AIBU to not rent a house to our relative?

Hi OP.

If your house is mortgaged on a BTL, a condition of that will often be that you don’t rent to family.

There is your reason if you need one.

Definitely a no. Anything else would put you on the path to much too much grief.

Always separate family and business. Unless it's someone who absolutely respects it's a business.
E.g. my cousin's husband is a lawyer. I'm a paying customer.

Renting to her would be an acto of self harm. I say that as a landlord. Unless you are a card carrying masochist do not do it.

There's no reason to say yes, you'd be losing money for someone who doesn't like you. No thanks

"I'm afraid we've already lined up a tenant and I'm sure you wouldn't want us to be unethical landlords and pull it out from under them"

I'm a landlord and I'd honestly be very nervous of renting to a relative I actually like, nevermind someone that's actually been nasty to me.

The amount of trouble that you would be creating for yourself is not worth it.

Totally agree with you saying no to her. She'd either stop paying rent completely or she'd find so many things wrong with the house she'd be an absolute nightmare.

This has got disaster written all over it;

• you've paid to have work done to it, so if she leaves any of it damaged it'll be even worse as it'll have been freshly renovated
• it doesn't sound like you all get on anyway
• she wants it cheap which will automatically make you annoyed any time she raises any issues (even if they're reasonable issues)
• if you need to chase for rent or if there's a depute over a deposit (will she even pay a deposit) the whole family will take sides and you won't get your money without fracturing the relationships.

I'd go with a simple "I'm really sorry we don't want to mix business and family/money and family". I'd leave it to your husband to deliver the message too - she is his stakeholder. If he cares about her/wants to be nice, offer support with moving instead (box packing/carrying, looking after her kids, maybe if you have good relationships through your houses with tradespeople you can recommend people to her). Providing a home is beyond a normal level of family support. It's a shame, but you reap what you sow and she sounds like a nightmare to deal with day-to-day let alone if she's living in your home for cheap!!

If you think she will pay then rent it out to her, but looking at what you wrote she sounds like a trouble maker.
If you decide ro rent, your hubby needs to have a word with her and point it out that he has these properties due to hard work and being smart with your choices and she has no right to be pissy and judgemental with either of you. Especially if she comes out later on asking to help her out afterwards.

I would not start giving reasons.....reasons offer an opening for people to provide solutions......If you have to say something raher that sorry that won't work for us, I'd use the mixing business and family reason.

Absolutely not and if anyone has an issue with it they're free to let her move in there !

Having been in a similar situation don’t even think about it. When she stops paying the rent you won’t get rid of her without hassle. If necessary just tell her you have a mortgage on it and need market rent to pay it.

Say no. I can't even be bothered to type out all the reasons. They are obvious.

I'd say no. She is only going to cause problems because she feels entitled to your house for free.

It would be a NO from me.

I know exactly how you feel, OP, I really do. We have one just like that and there have been times when I've wanted to say, ODFOD.

It’s time for you to use all her arguments back at her. She clearly has a sense of entitlement that she would dare as you and she’s getting other relatives to suggest you rent it to her for free!?. She’s clearly jealous of you being in a position to be landlords and I just couldn’t trust that. Too many red flags

I would 100% say no based on the new renters reform act, especially not at a reduced rent. You’ll never get her out and she’ll be able to challenge rent increases at the land tribunal.

She's your husband's relative - he can say "no" to her.

I agree with pretty much everyone else that she would be a nightmare tenant.

This is exactly what I’d say.

No way Hose. I have a headache just reading about this woman.

Never mix business with family.

I’d just say No. She can’t have it both ways. Who cares what other relatives say.

Because she is worried about repercussion for refusing to rent it to the relative. I think the relative should refuse to accept the dirty landlord money, but that won't happen. It will show that the OP is not deserting her family as she is giving them some of the rent that the relative would (not) have been paying and then the other relatives cannot make a fuss as I assume they are not helping financially at all. Hope that makes sense.

No!

We are also small landlords (less than 5 houses at max).
Like others say best to only let on commercial terms to strangers. If she defaulted it would be a huge part of your income lost.
There might be grumbling from family but if you had trouble with her later it would be awful and the guilt. "Turning little children out into the snow".
Nah no Way. Keep it business only.