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AIBU?

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Original poster

People buying our house want us to pay their rent - is this reasonable?

164 replies

ragle · 06/10/2014 17:29

Hi,
We are leaving the country on October 30th and agreed to sell our house to a couple on condition that completion occurred on 24th October. Today they said they wanted to delay completion until 10th November unless we paid their rent (£700). On all the property documents the completion date has been set for 24th October. They have also delayed exchange, which was supposed to have happened by now and we have bent over backwards to accommodate their every whim in order to keep the sale on track. I feel completely over the barrel and I am so angry with these people! But is this normal to pay the buyers rent so they are not left paying rent and a mortgage to get the completion date originally agreed on?
Any advice very welcome!

OP posts:
SoonToBeSix · 06/10/2014 17:30

No, you haven't delayed the completion. They are just trying it on, I too would be angry.

AnyFucker · 06/10/2014 17:31

Absolutely not

Sundaedelight · 06/10/2014 17:31

No it's not normal! Never heard of it ever before! Sounds like they are taking advantage of you as they know that you have lots invested in the sale.

MrsMarcJacobs · 06/10/2014 17:32

Have they signed the documents? If it was a condition of sale that it completes by 24th then they are taking the piss.

seasavage · 06/10/2014 17:32

I've never heard of that to be honest. THEY want to delay AND have you pay their rent? I take it these are not dependents of yours?.

Bambalam · 06/10/2014 17:32

Tell them to take a running jump.

Letthemtalk · 06/10/2014 17:33

No it's not normal, and is very sneaky of your buyers. But what choice do you have? Call their bluff? I'd imagine they've already handed in notice on their flat, so will want the sale to go through as much as you do. OTOH you've got a lot to lose for the want of £700. Could you offer £350?

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 06/10/2014 17:33

They are totally taking the piss. How stressful for you OP. What does your solicitor say?

LeftRightCentre · 06/10/2014 17:33

They are trying it on.

TracyBarlow · 06/10/2014 17:34

It's up to you. They are massively taking the piss and I would be concerned that if you end on this one, they may dick you around right up to the sale date.

However, given you're emigrating and all the costs involved in that, it might be worth sucking up the £700 to avoid the sale falling through.

TracyBarlow · 06/10/2014 17:35

*bend on this one

smilingthroughgrittedteeth · 06/10/2014 17:36

No not normal, we have just bought and had to pay the overlap for our rented house, its annoying for them but not your problem.

Bowlersarm · 06/10/2014 17:38

Can you agree to complete on 10th November?

Groovee · 06/10/2014 17:38

Think you need to speak to your solicitor about this and say no to paying the rent as you wish to complete on the 24th!

BumpNGrind · 06/10/2014 17:38

They are trying it on and being extremely cheeky, rude and unreasonable. I could totally understand if you told them to take a running jump.

That said, unfortunately you are in the weaker position. If they don't exchange or complete to your schedule you could lose the same of the house which will invariably end up costing you more and will be more hassle as you are leaving the country.

I would begrudgingly offer half and I would make it a clause that if they don't complete to your deadline then they refund you in full with compensation.

NotMNRoyalty · 06/10/2014 17:38

Wow, they are cheeky feckkers.

goshhhhhh · 06/10/2014 17:39

If you can afford the risk - call their bluff & say you will put it back on the market. It seems to be a common tactic at the moment to mess sellers about.

Wibblypiglikesbananas · 06/10/2014 17:41

This happened to a friend. She told the buyers that if they didn't do what was originally agreed, she'd take the house off the market and sell to a developer so they would never get their hands on it! All went smoothly after that. It's a risk though and I don't know if I'd have the nerve!

McBear · 06/10/2014 17:42

I'm lost. They're delaying and wanting you to pay for the privilege of meeting terms already arranged.

Is it terrible if they do delay?

Are they really going to pull out over £700?

TweedAddict · 06/10/2014 17:42

Had this when we sold our house last year. Everyone in the chain ended up paying a bit too ones persons rent to complete, he said he would of pulled out otherwise. It really got on my goat and pissed me off no end. The whole thing was handled very badly by the estate agents, they did give us the rent money back in the end though as they had fucked up over something else

Bowlersarm · 06/10/2014 17:42

The trouble is the buyers have the upper hand. Offer half?

NedZeppelin · 06/10/2014 17:50

When I bought my first flat in 1998, there was an overlap with my last months rent and the completion date. I could not afford both rent and the first month's mortgage and would have had to pull out. The seller offered and paid the rent for me. This was 6 months before prices skyrocketed. Just goes to show you how much the market has changed over the years.

newstart15 · 06/10/2014 17:52

Do they have the upper hand? To buy often costs more, especially if they have had a full survey.I do sometimes wonder if through the various channels the message gets incorrectly interpreted.I.e could they have asked for a delay as they realised that the rent would be payable

I think you are entitled to say no, offer half if you feel inclined to as a goodwill gesture but I doubt they will pull out (unless they were looking for a reason anyway).How have they been throughout the rest of the sale? I wonder if they are a young couple who got their numbers wrong and now realise cash flow will be an issue.

wasabipeanut · 06/10/2014 17:56

Our buyer tried this last time we moved when the process got held up by complications further down the chain. We told him, in a nice, solicitory sort of way, to do one. He didn't ask again.

whatever5 · 06/10/2014 18:04

You have to weigh if up really and decide if you can afford to tell them to get knotted. Did they have a survey done? If so they will probably not be keen on the sale falling through as it will have cost them money.