting you know is wrong!!

You not "asking" for anyhting - not sure what you are saying as its the T's duty to tell LL if things need repairs and a good LL will take action.

A good LL never enters without consent unless they are unable to get a response from T having made serious attmets to contact them over a period of time

Some here are saying they wait the 6 months - We would or may not!! In the real world it depends on the LL's circumstances and that is a fact. Not having a go at you OP but those that just posted saying they would but without sindering LL's plight

Good T's are hard to find IMO and we have some and we reward them by a 250/300 reduction in rent per month this year and the reduced rent has been from day one but not as great - we;ve not increased the rent for 3 years

Good luck OP

Yes this is a good response. if he says no then just stay on current rent until you can afford to buy elsewhere but make sure you get him fined first for all the times he's broken the law.

Please ask them OP! You're actually in a strong position - they know you and (assuming you can prove your financials) they should see there's less chance of you flaking out compared to a new buyer. I'm house-hunting at the moment and a lot of people are offering under asking price and pulling out of agreed purchases.

I'm surprised there's no legal requirement for landlord to tell you they're selling. Were the pictures taken recently?! If pictures were taken while you're there, and people are turning up asking for viewings, that seems like it infringes on your right to quiet enjoyment of the property. But no point raising that now as you want to be friendly, just express your strong interest in buying, start getting a mortgage in principle etc if you don't yet, and I agree with others not to offer increased rent just yet.

He’s stupid not to have spoken to you first, if you’re prepared to buy it in six months he could have saved himself estate agency fees by selling direct to you. I would phone him today and have a really honest chat with him. Say you were gutted to learn that your home was put on the market by a stranger knocking on your door. State your case that you have been a great tenant for 13 yrs and love the area and the house. You could say ‘look, if you take 5k off the asking price I’ll buy it today, that means you don’t have to decorate, clear it etc. Or take it off the market today and i’ll buy it for full asking price in 6 month bypassing any agents fees for you. Bear in mind, if you haven’t got the deposit today it doesn’t matter, most house sales take at least four months, to go through so you wouldn’t have to pay anything right now. It will make your LL’s life so much easier to sell to you, have a chat, be honest.

Landlord here

Whilst I completely agree that the photos shouldn't have been used, you should have been told, don't have to allow viewings etc. I wouldn't raise those issues if you want to buy it off him - I would look into getting finance and making an offer ASAP.

If you complain, however justifiably, he will likely not entertain your offer and issue a section 8 eviction notice to sell.

A good landlord would have given you warning of his intent to sell and if not selling with tennant would have ended your tennancy in the correct way before listing the property.

Definitely ask. I’m a LL, kept it when I remarried to make sure I wasn’t homeless if anything went wrong. I’d definitely consider it if I were financially able. I find it very odd it’s on the market and you weren’t told though.

This!

He has been very underhand (re: photographs) so personally I wouldn't have any compunction about being an A-hole in return. How long until your lease is up?

I wouldn't offer to pay more for those 6 months of rent though - i would just say that you are interested in buying the property.

Also this.

@DesperateTenant has your landlord even given you a section 21?

I'd have a conversation with the LL, he's not behaving well by not telling you about the sale. You could make life very difficult for him! Possibly work out what you can afford and offer that now, even if it is below the asking price.