To not let my new tenants come over AGAIN before they move in?

[AbyCat]

I'm really not sure if IABU on this one. We've agreed to let our old house out to tenants, who have messed us around a bit. They wanted to move in within a month which would have been round about now, but then asked to put it off til the start of May, and we agreed as they seemed nice decent people who want to stay for a long time. In the meantime, we've put ourselves out to move out in a hurry for the end of March deadline (needlessly) and have bent over backwards to accommodate them (like providing new washing machine/dryer, leaving some furniture that they liked the look of, including our garage in the deal, plus losing a months rent too due to their delay). Fair enough.

They've been round twice to measure up so far & now want to come in again this weekend to measure up again & show their family the place.
I've actually got contractors(friends) staying in the place anyway who are doing the decorating etc. for me, and it all looks a bit of a mess for starters so I'm a bit embarrassed about that, you know what blokes are like when camping out in an empty place, its probably full of dirty socks & pizza boxes! So, WIBU to say no, you can't come over again, wait another few weeks? Or am I going to serious piss them off & set a bad tone for our tenancy agreement in the future?

Are garages not like loft space and awkward wrt insurance etc?

Garages are often let separately in places where parking is a premium. My BIL rents the parking space that came with his flat to a different person than the one renting the flat. Flat tenant doesn't have a car so works well.
I don't think YABU, I think they are being a bit demanding tbh, hope they settle down once they are in!

Yes, the garage is totally separate from the property, its right round the block in a row of garages - the estate agents initially advised us to let it separately as we'd get more money for it (London, near a station) or negotiate an extra fee with any tenant who wanted it but then we just decided to let the tenants have it as it was getting awkward with security keys etc to let it out to another party.

Anyway, I've just told the agent its not convenient, she appears to be the really pushy one I think rather than the tenants (I hope), I think the way she leaves the messages & emails for me gets my back up as she doesn't really ask for things, she just says "I want" or "they want" and gets cross if I don't respond instantly. The agreement was signed back in Feb, but the date just got moved forward to May, so I've had to shell out at least 1 more mortgage payment that isn't being covered, but they did seem like such a nice family that I wanted to let the place to them rather than put it back on the market & take the risk of getting someone who wasn't so nice.

Thanks for all the replies, I don't feel SU now!

hmm, the letting agent works for you remember, next time she does something like that can you say "i'm really getting annoyed at your attitude, you seem to have forgotten i'm the customer. While I've signed a contract with you for X number of months to be the letting agent, unless you drop the attitude and start improving the service you are offering i'll take my money elsewhere, and I'm happy to put that in writing to your boss if you want. Now, shall we start again, what is it you think you need me to do?"

OP you have two very valid reasons not to allow the new tentants to enter the property to measure:

a) The property isn't currently vacant nor available. It would have been available to them, but they chose not to rent until May. It's currently occupied by the contractors.

b) Is there's work going on in the place it would be a liability for them to enter and start measuring. I know sounds extreme, but my insurance company would advise me against this.

I own a property I have rented out. I take great care of it and want to continue to have a good relationship with the renter. However I would not allow somebody who isn't renting yet to enter my property while it's occupied and work is being conducted.

If works are being done inside the property you can class it as a building site and therefore no one except the contractors and yourself is allowed in.........

OP, as you are a landlord you are by definition greedy, unreasonable and crooked to many of the regulars on here, and frankly should just let them do whatever they want out of the goodness of your heart. :-)

they are pissing you about. I hope the contract is signed.