Landlords, would you consider this if your tenants asked?

Before you resign yourself to moving away, make sure you get in contact with all the local estate agents (including the one listing yours) to explain what you are looking for. There may have something perfect that hasn’t quite been listed yet.

I agree, possibly delusional too, if he's expecting to get more than the asking price (although I concede the market might still be very different away from my part of the SE, where properties are taking much longer to go under offer than they were a year ago, and prices are sliding a bit).

When he realises what it's going to cost him in agents' fees and in legal fees trying to get the OP out, he might well be kicking himself for not agreeing to the OP's offer. So much less hassle. And if OP finds somewhere before he's got an offer in place, he could have months without any rental income. Twat.

Sorry it didn't work out for you OP, but I'm sure you'll find something soon.

What’s the rush OP? You’re not being evicted, EA can’t conduct visits against your will, seller is stuck…. Have you made a formal offer on the property? I’d stop making home offers on fb messenger and go through the listing agent.

I had to evict tenants, cost thousands and took six months. I'd have sold to you.

Ah just read your update. He is a greedy arsehole. I'm so sorry. Maybe it's better this way. I hope you find a bigger and better house, come back here and tell us when you do. I also hope he sells it for far less than you offered, and that they mess him around 😆

Maybe £170,000 would have been a more sensible offer on a £185,000 house? Are they asking for "offers over"? His idea that he's going to get £200,000 for it seems very strange otherwise.

Message LL back and say the offer remains on the table for now.

Write to the letting agents and give instructions that, given the wholly enethical and illegal breach of your rights as a tenant over the listing photos, you will not be giving access to viewings. See what they say then. But put it in writing, to the most senior person there, and ask for a response.

I agree with @Mummyoflittledragon. You owe the LL nothing at this point. Hold your nerve. Absolutely do not agree to any viewing and write to the Estate agent confirming that you do not give consent to the property being entered whilst you are not present. I’d also make a formal offer (the one you made via FB) to the EA. That way, the LL will owe the EA commission (which he would’ve avoided had he taken your offer). I’d also print a big list of things that are not for sale/wrong with the house in a large font and leave just inside the front door which would hit every potential buyer in the event they decide to let themselves in.

If you go onto the land registry and pay £3, you can see the title for the property. Check he actually owns it. His address will be listed on it. I’d also see who the lender is (it’ll be listed if there is one) and approach that bank/bs to see if they would lend to you. I bet it’s a fixed term rate that is coming to an end which is prompting the sale but that doesn’t excuse him being a dick about it.

Sorry you are going through this, it’s appalling behaviour on his part.

I wouldn’t move just now op. You can drag this out and possibly buy the house. You can refuse viewings citing quiet enjoyment. The ll will then have to issue a section 21. They’ve been sneaky with you, why make their life easy? And I say this as a landlord. I have a policy of only letting houses I would be happy to live in myself. I think they’re disgusting.

Especially if you are buying somewhere next and not letting, now is the time to be a little less accommodating. No further viewings until you have left which could be a very long wait for him.

So sorry to hear this, he’s a fool!

If the house is right for you and it’s going to cause you a lot of other issues to move, not to mention eat I to your savings. Then take the emotion out of it and go to the selling agents.
you don’t have to deal with him at all, just put your offer on the table officially and wait to see what happens.
youve got nothing to lose

Im a LL, I'd say yes.

It is probably a negotiating tactic from him. Ah well - he is overplaying his hand. He may come back up you in a few weeks, he may not.

Good luck with the house hunting - hopefully something fab comes along for you to buy soon.

You could consider renting via spare room 4 now etc -, rather than rushing to buy

Don't give notice until you've found somewhere else, though, and preferably not until you've exchanged (if you're buying)

I’d still hold out hope OP. He might think he can sell it above asking price but you just wait until the house has been on the market for a few months and no offers are coming in. I suspect he might be interested then!

He thinks someone is going to offer £15k above asking price? For a flat, in a falling market? He's a knob. Truly.

He's not interested now but he now needs to start the eviction process of getting you out and no one can be shown round the property until you're out. So he's not really doing his bottom line any favours by saying a flat no to you. The house has to be taken off the market and so when it goes live in the future won't be fresh to market.

This