Should I tell prospective tenants if asked?

[Numberfour]

We are moving out of rented accommodation pretty soon partly because we have outgrown the house and partly because we have a neighbour from hell.

She suffers from mental health issues and alcohol abuse and is well known in our close for shouting abuse, being nasty, swearing loudly, chucking foodstuffs at houses and over fences etc etc etc etc.

It has reached a point where we are not prepare to live like this anymore and have decided to move.

Things have been very quiet on the nuisance neighbour front since November 2010 when she appeared in court and was told to behave herself.

The estate agency is currently showing our house to prospective tenants and a really lovely couple came to see the house tonight. It is clear that they love it. They asked me a bit about the neighbour and also about the neighbours directly.

I did not say anything negative at all because I do not want to jeopardize the landlord's chances of getting new tenants. However, I feel that I have been untruthful in saying that all is good here!

WWYD? Tell all or shut up?

If asked, I would tell.

If I was trying to sell the house or rent it out, I would keep quiet!

Just be honest with anyone who asks and tell them that there is a Court Order in place and things can be done to sort her out, but that there is a problem there.

I say this as someone who lived next to a nuisance neighbour and who still gets palpitations if I hear loud music late at night. Don't do it to them.

if you are asked i am fairly certain you are obliged by law to tell the truth.

if they don't ask then i guess you don't have to offer the information, but you can't lie.

I would try to be out when prospective tenants view so that the agents show them round. Then you don't have to feel responsible.

We moved out of a flat a few years ago because the upstairs neighbours were so noisy, we were sleep-deprived and fed up. We kept out of the way when people came to view. We felt we could not lie if asked why we were moving or what the neighbours were like but as the neighbour was also the landlord and we were trying to get a new tenant in so that we could end our tenancy early we didn't want to spoil the chances of someone taking it.

I am not sure it's the outgoing tenants obligation to say anything - isn't It down to landlord and agent to deal with queries as part of formalities of taking on a new tenant?

Emsys idea of being out is a good one

Thanks, everyone. I appreciate your advice.

You could tell prospective tenants, but eventually you'll move out and the people looking won't be able to ask you about them, so don't feel too guilty if you don't say anything now.