If your tenant had signed a years contract but you wanted to sell, when would you put it on the market?

[TheDayMyButtWentPsycho]

Say the 12 month contract ends in June, would you put the house on the market in March?

We have lost all tax credits (which is understandable!) and I'm not longer entitled to NHS Bursary and allowances.
We are currently £200 worse off each month the we were before we rented it out.

I'm worried that the house will be empty, we will have no tax credits, no bursary input and no sale for 8 months.

Thanks NorthernRunner.

Unless there's a lot more clarity about the Brexit deal by the time you want to sell, you might it simply doesn't shift at all so not worth putting it on the market before April.

If theres no deal and project fear (otherwise known as the Bank of England) is right so the housing market plummets, no one wants to be the person holding the 30% reduction just after buying...

Oh God don't even start me on the Brexit thing. I've been fretting about that as well!

Most people won't exchange with a tenant in situ so it's it really worth putting it on the market until the tenant has gone. Also a tidy up and a lick of paint make houses much more sellable. it sounds like it's going to be financially hard but honestly your best bet is selling the house empty tidy clean painted it be quicker in the long run and generate you more money.

Hmmm. Given that you didn’t know what to do with the house, it’s a shame you didn’t set a fixed term of 6 months (rather than 12 months) or at the very least include a 6 month break clause.

I believe that it is possible to end the tenancy by mutual agreement before the end of the fixed term, this is called ‘surrendering the tenancy’ and I don’t see the harm in asking the tenant if they would consider it - I think it would fair enough as long as you made it clear that they are under no obligation and they have a legal right to stay until the end of the fixed term. The worst that can happen is that they say no.

In an ideal world I think you do need to wait until they’re out before putting it on the market.

It's your house not the tenants you are in control, I would put on on January personally all you have to do is give them 24 hours notice for the viewings.

I do wish people wouldn't talk such shit about things they have no clue about.

It's your house not the tenants you are in control, I would put on on January personally all you have to do is give them 24 hours notice for the viewings.

I do wish people wouldn't talk such shit about things they have no clue about.

Yeah I chose to brush past that post 😂

“I'm worried that the house will be empty, we will have no tax credits, no bursary input and no sale for 8 months.”

If your tenants move out and the house is on the market, it should be disregarded for benefits and tax credits until you sell it (for up to 6 months):

Savings that are disregarded

the value of a property for up to 26 weeks if you have acquired it to live there, you are trying to sell it, you are carrying out essential repairs or alterations in order to live there, or you are taking legal advice so that you can live there

from www.entitledto.co.uk/help/savings

As others have said, the tenant doesn't have to allow viewings, most will at times convenient to them but they probably won't keep the house in pristine selling condition (that's a lot of work when it's of no benefit to you).

Equally most buyers except buy to let landlords won't want to buy until the tenant is out. People are usually advised to wait for vacant possession as evictions can be very long and costly.

Would it be financially worth it to you to sell the house below market value to another landlord? If not I think you will have to sit tight!

Please wait unt their tennancy ends. And give them loads of notice you won't renew. It's shit being a tenant in a house that's for sale!

It's your house not the tenants you are in control, I would put on on January personally all you have to do is give them 24 hours notice for the viewings.

Oh dear lol

You did not seriously just say that if viewings are during the day she'll be out & won't notice??

Jesus, do people actually do this???

How come you did a 12 month contract, rather than 6 month

Seriously, who wants to move twice in 6 months? If you are going to do a short term let then do it properly.

I agree about the amateur landlord comment and were I ever looking to rent again in the future then I will be looking at properties that are full time rentals, rather than houses that the owners "don't know what to do with".

You did not seriously just say that if viewings are during the day she'll be out & won't notice??

WITH her permission obviously. If she agreed and preferred it to be during the day so she didn't have to deal with people walking through her home the yes of course I would do this.
Why on earth not?

Seriously, who wants to move twice in 6 months? If you are going to do a short term let then do it properly.

What? Who's moving twice in 6 months?

I had this happen to me as a tenant several times.
I didn't make a huge effort to keep it tidy for viewings, if the estate agent was being arsey it was broccoli and garlic the night before and no clearing up done.
Personally I'd wait till she's out. It really isn't nice having your home tramped through.

Your financial choices are not, nor should be, your tenants problem.

Offer her proper recompense if you consider yourself a halfway decent person/landlord.

Oh apologies OP, when you said she wouldn't notice I presumed you meant without telling but now take it you mean wouldn't notice a disruption - my bad!!

Rather than selling in this difficult situation, would it be possible to borrow money to cover your expenses and plan on repaying it when you sell the house after the tenancy has ended?

We have already borrowed money that we are planning to pay back with the sale of the house so we've kinda rinsed that option unfortunately.

As to why we did a 12 month and not 6 month contract I've no idea, I never questioned it. In all the places I've rented out I've always signed an initial 12 month contract so it didn't cross my mind that anything different would occur here. Perhaps a 6 month contract puts tenants off. It would put me off.

So long as you are willing to show a less than perfectly tidy house. You can't expect the tenant to do a full clean every time you have a viewing. It may also restrict you viewings as most people buying will have jobs and may only manage evenings which will encroach on your tenants personal time.

Have you considered offering the tenant money to move out early?

Have you considered offering the tenant money to move out early?

I suggested this to DH but he's really not keen.