... to expect adequate notice before a viewing?

[freerangeeggs]

Just wondering about our rights on this.

Our letting agency (Foxtons) has been driving us mad. We're moving flat at the end of August and our landlord has decided to sell, so there have been lots of viewings taking place. Most of them have been while we're at work, so we've made an effort to keep the place extra clean and tidy in preparation for them. However, they have been phoning us all. the. time.

Our landlord is a great guy and has been really helpful in the time we've been here, so obviously we want to help him as much as possible.

However, we got a text from Foxtons today at about 14:45 saying that there were two viewings tomorrow (Saturday) at 10 and 11am.

This isn't ideal as a) It's a Saturday morning, we've been working all week and might well go out tonight, and would like to lie in at least a bit; b) we won't be able to have showers/baths/cook etc during this time and will probably still be in our PJs; and c) we want time to get the place ready. We asked to rearrange it to later that day.

We got a really abrupt (frankly quite rude) text in return stating that they couldn't change the time as they were fully booked.

Well I was pretty pissed off because we can't keep them out if they decide to arrive as they've got a set of keys - what if me and DP were in bed?! Also, I don't think we're being unreasonable in asking that viewings are kept to any time during the week and after 12am on a Saturday/Sunday.

Besides, aren't they required by law to give us at least SOME notice if they want to come into our home?

AIBU here? What are the rules regarding this type of situation?

Thanks for reading :)

We've just sold our flat through Foxtons, they are extremely aggressive, I was regularly given less than an hours notice for viewings which with a 20 month old, was nowhere near enough time to tidy up. As it was our flat we were selling I did suck it up though and to be fair to them, they did sell it in a fortnight. The one thing that did annoy me though was the number of no shows they had, where I'd spend 3 hours getting the place ready for them not to turn up. I think it's because when you arrange to go and view somewhere with them, they also arrange for you to go and see two or three other properties you didn't ask to see at the same time. They did it to us when we were looking at places and a couple of times we had to say no thanks, we don't want to see that place, so those poor people would be sitting in their lovely tidy home only for us to not turn up.

chandellina, I think you are wrong there. The legal right to live in peaceful enjoyment in a property you PAY to live in trumps anything written in a contract. We've just been through a similar problem and all legal bods agree. You need to give your consent to entry unless in an emergency. You can withhold it if you feel your rights are being compromised.