DS plans to leave his central London flat totally empty for a year

Somewhere like Mayfair or St James's probably only get the one bedroom for £1m

Excellent points in this post.

You must be joking?

Loving, caring and worrying are distinct from meddling, and inserting yourself where you’re not welcome. In that respect, an adult child is your business to the extent that they allow themselves to be.

While OP may have the right to her opinion, he has the right to deny her a listening ear.

This 100%. My parents rented out our old family house so that we could rent somewhere close to my dad's new job at the time. The family he rented it to trashed the house, set up a fraudulent business there and sublet it themselves as well. Then when my dad tried to evict them for non payment of rent (of over a year) they refused to leave and threatened him. My dad ended up having to sell the house due to the court fees and time it took to get them out a well as the costs to repair the damage and could no long keep up with the mortgage. Being a landlord isn't as easy as it seems and many property management companies aren't that good!

Hope youre joking???

I never understand people who say adult kids aren’t our business, my adult kids will
always be my business, even if I don’t meddle I will always care, worry and be there for them. My dm worries about my children now!

You could offer to house sit then rent out your place?

Mr know it all is going to come a cropper.

Don’t be so stupid suggesting illegal and sneaky manoeuvres. Yes,illegally subletting son flat and picketing the rent that’ll boost familial relationships

Have you told tge insurance company that you're living abroad? My house insurance stipulates that I need to inform them if I intend to leave the house uninhabited fot mot than a fortnight at a time.

It depends. We have a flat in a small block and we are not there often (neither are other owners) we just declare it when we organise the insurance. If it’s a leasehold (not share of freehold like ours) then the building insurance would need to cover all eventualities unless it’s stated in the lease that the flat needs to be occupied. Worth checking teams of the lease OP.

It’s absolutely not.

Many people who rent want long term security about where they live, not a year long contract.

We don’t have enough homes which then drives up prices. Thats why there is a crisis.

😂

I assume you’re joking

The op question is: AIBU to think he’s being ridiculous?
I am responding to the op that yes I think he is and she is not being unreasonable.
a decent letting agent would mitigate any risk of lending to the wrong person and fix any issues and of course he is blinkered to the housing crisis if he’s happy to leave a property empty .
‘lol’ at you laughing at me as though mine is the only comment here that suggests applying the same common sense.

All above points considered what about the scenario his nomad dream isn’t what he thought it was cracked up to be and wants to return after 3 months?

Or if he and his GF split up?

A year is not actually that long and the costs of renting plus the risks may well mean he makes little to no money. Given awful tenants he could end up out of pocket plus have his year out totally screwed up by dealing with the fallout.

It’s a very different proposal to rent your own home in comparison to owning a rental property.

Does he leave his stuff there and risk it being trashed/stolen or pay to move it into storage?

OP I think you are being very naive about the costs/risks/financial rewards of renting in this scenario.

In your DS’s situation it’s not something I would consider either.

An empty property requires special insurance. Part of the terms of empty property insurance is that someone checks the property weekly and provides evidence that this has been done.

He's an adult. None of your business

@Tedsabear It’s absolutely none of your business what he does with his flat. He’s a grown man and if he doesn’t want a stranger living in his home for a year (I wouldn’t either), that’s his prerogative.

No wonder your relationship is strained. Back off and keep your neb out is my advice.

And this is exactly why we have a housing crisis!

Lol. Not at all.

That said, even if he was blinkered (he isn’t), he’s fully entitled to be. It’s his property and he’s said no. Op can’t force him into it, so not sure what getting a letting agent would achieve.

I get what you mean but they’re not exactly sh sort of cash are they now? They want the convenience. His flat, his choice. You could go and stay and have weekends in London while he’s away and check on the place.

By the time he’s paid tax on the rental and paid for a company to maintain it, he’ll have not much left. Honestly it’s not free money renting out a flat, it’s full of taxes, costs and headaches.

Team DS. It’s not worth it to rent it out for a year, and it could cost him more than he would make it in rent. Plus, it’s his home, it’s totally reasonable that he wouldn’t feel comfortable having someone else living there and using his things.

If your relationship is always strained, perhaps it isn’t the best idea to second guess his decisions and make your disapproval known. It may not be the choice you would make, but it’s not your choice. It’s his. Respect that.