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Original poster

Told landlord is selling, now it's up for rent

62 replies

Frogers · 29/08/2016 19:00

Received a letter saying the landlord is selling at the end of the year, sorted alternative housing and handed in notice and now have seen that it's up for rent as a long term let at £100 more pcm than I currently pay.

I'm pretty pissed off but not sure if what they have done is underhand or not. I've been here 4 years and they are restricted to up my rent by £50 a year.

They are now wanting access to the property whilst I'm at work to show. I spoke to the letting agent earlier and they said they would ring back and said something about it being an error but surely not if they are planning viewings.

What are your thoughts?

OP posts:
Original poster
Frogers · 29/08/2016 23:27

Sorry I see that the way I worded it was misleading. It was no more than £50 increase pcm in any given year. So each year my rent has been raised by £50 a month.

So year one 550pcm, year two 600pcm, year three 650 pcm year four 700 pcm.

OP posts:
Original poster
Frogers · 30/08/2016 20:11

Pretty sure the viewing went ahead today despite me asking them not to enter the property when I wasn't here.

OP posts:
RhiWrites · 30/08/2016 20:30

That's outrageous. They shouldn't be entering your home without your permission. Why do you think they've been?

PinkyOfPie · 30/08/2016 20:35

I'm a landlord and you DON'T have to allow viewings, nor can they have them without your permission.

Please don't put fish anywhere though as people do have to live there afterwards! Also if they find it before they return your deposit (which they have a while to do, either 14 or 28 days IIRC) they'll (rightly) retain some of your deposit

harderandharder2breathe · 30/08/2016 20:46

£50 a month is a reasonable increase per year. My rent just went up £20 this year which is about 5%

I hope the landlord hasn't intentionally misled you but has found the market worse than they expected so are renting it again

You don't have to allow viewings if it's not convenient and they definitely shouldn't be entering the property if you have refused permission.

Original poster
Frogers · 30/08/2016 23:59

They left my daughters window wide open when it's only ever on the catch. I went to my downstairs neighbour and he said someone was in doing pat testing yesterday. I've spoken with the owner who is backing my complaint and sent an email to the agent earlier this evening.

I'm now officially fucked off.

OP posts:
Original poster
Frogers · 31/08/2016 00:00

Downstairs neighbour didn't see anyone today but I'm in no doubt.

OP posts:
sorenipples · 31/08/2016 00:12

Leave a big note stuck on the bathroom mirror "warning :if you rent this property you may be subject to visitations without your consent or knowledge ". If they take it down you have proof .

Mrsmorton · 31/08/2016 00:29

Why would people suggest putting fish under the floorboards just because the LL has done something entirely legal with their own property? Are you for real?

Absolutely fucking bonkers, bet you're all delights to let houses to or live next door to Confused

Definitely not on to let themselves in though OP but also you don't have to be obstructive for the sake of it, or petty as mephisto weirdly thinks she's being. It's a business, I don't see why you'd be deliberately obstructive just for some odd sense of getting one over on the LL.

Original poster
Frogers · 31/08/2016 07:00

I'm not being deliberately obstructive. Yesterday I gave the go ahead for someone to come in on Friday to get an estimate for work that needs done on the property. I was also going to allow the work to take place whilst I am still within the property.

Now, well I'm not sure I will.

OP posts:
SaggyNaggy · 31/08/2016 08:43

MrsMorton

Its called a 'joke' you know?/something less than serious and light to bring the tone up a little. I don't think anyone thought it a serious suggestion.

Fucking bonkers, I bet you're a real delight of a person in real life to know or live in the same town as. I bet you're popular with the pearl sellers though, clutching them so hard they break...
Grin

Original poster
Frogers · 31/08/2016 09:29

They've replied and admitted they entered the property. Didn't expect that.

OP posts:
MephistoMarley · 31/08/2016 09:30

Wow! What was their excuse? I hope you tear them a new one

vic1981 · 31/08/2016 09:36

Well, I would tell them politely that you will no longer allow any access for viewings etc at all. Disgraceful that when you had arranged for them to come on Friday that they access the property when you were not there.

kath6144 · 31/08/2016 09:48

We recently sold my mums house after she died. My DH and I were across there (70 miles away) emptying it at weekends.

On one visit we were chatting to the neighbour, she said the new owners had been over and measuring up in garden, they were intending extending etc. Still felt a bit off, they could have asked us via EA, but it was only the outside.

On the day we did final emptying, I took same neighbour some flowers as she was good to mum. She told me buyers had been there earlier in week with a Building co van parked outside for an hour or more. She didnt see them outside, but we also had no proof they were inside. However it seems likely they were. I was fuming, as EA must have passed on key or let them in without permission!

I desperately wanted to say something to EA, who had already P**d me off a couple of days earlier (pushing us to complete even though I was away and couldn't get across for final empty/goodbye to neighbours). In the end I just kept quiet, we completed a few days later and I was just glad everything had gone through so quickly. But boy was I annoyed - it would only have taken 1 phone call and I would have agreed, the house was almost empty then anyway.

Munstermonchgirl · 31/08/2016 09:54

Accessing the property without your permission is disgraceful.

The new figures for the rent increases while you've lived there are lower than 10% annually which seems very reasonable to me.

Has the house been let at below market rate? Because if you've been paying between £550 and £700 over the last 4 years it seems absurdly cheap for a house, unless of course you live in a very cheap area.

If market rates are such that the LL can easily get £100 per month more then I suppose in a way you just need to consider yourself lucky to have had a bargain. And if the LL is chancing their arm and isn't able to get a higher rent then they'll lose out.

Lunar1 · 31/08/2016 10:09

I'm surprised they admitted it! They're is no way I'd allow further access during your tenancy now.

Original poster
Frogers · 31/08/2016 10:58

They haven't really given an excuse. They have only so far admitted to Monday. I've attached a screenshot of the email. Not sure where to go from here.

Told landlord is selling, now it's up for rent
OP posts:
Munstermonchgirl · 31/08/2016 11:05

Just refuse further viewings and look forward to getting out and not renting any more. Honestly I wouldn't overthink it.

They've been wrong to let anyone in, but as long as notice was correctly served, the LL is quite within his/her rights to sell up. Or it may be that they want a higher rent increase than your contract allows for. This is why I wondered whether you'd been getting it below market rates? Ultimately the house is either worth £100 a month more (in which case you've been a winner over the last 4 years) or it isn't (in which case the LL loses)

And besides, as you're now in a position to move out of renting, wouldn't you have been planning to hand in your notice anyway?

RattataPidgeyRattataPidgey · 31/08/2016 11:40

And besides, as you're now in a position to move out of renting, wouldn't you have been planning to hand in your notice anyway?

I'm not sure why the OP is being expected to view having to move on from rented prior to when she was planning on doing so as a good thing. It seems such a weird thing to say/think.

Munstermonchgirl · 31/08/2016 11:52

Not really. Most people view renting as a temporary thing, often quite a 'trap' and are pleased when they're in a position to move on.
If renting suits her for other reasons, then presumably she'd have looked for another rental.

Tbh I'm trying to help the OP look on the bright side. She just needs to refuse further viewings, get her deposit back and move forward Smile

furryminkymoo · 31/08/2016 11:52

My friend is a landlord, decided to sell, then changed his mind as brexit caused market uncertainty and he didn't get an offer, its back on rental market. Could this be the same with your landlord?

RattataPidgeyRattataPidgey · 31/08/2016 12:10

Not really. Most people view renting as a temporary thing, often quite a 'trap' and are pleased when they're in a position to move on.
If renting suits her for other reasons, then presumably she'd have looked for another rental.

Thanks for that explanation. Hmm

People also spend time renting while getting themselves into a position to buy, and the timescales involved often have an impact on what they end up being able to buy. If my tenancy was to end right now I'd probably be better off buying, and I intend to buy at some point, but I wouldn't be at all happy about it. The OP says it has been inconvenient.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 31/08/2016 12:14

Most people view renting as a temporary thing, often quite a 'trap' and are pleased when they're in a position to move on.

No, they don't.

Munstermonchgirl · 31/08/2016 12:17

Well, that's the nature of renting isn't it? The tenancy will end at the LL convenience, which may happily coincide with exactly when the tenant wants it to, but most often won't Hmm