to limit estate agent viewing to specific times?

[anice]

because DH thinks I am unreasonable, the landlord says I am not (but DH says that he is only saying that) and the estate agents think its outrageous! So, which is it?

We are moving out of rented house. There is no written contract - just the unwritten rolling one month one that came along after the written one expired last year. The written contract said give two month's notice, the law says we only have to give one month but we gave two anyway as gesture of goodwill to the landlord.

However I have asked the landlord if viewings could be limited to set times each week (3 X 1 hour slots - a mid-morning, an mid-afternoon and a Saturday lunchtime slot).

The landlord is saying ok, DH is saying that what I have suggested is unreasonable and this morning I got a call from an estate agent demanding access tomorrow and not accepting "its inconvenient" as a reason for refusal. He wanted to know exactly what I will be doing at that time that makes it inconvenient (although he felt I was asking too much personal detail of him when I asked for his surname!).

So, whose side would you be on?

I think yabu. They should give you reasonable notice and not push when told it is not convenient, BUT your extremely restrictive schedule is almost certainly causing them huge difficulties and may result in your landlord's house remaining on the market longer than necessary.

We lived in a flat that went on the market just before we moved out and we accomodated several viewings each week - the agreement was that we would be as accomodating as possible but they could not expect the place to be immaculate. The last house we lived in also had multiple viewings by tennants when we were moving out - the same agreement applied.

When people want to see a property they want to do so asap, and if they don't happen to be able to fit into a very narrow timeframe they are likely to simply lose interest and look elsewhere. This could well result in your landlord paying a mortgage on an empty property longer than necessary.

I think your husband is right and you really need to relax your strict timetable a little. It would be far more reasonable to insist on 24 hours notice and no viewings at specific, difficult times like tea-time for example.

YABU. I am currently flat/house hunting and if I was told I could only see during those times, I'd strike that property off the list.

Then again the house I viewed today was minging with wet washing everywhere and dirty dishes in the sink/on the stove. I wouldn't have rented it regardless as it was unsuitable for my needs but if it had been suitable I still probably wouldn't have rented it. It even smelt of mould upstairs.

The EA claimed she told them someone was coming to view but if they knew they just didn't care.

YABU. I would suggest an open house saturday so that as many can view the house as possible in one go to cause you less hassle.

If both children are at school why can't anybody view then?

I'd try to be a bit more flexible because as soon as they get a tenant, nobody will be looking round any more. I hate trying to keep the house tidy though.

However that EA sounds like a twat and I wouldn't budge as far as he is concerned.

If I have 3 dates in a week, then I will tidy up, clean the bathrooms etc. If I have appointments every day of the week, then its not fair to ask me to keep the house in show room condition (and I do have other stuff to do - I am moving house too!).

But if its a mess then people will come in and judge me on that. Ok maybe I will never hear what they say, but I don't like the thought of it and its just not fair to have to endure that since I am paying full rent for exclusive use of the property.

YANBU

Offering them 3 timeslots a week is entirely reasonable, and in fact more than you are required to do by law. If I wanted to rent your place I would fit into the viewing schedule.

Why should you be constantly available for viewings when you are paying for the exclusive use of the property? I know from selling my last house what a pain it is to constantly be tidying up and available for a stream of viewers, and that's when I stood to gain financially from the sale.

As a tenant, obviously viewings don't benefit you at all.

If your landlord says you are not being unreasonable, that's that. The estate agent works for him, and is being an arse (an arse who is desperate for his commission).

If you want to help out your landlord, create some more viewing slots, but you are being right to protect your children from needless upset. Again, the EA is being an arse (and misguidedly self-righteous about his "drive to sell". Fancy demanding to know what you are doing. Arse.)

Thinking about it, it is probably the landlord's fault that this is happening, as he could rein in the EA if he wanted to (but may be enjoying playing Good Guy with you?), while the EA should probably feel more aggrieved with the LL, for putting them in a position in which they cannot really do what they need to, to get their commission.

YANBU but then I would say that as my own LL was a total git last year when he wanted to set up viewings (I ended up staying after all) for the letting agents to come round. I wanted 24 hours notice with the option to say "no, that time isn't convenient for me, sorry". LL wanted to give me all of 20 minutes notice and for me not to be so "difficult" and for the letting agents to have their own sets of keys. No bloody way. And I told him so, the stupid nerd.

i think if the landlord is ok, then it's fine but your times are really restrictive.

i understand though.

we have permitted viewings for the landlord to sell, and the EAs drove me nuts by always scheduling viewings at 6pm despite my asking them not to, or to focus on weekends when possible. my 2 yo went nuts, having strangers walking through the house was very upsetting for her. i didn't much like people staring at me as if i was an animal in the zoo, or overhearing the estate agent on several occasions tell them we were buying in the local area but we "couldn't afford" the house we were renting. erm, no we could but we chose for a number of reasons to buy a less expensive place. we put up with it as we like our landlord and it's not his fault EAs pushed so hard for inconvenient viewings. they also scheduled group viewings without telling us so 10 or more people would walk in and look around pretending we all didn't exist... fun times. still, it is sold now.

so YANBU, and tell the EA to politely fuck off.

ps the bit where the ea demanded to know what you were doing? that was some bloody cheek imo.

Personally, I think your times are far too restrictive. Especially as your main reason for not allowing the proposed viewing appears to be that your children will home... You could always take them out.

Given you are moving out through your own choice I really think you should be as helpful as possible.

Right to quiet enjoyment supersedes any clause about viewings in the tenancy

YABU especially if you are the tenant who has made the letting agent cancel our viewing twice in the last week, a nightmare as we live 100 miles away from the house. By some huge coincidence is your house blue and terraced with a dress makers mannequin in the master bedroom?

i think set times is reasonable but i think you have to offer a weekday evening.

thursday nights and sunday afternoons are the norm here. most people work. who's going to want to view a house in the week mid-morning or mid-afternoon??

YANBU - your landlord probably realises you could refuse access all together and force him to wait until you have moved out and he's getting no rent before viewings can take place.

Tell the estate agent you have given timeslots, beyond that you want use of your home, if he doesn't like it, then he can advise the landlord to take the property off the market until the property is empty and viewings can take place without limitations.

I tried to be helpful and flexible when I was moving out of a rented house into the one I bought - I let the agents bring people round pretty much at any time with a bit of notice, though not during mealtimes or when the DCs were on their way to bed or already in bed. Mostly they brought people round during the day.

But then the agent started complaining that the house was too messy and could I tidy up a bit before he showed people round as it was putting people off. Actually, no, I couldn't.

I had two DCs, was a single parent (DH had died less than a year earlier), I had just bought a house which needed some rooms painting etc before I moved in, my younger DC had started in reception that month so was still doing 'settling in' (ie random mornings and afternoons and never more than three hours at a time) which meant I was dashing back and forth between school three times a day (older DC doing full days), new house and old house. Oh, and I had just started a part-time university course. So, no, I couldn't make sure that the kitchen was clean and tidy with no washing up waiting to be done at all times, no toys on the floor, no piles of laundry etc....

In the end they decided not to have any more viewings until I had moved out.

I'm inclined to agree with your DH, YABU. Your times are far too restrictive for viewings and your 'reasons' for the restrictions are a bit daft and make it sound like you are deliberately being a PITA

As if anyone will be interested in "picking through" your DC's stuff. Ha.

Not picking through.. poking through i.e. going into their wardrobes, opening their toy cupboard, going into their bathroom and being in their bedrooms etc

Why would you say I am deliberately being a PITA?

To everyone else who asks.. I could do an evening viewing, i suppose instead of one of the day time ones, its just I wouldn't be ok with them from 6pm (mealtimes) or 7:30pm (bedtime) and what's the point of making it 5pm as people would have to leave work really early to get here? Also it would mean that the DCs would have to put up with it, and why should they??

No, I don't have a blue house with a mannequin in the bedroom (and the only viewing I have ever not allowed was the one today - which I didn't cancel because I never agreed to it in the first place. If the EA confirmed it without asking me first, then that really is their problem).

exexpat - describes it beautifully and confirms what I want to avoid by not offering viewings at other times for exceptional circumstances (because I believe that every time will turn out to be an "exceptional circumstance" and I'll be stuck having to argue with or give in to other agents like the one I got faced with today when I really rather they didn't call me at all).

Damn, that would have been incredibly fortuitous!

I totally get where you're coming from! I've got a couple of weeks left in my rental flat before I can move, but luckily no one has asked for a viewing yet.

As I understand it, the terms of your original contract still count, even though you've been on a rolling tenancy, so it's good you've given them 2 months notice. There's probably a clause in there about having to let them show people around.

But I'd say do what's best for you. I share your opinion regarding estate agents! Let them come round when it suits you, and not when it doesn't. Afaik, they have to give you 24 hours written notice!

(Have been waiting 10 weeks for my letting agent to fix leaking toilet and half-broken shower, so unfortunately it'll just be impossible to let them come round more than once a week.)

NomNomNom - say here! The house I am in which is (being marketed at a premium price) has damp, rotten French window frames, very worn old carpets, dodgy electrics, dripping toilets, the worst shower I have ever experienced, a broken radiator and ice forms inside the windows in winter. Otherwise its lovely!!

YABVU - do actually not want your landlord to be able to let the house? If it's empty for a bit that will cost him/her lots of money, their income. Viewing times need to be arranged to suit the viewer. I definately think you are being a PITA on purpose. Why not ask for a rent reduction in return for any time viewings?