To just think this is shit and unfair

[causeimunderyourspell]

So following on from my previous post where we had a bolt out of the blue from our landlord selling our house, less than 3 months after we moved in. Our contract ends in August and obviously won't be renewed. Anyway apparently they have lots of people who want to view the property and are asking about availability.

Aibu in thinking this just fucking sucks. We'll just have random strangers traipsing in and out of our house, mooching in the cupboards and just generally getting in the way until someone buys it, which is unlikely to be quick as the photos are misleading and it needs a lot of work doing to it.

I have 2 young DC so keeping the place tidy in the week is not always possible. I don't mind so much in the day as we're not there but it's tending to be after work times so what the hell am I supposed to do?! I can't get out as we'll be getting our dc bathed and ready for bed!! Would it be unreasonable to ask that they only do viewings in the day while we're not there or daytime at the weekend?

#Wintry# as #cause# said earlier, why don't you just fuck off this thread. You are the reason landlords have a bad name. Hope you get caught out. OP no advice but hope this gets resolved for you. Fingers crossed

You only are generally contracted to do viewings in the final month of your tenancy. So that would be July/August. But if you refuse there is not a lot they can do. Even if they give notice without your agreement they can not enter. X

causeimunderyourspell

Ok- homeseeker is the waiting list - the LA should pick up that you have been served notice (can I just confirm that you have actually been served a notice or just been verbally told by the LL -apologies if I have missed that) and also process a homelessness application- however a lot of LA's don't do this.

It would be a good idea to contact the housing options/homelessness department and make sure you have also applied as homeless, (even though you have a roof over your head)

Most councils have a higher banding for those that are considered homeless so this may open up more bidding options for you in the meantime.

However the council should have an interim duty to accommodate you as soon as they have a reason to believe that you are homeless eligible and in priority need (this is why having been served a valid s21 is important) you will be eligible and you are priority need as you have children.

Homeless apps can be a bumpy ride and Emergency accommodation is usually crap so the council could consider you "homeless at home" if it is better for you to stay where you are whilst they process the rest of your homeless app.

They will look at intentionally homeless at this stage- being served a s21 does not make you intentionally homeless and then they will look at your local connection. If you pass all 5 hurdles they will then have the main duty to house you.

Please note though that this could be in the private rented sector and doesn't guarantee social housing. (it depends on what pressures are on your local council housing stock)
But you can still bid at the same time. I know you just want out of there and settled.

I think the 24 hours notice thing applies only to maintenance and repairs, not viewings.
Even for those, unless it's a real emergency issue, it's at least 24 hours WITH YOUR AGREEMENT, so the landlord cannot insist (that said, if it's maintaining or repairing the property it's generally worth being accommodating.
Landlord should be asking you nicely if there can be some viewings!

To avoid a lot of rows and bad feeling, I'd probably tell them some times, the same each week, that you'll allow viewings (when you're out, if that's what you prefer).

Iammumwho Doesn't matter what it says in the tenancy agreement. Legally a tenant does not need to allow viewings.

I wouldn't allow viewings. To hell with that.

@wintry I’ve seen both sides. Sometimes the tenants are taking the absolute piss but at other times it’s the landlord.
If you did any of those things you mentioned above, you’d find yourself in deep poo poo and the eviction process is likely to be prolonged or you’ll be liable to pay out lots of cash monies to your tenants.

A tenant can also have all the fights in the world, but the landlord really holds all the trump cards as they can make life very unpleasant for tenants if so desired whether it's by withholding deposits, removing items or disruptive 'maintenance
And the tenant can keep a record of all that, get their deposit back, and take the landlord to small claims court for breaking the terms of his/her own tenancy agreement and harassment!
Awful way to behave, I spent years as a landlord making sure I sorted problems quickly, upgrading the property, and complying with every rule gladly, because as a landlord, you get a lot of money from those tenants every month, so they're damn well entitled to quiet enjoyment and a decent place to live. Landlords get a bad press though, and its people like wintry that cause it.

You should absolutely agree to all viewings on one condition. Over your dead body.

I think it is good that many of us landlords on here are challenging wintry; that way more tenants will know their rights if they ever get a landlord who doesn't understand the law.

@Chazs

If you think I'm bad, you should see some other landlords I know. One put a padlock on the main bedroom of a house when the tenant tried to refuse viewings.

I am a landlord. I am considering selling and intend to give an discount to my tenants if course they agree to stay until it's sold. Would be so much better than having an empty property for months until it sells. Try to negotiate. You can promise to help by keeping can the house tidy for showings and in return they give let's say 20pct off.

See this pisses me off.

We are hard up landlords, trying to sell our house as we can’t afford to rent due to the change in rules. We are really good landlord and keep the property safe and clean.

We gave notice to our tenants and are selling it empty as we didn’t think it was fair to subject tenants to this.

Not all landlords are awful

If you think I'm bad, you should see some other landlords I know. One put a padlock on the main bedroom of a house when the tenant tried to refuse viewings

Just because there are people even worse than you does not make you any better. Your cunty landlord friends don't make you look good.

Wintry it's you! Think you were one of my landlords😉

Pls tell me, your comment was a p take.

😂 oh wintry you’re too funny. Keep going, tell us more about what you and your friends do to your tenants?

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow I'm absolutely sure not all landlords are unfair, as I can see from posters who are landlords themselves. There's a fair share of terrible ones though that just think business is business and couldn't give a shit what happens to the tenants and what horrific consequences they could have.

@Nightfall1 well August is the break clause in our tenancy, so essentially they are using it and saying your tenancy will not be renewed. Is this the same as an eviction or not? They haven't sent us anything formal, just told us over the phone and confirmed via email that the house was going on the market.

Is it not a case of what does your lease stipulate? There will be specific clauses on this .

Umm, no turquoise it isn’t.

I feel for you, its fucking unfair. I think LLs have way too many rights in the uk.

Really?? Bad tenants can hold all the cards. They can refuse to leave and stay in a property, not paying rent, until they are evicted, which can take months. Then, if they have trashed a property, they do not have to pay for repairs. All landlords can do is withhold rent.

Bad tenants can cost a landlord thousands of pounds. There are some shit, selfish, crappy tenants out there.

Can’t believe you think Lls have too many rights. Are a tenant, by any chance?

‘All landlords can do is withhold rent’ should read ‘all landlords can do is not repay the tenant’s deposit’.

@elephantscanring Infeel for landlords in those horrendous situations, but you'd think in that case they would tread a little more carefully and try and help the tenants out? Especially in our case, not even 3 months down the line with two DC under the age of 4! But they don't give a shit and that's why tenants can feel tempted to make it as difficult as possible. When someone has had their life tipped upside down with great stress, cost and uncertainty for the future, with not so much as an apology, it can make you want to make things hard for them!

@Zibbidoo

It's not about 'doing' anything to tenants. Most landlords don't want to inconvenience tenants. Problems only arise when the tenant causes issues.

That's when landlords have to take action either in response to bad behaviour by tenants or as a short, sharp 'punishment'. An example of that kind of punishment would be when a LL associate of mine put temporary fencing in place for a week to block off the garden of a property which wasn't being cleaned properly.

Sorry, op, I didn’t mention your situation, but I feel for you. You’d be within your rights just to refuse all viewings. Your landlord has treated you badly, and I sympathise.

But your one landlord making this one bad decision does not mean that ‘all landlords have way too many rights’. At all.

Hardcore! Any more? Im loving these stories.