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Original poster

Landlords, would you consider this if your tenants asked?

436 replies

DesperateTenant · 26/01/2024 03:47

I have rented my current home for 13 years. I am a good tenant, I keep the house in excellent shape and care for it as if it was my own. I have never asked for anything, rent is always paid on time.

Landlord has decided to sell and I only discovered this when someone knocked on my door wanting a sneaky viewing. They showed me the listing on Rightmove, complete with pictures I was completely unaware were taken.

I am shocked and desperate not to move. I came from nothing and I've made a life for me and my children here. We have a real community around us. I'm at the point where I'll be able to buy locally within 6 months and staying in the area is so important to me.

I completely understand that legally I am not entitled to be told when the LL is selling and have no rights to ask for anything from the LL and I don't know their personal situation.

But, for the landlords out there, in these circumstances if your long term tenant asked if you would consider waiting 6 months and offered to pay more rent (currently pay £850, would offer £1150) would you?

Would it be completely unreasonable for me to ask this?

In 6 months I'd have enough to buy the house I'm in and would do so in a heartbeat.

OP posts:
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Lincslady53 · 26/01/2024 05:59

Why don't you offer to buy it direct without the estate agent? It might be too late and he will have to pay the agency, but if he withdraws from the market and waits till you have the deposit, he may avoid having to pay them, so would be wirth his while waiting.

PickledPurplePickle · 26/01/2024 05:28

Ask - I would have done this for my tenants before my flat went on the market

user1473878824 · 26/01/2024 05:25

You aren’t going to lose anything by asking!

Original poster
DesperateTenant · 26/01/2024 05:14

I just don't have a big enough deposit right now.
Houses around here sell so quickly, it's a great location. I have no doubt it will sell soon. It was a very rough area when I first moved here but things changed drastically during COVID and it's improved so much.

To be honest I am crossing my fingers that some of the work that needs doing will put people off for a little while considering the price it's listed for. For example none of the upstairs windows close properly and half of the downstairs can be pried open from the outside (like that since I moved in), the gas fire was condemned 4 years ago etc. So while I've kept it in excellent condition and looked after everything there are things broken that LL never fixed and I couldn't.
But it's the fixer-upper in a nice area that appeals to people.

OP posts:
ActDottie · 26/01/2024 04:13

House sales take time so I’d just offer the six months with no rent increase tbh and then if they say no I’d offer more rent

HirplesWithHaggis · 26/01/2024 03:57

I am not a landlord, but if I were, I'd agree.

From a practical point of view, because selling to you would be a lot less faff than dealing with estate agents. But also because he hasn't even issued you notice yet, and you could easily drag your feet for six months, and no-one (other than another landlord) will buy with tenants in situ.

Plus he's been a bit sneaky letting someone into your house for photos, and not telling you he's selling, which should make him feel guilty of he's human at all.

ComtesseDeSpair · 26/01/2024 03:55

You need to ask your landlord. Show them some evidence that you have almost all of your deposit together and a DIP from some lenders which back up your ability to buy. Make an offer and give them a firm date six months ahead when you expect to be in a position to conclude.

Without that, if I needed to sell for personal or financial reasons then I’d keep marketing because promises about what someone might be able to do in the future are worthless. Extra rent wouldn’t really be an incentive.

Ponderingwindow · 26/01/2024 03:55

Talk to your landlord. It can take 6 months for a house to sell anyway plus for a sale to complete. If you are in a confident position to buy quickly in 6 months, they might not even care about a rent increase now. Don’t start by offering more rent as part of the negotiation. Hold that back if you need to offer an incentive.

fairlygoodmother · 26/01/2024 03:54

I’m not a landlord but have been in the past and I think it’s definitely worth asking. Sales can take a long time and fall through and I would regard you as a good buyer because you’re highly motivated and unlikely to mess around by gazundering or similar.

I would want evidence that you would be ready to proceed in six months and it would be helpful if you were able to start some of the legal processes.

Your landlord might not be in a position to wait of course but there’s no harm in asking.

WandaWonder · 26/01/2024 03:52

Well you can ask but every single landlord on here can say what they would do but that does not make your landlord do anything so ask them

Aintnosupermum · 26/01/2024 03:52

Absolutely, but why can’t you offer asking price now? Is it the deposit or the higher interest rate that kills this for the lender to approve you?

Id speak to the landlord. It’s silly they didn’t offer you the opportunity to buy first. For that reason alone I would start my offer at 10% below ask and discount further based on the inspection report. No point being a pussy when the other guy is being a dick. I recommend starting with being a dick and escalating to an asshole if necessary.

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