Tenants making viewings difficult

[areweonabreak]

We have a flat that we rent out. It was my DH’s flat before we met. It’s been rented out for 10 years now (by only 2 tenants) but we’re now in a position where our own house needs a lot of money spending on it and we want to free up some capital.

we do feel bad for the current tenant, we offered them first refusal to buy the flat (it’s on the market for £90k) but they cannot afford it (even though a mortgage would probably be cheaper than the rent but they’d another thread)

we’ve had a few viewings now but all the feedback is that the tenants have told them that they don’t want to move so they’re put off as they don’t want the hassle.

we live about a 40 minute drive away from the flat so the agents are sorting out all of the viewings. The agents have suggested that it might be easier to sell if it’s empty.

We’re really not sure what to do, they’re on a rolling monthly contract at the moment.

has anyone else been in this position before?

would anyone else recommend selling as a vacant property?

@ThuMuClu
if she evicts them she runs the risk of it sitting empty and costing her money, not to mention losing value.

There is no buy back. If anything councils all over the country have large numbers of empty homes they let fall into disrepair and now they either have to demolish them or sell them for a quid.
Our council has no money to buy anything unless it's for them personally. Or their mates

That's how I understood it. It's not the OP's fault they can't afford the deposit.

Which is why central government needs to intervene. Stop spunking money on vanity projects such as HS2. £98 billion would buy a nice lot of houses.

Central gov ha.
I think we are now entering bit of a dreamland here.

I think there is bigger chance of bringing back trex than this happening unfortunately

Yes, not saying it's likely to happen but it would address the problem. Too many people are ardent capitalists and will vote accordingly.

I’m not sure if the OP has said if she has actually served an S21.

The tenants haven’t been awkward at all. If they have been served notice, it hasn’t expired yet, so they are fine to be there. And they don’t have to allow viewings. Not allowing them isn’t being awkward…it’s simply having and insisting on the quiet enjoyment of the property you’ve paid for.

If you insist on marketing a property with tenants in situ,it’s highly likely those viewing will see it not looking great, or tenants who allow viewings might say things about the property or seller that the owner themselves wouldn’t sell. This doesn’t make them awkward or malicious or obstructive. It’s simply that it’s. It a property where they are going to gain from a sale. They probably aren’t trying to delay a sale as if they’ve been given notice, most will exit at that point anyway. However, they have no incentive to be hugely positive about the property or seller. Why should they be? The viewers are an inconvenience to them.

There is nothing wrong with serving legal notice, although there are better and worse ways and timings to doing it. It’s always best to give as much notice as possible and to try to avoid needing to give it by selling at the point when the property naturally becomes vacant, but sometimes it’s necessary to serve notice. I’d be disappointed to hear of a LL serving notice to someone who has only been in the property 4 months, because they are going to sell…..it’s legal but disappointing as they clearly always intended to sell shortly. Most LLs who have a medium term tenant will wait until they choose to move on to market it. That’s right. Sometimes a tenant is very long term ….perhaps 10 years plus…..most LLs will sell at some point, so there could well come a point where that tenant is given notice, because a LL can’t be expected to never be able to sell.

All LLs should appreciate that being served notice is difficult for tenants. They’d hound seek to make it as easy as possible for tenants. That means giving as much notice as possible, and where possible, being a bit flexible and simply appreciating how it’s not always easy for people to move on. The attitude of some on this thread and of some LLs that, the property and tenants are merely cash cows to be turfed out without any consideration for the tenants is abhorrent. I say this as a LL. Property is a business and business decisions need to be made, but providing g housing to people is a special and specific service which requires some empathy and understanding that where people live isn’t the same as running a business in making an inanimate object. It is possible to be a great business person and make plenty of money and also to be a fair, empathetic and decent LL. Often the most successful ones are both. Shitty LLs who have no sense of people’s lives being invovled often aren’t that successful ….and are often so-called accidental landlords.

I think those who start threads saying they are accidental Landlords who never intended to do it but ‘had no choice’ and now find they need to sell very quickly…should be re-titled ‘clueless and unskilled to run a business that impact people’s lives…..but who made a choice to do so’.

And again, I am a LL. it’s a business you need to enter into with your eyes wide open and to have factored in exiting the market and how you will do that and afford to do so, before you start,

capitalists need workers upon whose backs they can enrich themselves, workers need secure & affordable homes if they are to give of their best work

I think you need to allow that a lot of tenants, myself included, will be willing to move but there is nowhere to go, quite literally nowhere. I am priced out, as are thousands of other families I can't get another private rent as I don't have a guarantor for the rest of my rental period in the next property. The one agent with private rents and affordable rents has a list of 30 families with their section 21's and eviction notices, I don't get to ever move up that list to the top until my landlord starts the lawful process of serving me notice. The council won't house me, have been on the list and bidding for over five years. The council will tell me to stay here until evicted.

What am I meant to do??

You’re talking about Tories. Vanity projects are their priority, housing for the prolls is not.

I don't think even change of party would make a difference

We had a cat called Trex once ……………..

Yup serve them a section 21 and sell once vacant. Typical landlord wanting it all 🙄

I think those who start threads saying they are accidental Landlords who never intended to do it but ‘had no choice’ and now find they need to sell very quickly…should be re-titled ‘clueless and unskilled to run a business that impact people’s lives…..but who made a choice to do so’
Well said, and I salute you for being a good and professional landlord!

I rented for a number of years and didn’t have issues like that. Just because you once had a bad private landlord doesn’t mean that there should be no private landlords any more than than the fact that many social housing providers are bad with repairs doesn’t mean there should be no social housing. Private rented housing is an essential part of housing mix imo.

Aww. Nice

They haven’t been “looking after someone’s investment”. They’ve been living in their home.

I got bored after two pages op so don’t know if this has been covered but check the tenancy agreement. Many have a clause that states the tenant has to allow viewings. Otherwise, serve notice.

you are trying to keep them in place because you want the income while making their lives complicated with the viewings.

This is the dynamic, Op. Although I wouldn’t pay them anything, that makes no sense to me. I’d get them out of there asap and then market the flat.

A lot of landlords are selling up which is what is causing the problem. Very few private rentals available. Social housing will never be suitable for everyone- at many times in my life I have lived places I didn’t want to live longer term and wanted a furnished place. Private rented suited me then. No reason why it should be abolished just because you haven’t grown out of student politics

Gave it away - got fed up with shouting where’s that cooking fat !!

Your tenants want to have their cake and eat it. I'm aware that they probably don't want to move, higher rent, inconvenience etc. Bottom line is that are renting and the property is yours. You need to tell them that they have to leave by a certain date and if they don't serve a Section 21 notice. They are adults and can investigate the possibility of a mortgage or finding somewhere else to live. You are not responsible for them or their housing needs. I would add that my son rents and had to find a place when his landlord evicted him as he wanted a higher rent than he was legally able to ask for. We were cheesed and had to help him find somewhere to live but it is a fact of life.

You’re not alone there.
We do the same.
Wonder how many others just aren’t bothering with all the hassle anymore. Guessing a lot.

The section 21 is the ONLY way a landlord can tell tenants to leave. Having quiet enjoyment of the property they pay to live in isn't 'having their cake and eating it'

A lot of landlords are selling up which is what is causing the problem

I feel it's only right to point out that this is exactly what many on here and irl wanted. The arguments were that there are all these poor ftbs stuck in rental because landlords buy out properties. I always asked for all them magical ftbs with deposits not being able to buy, but never got anything really.... And here we are. With all these properties to grab, landlords trying to sell (and being told off for this while being told off for being landlord😂) and everyone ending up somewhat fucked