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Original poster

Is my landlord being a dick or am I

19 replies

Reggety · 18/03/2019 16:52

i've lived in this house for 7 years. First year was a 6 month tenancy then a periodic for 6 months. Then a years tenancy. Then another years tenancy. Then two two year tenancy's.

I am just coming to the end of this tenancy in a few months. I've asked the LL for another two years (preferably longer) but two years minimum. It's nice to have the security of not living month to month. There is an 18 mth break clause in our two year tenancy so it's just really nice knowing i'm not going anywhere for a good few years.

He's told me today that he won't be renewing the tenancy and I will have to go on to a rolling month to month tenancy....and why? Because the energy rating for the house is so shit he can't give me a fixed tenancy without getting the energy rating up first Angry. Which he has no plans to do so i'll just have to go month to month from now on so he can get away without pulling the rating up from a G! where it currently is.

So I have to live with the uncertainty month to month so he doesn't have to spend any money. He is mortgage free on this house, all the rent £1015 pcm goes in his pocket.

Am I in the wrong here for being annoyed and thinking he's being a cheeky fucker?

OP posts:
TheInvestigator · 18/03/2019 16:55

Is the area in demand? If you left, would he be able to fill a month to month tenancy? You could leverage it if he won't be able to find a tenant.

Maybe start looking for somewhere else with a long term tenancy though as he doesn't need to do anything.

Original poster
Reggety · 18/03/2019 17:05

Well I think that if he started any new tenancy he would have to get the EPC up first, so I do have some leverage!

The house is generally very run down, he doesn't like doing work and I don't like being bothered so we both kind of leave each other alone. He pops his head in the door once every 18 mths and I pay my rent on time and thats about it!

I'd rather not move, but I really really do not want a bloody rolling tenancy.

OP posts:
lemoncakeisdelish · 18/03/2019 17:08

I wouldn't pay 1k a month for somewhere run down and month to month.

Is it the thought of change that puts you off moving? You sound a bit hermit like (no offence to you or hermits).

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Ridingthegravytrain · 18/03/2019 17:15

If he is mortgage free and would have to improve epc in order to rent to anyone else I can’t see him kicking you out. It wouldn’t be worth the hassle. So whilst not ideal I don’t really see that it changes your situation considerably

The cost and hassle for you to move wouldn’t be worth it, and you can’t make him give you a contract if he would have to spend money on new windows etc if he doesn’t want to

Original poster
Reggety · 18/03/2019 17:15

Haha, no not hermit like! I've just been here for a long time and know how rare it is in a tenancy, I have so many friends who have to keep moving on every year and packing up the kids etc.

It's SE so 1k a month is nothing really

OP posts:
Original poster
Reggety · 18/03/2019 17:17

He says he needs an extra 9 points on the rating. I've googled and he would need to do some considerable work to get 9 points.

OP posts:
Echobelly · 18/03/2019 17:26

This is an interesting side effect of minimum energy efficiency standards, sorry it's hit you negatively. Yes, he's being a lazy sod, although it's a good sign he us at least aware of the legislation. I think you may just have to lump it - it doesn't sound like he has any plans to sell up soon. When I let out my house the tenants were on a rolling contract for 7.5 years until I had to sell up.

Singlenotsingle · 18/03/2019 17:27

I'm a landlord and my tenant has been in the flat for nine years now, initially on a 6m AST and month to month after that, although if I wanted her to leave I'd give her at least a years notice. I really don't understand this renewing a tenancy nonsense. Presumably you have to pay an admin fee every time you renew the tenancy? Can't your l/l just give you an extended 2 year notice period ie just amend your current contract?

Mookatron · 18/03/2019 17:31

He has to do it by 2020 anyway. So I would threaten to move out - then he's got the bother of doing it now AND finding new tenants.

HellAndDegenerates · 18/03/2019 17:31

I'd move, now tbh.

In a few months he'll be ending the tenancy and selling up, that's the real reason he doesn't want to tie in to two years.

It makes no sense otherwise, spend a couple grand to guarantee £1k a month? Stinks of suspicious behaviour to me and biding his time to sell in summer.

ILoveMaxiBondi · 18/03/2019 17:32

I didn’t realise energy rating was a condition of allowing a fixed term contract! It’s a bit of a strange one. If they insist on a good energy rating for a fixed contract why not just insist on the good energy rating before he can let the place at all!! He’d soon find a way to do the work if he wasn’t able to get an income for the place.

Wanttomakemincepies · 18/03/2019 17:32

Before we bought, we started on a year tenancy which moved to a rolling month to month contract. We lived there almost 10 years to the day. No rise in rent, no inspections. Any repairs done quickly. It doesn't always mean they want to move you on.

orangejuiced · 18/03/2019 17:44

I'd give him the benefit of the doubt - sounds like you've had a good relationship to date and surely doing a load of work would be a nuisance to you- you said you don't like intrusion!

You've been there years, no reason to assume the worst. May be just have a friendly chat. After all, if he sold you would likely get plenty of notice- you'd be asked to have prospective buyers come round! A house sale usually takes much more than a month!

Romanov · 18/03/2019 17:47

He is mortgage free on this house, all the rent £1015 pcm goes in his pocket.

This has nothing to do with anything

mumwon · 18/03/2019 17:54

OK as ll I would point out to him that you are thinking of giving notice - this will cause him 2 problems: the first is that he will have to get the place up to standard the second that when he gets new tenant they wont have to pay fees (from June) state that you want to stay but not on rolling tenancy - it will be cheaper for him in the long run (he is being unprofessional - short sighted) better to keep a decent paying tenant than starting all over gain

Gooseygoosey12345 · 18/03/2019 17:59

@Romanov well it kinda does, it means he should be more able to pay for repairs than if the house was mortgaged

Mookatron · 18/03/2019 18:05

I must say, I kind of agree with HellAndDegenerates. Either that or when he does do the work, he'll be factoring in a rent hike, I'm sure.

Romanov · 18/03/2019 18:37

@Gooseygoosey12345
Romanov well it kinda does, it means he should be more able to pay for repairs than if the house was mortgaged

no, if a landlord cannot afford repairs, then he shouldnt be a landlord - it make no difference if he owns the house without a mortgage or not, you might as well say, well he snorts the rent in coke every month, so the poor wee soul cant afford repairs

Gooseygoosey12345 · 18/03/2019 19:24

@Romanov did I say it was correct? No, I said that's why it was relevant. People shouldn't be landlords if they can't afford the repairs but I'm sure we're all aware of the sorry state of affairs of the rental market. It's all well and good to live by "shouldn't" but it's not realistic is it? As much as it should be, it's not.

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