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Renting from family WWYD?

12 replies

FoofFighter · 14/02/2012 00:47

DP and I have been asked if we want to rent his sister's Dp's house.
They were only talking last week about selling it once their current tenants leave mid March as they need the money, so not sure why the turnaround but today asked if we would like to rent it at the price we currently pay for our rental - which would make it about £200 less than they get for it at present which is puzzling me too. On the surface it sounds fab as there's no way we can afford to pay for a bigger place as I am not able to work although I think the council tax band would go up by one or two than where we are here.

It's 1 bedroom bigger and a house rather than an upstairs flat that we have atm. The extra space would be fantastic as this flat is rather titchy, plus it'll all be on one level which is a bonus as I have mobility issues. There is a garden too. And central heating which this place doesn't have and I really do feel the cold something chronic with not being very mobile. It is however not as convenient location wise. At the moment on a good day I can manage to get to the village without too much fuss but in the new place it'd be a bus ride away.

They also want to do it off the books so to speak so assuming they mean no contracts which I am wary of. Am wary of mixing business with pleasure especially as DP and his sister have frequent mild fallings out over not a lot really, and am scared that if they fall out they'll tell us to hoof it, or they decide after a few months to put rent back to what they get now or sell after all and we'll have no protection if no contract and what would we do then?

We are currently semi secure here in that the landlord is happy for us to stay as we are good tenants, and we get fixed 6 month tenancies at a time which offers some degree of security, for either side and despite the stairs and the size we really love our little flat and how convenient it is as neither of us drive and are starting to make it our own.

WWYD?

OP posts:
FoofFighter · 14/02/2012 00:47

ooh that was a bit long, sorry!

OP posts:
Grumpla · 14/02/2012 01:36

I'd assume that by "off the books" they are planning not to declare the rental income (eg commit tax fraud) so wouldn't proceed on that basis alone.

No contracts sounds well dodgy to me.

googietheegg · 14/02/2012 01:41

I think it has the potential to go very wrong. Stay where you are. You wouldn't have thought of it if they hadn't offered.

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FoofFighter · 14/02/2012 13:14

I hadn't thought of the tax fraud aspect of it tbh

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LIZS · 14/02/2012 13:19

You probably would n't be eligible for HB if you ever needed to claim. Why "off the books" Hmm

FoofFighter · 14/02/2012 13:38

I don't know, I'm not entirely sure what they meant by that, as in the tax thing or no contract or not thru a letting agent, not registering as a landlord - although assume they must be already? etc

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NatashaBee · 14/02/2012 13:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bran · 14/02/2012 13:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FoofFighter · 14/02/2012 13:55

They wanted to sell up last year but something went wrong with the legal way to give notice to current tenants so they ended up staying another 6m and are due to leave March and uptil last month they were preparing to move into it themselves. Am just puzzled all round really!

I think it's a no goer even though as I say we'd get more for our money, it's simply looking like it's not worth any potential fallout.

OP posts:
FoofFighter · 14/02/2012 13:59

So now an excuse/reason is needed! One that won't cause hard feelings Hmm

OP posts:
OlympicEater · 16/02/2012 18:15

Your mobility issues would be as good a reason as any - ie not being able to walk too far.

However I would, and have rented from family and it was fine, well in as much as dirt cheap rent when we were skint and desperate was worht the compromise of a bit of bending and scraping to PIL

FoofFighter · 16/02/2012 18:35

Thanks, he's told her no but no idea what he actually said Confused

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