To say no more viewings to LL?

[TrixieFranklin]

Our LL wanted to put the rent up by £100pcm which would push it well past market value so we said no and offered to meet in the middle. He responded by serving us notice.

We found somewhere bigger for less money and get the keys next week but don't vacate the current house until the 18th so we have a week in between to move and clean.

Our current house has been on the market now for 6/7 weeks and it shockingly hasn't let because it's a lot of money for what it is.

We have allowed every single viewing for the last 6 weeks but have now said that we don't want anymore next week as we have time off work to get packed, moved and cleaned. We have 3 kids under 3, 1 of whom finds change very very hard so we are trying to make the process as easy as possible and not a stress / rush.

The letting agent is now saying that we are in serious breach of the term in our contract that says we must allow fair viewings in our final weeks and she is going to report me to the landlord as I am forcing his vacant period to be longer as they can't show the house.

AIBU?

You are only there for another 11 days so I would not be inclined to offer viewings at all. If however you want to - you could offer a 2 hour slot once a week and tell the agents because you are packing and cleaning.

Shelter is correct that you are meant to facilitate viewings however you can stipulate times and other conditions within reason. I suggest you state 2 days each remaining week where it is acceptable to you rather than letting them schedule at times they prefer. I'm wondering if the letting agent recommended the higher rent to the landlord and now is very worried?

You've been more than reasonable already - I can't see many people wanting to view a house in the middle of it being packed up, and it's a huge security risk for you to have people traipsing over your home while that's going on, too.

Shelter is correct that you are meant to facilitate viewings

No, this is not true.

Honestly, it isn’t.

You've been entirely reasonably. Empty periods are just part of being a landlord sometimes. And if it's overpriced then they've only themselves to blame!

What a shitty and stupid LL!!

Just state the days that aren't convenient for you - they cannot withhold any of your deposit for not allowing a few viewings.

I'm glad you have found a bigger better place!

They're also nuts to lose a good tenant for the sake of £50 more or whatever a month. Bonkers.

Tell your LL to shove it you've had weeks of viewings and whilst you're cleaning and packing strangers being shown round are a security risk for you, you've tolerated enough especially since it is your LL that has served notice. I take immense satisfaction that your LL will probably be out at least a month's rent from this debacle and have to lower their rate to what you were paying in the first place, greedy soandso.

They can't withold deposit for that.

What does your tenancy agreement say?

they cannot withold deposit for that. I'd ignore the email and start screening calls if you don't want to get into it with them.

I’d be having strong words with the agent. If they haven’t found a tenant by now it’s their problem not yours. You’ve been more than reasonable.

Ignore the agents, there is nothing they can do. You are perfectly within your rights to refuse viewings whilst packing and cleaning. If you feel the need to respond then just detail the dates and times of all the viewings you’ve allowed this far thus illustrating how you have been reasonable.

They must be really desperate if they want to take people to view a house in a major state of chaos. I’m a landlord and wouldn’t have put the rent up in the circumstances you describe OP, if market value hasn’t gone up so that someone else is biting your hand off to pay an additional £100pcm it really isn’t worth it unless the rent is really really low and £100 is a large percentage.

You could threaten to go to the property ombudsman regarding the agent if they don’t resolve this issue. You have young children, you’ve been both reasonable and inconvenienced for a significant period of time and now you need adequate time to pack your things without interruption. YANBU.

Yanbu my ll was having viewings as I lied on my bed with a sick bowl half asleep... they just come as a particular bread of cunt I find...

Breed ffs

You are being completely reasonable. We had something similar when we moved out of our flat in London after being HOUNDED by a neighbour the whole time we were there. Unsurprisingly, they had some trouble finding a replacement (they basically needed a corpse for the tenancy as the neighbour complained about absolutely everything and for some reason they wanted to appease him), and after 6 weeks of non-stop viewings, we called a halt and said no more for the last 8 days we were there. It was fine. Your agent is being a dick - you don't need to engage further.

I am curious how many viewings you have already allowed. Every single one implies quite a few.

It doesn't matter what the tenancy agreement says. Just because something is written into a contract doesn't mean it's enforceable in law.

You don't have to facilitate viewings - OP rented a property to have exclusive use of it. That means that she has the right to quiet enjoyment - i.e. if she doesn't want to allow viewings then she can say no and there is diddly squat the agent and LL can do about it.

The agent is simply doing what agents do - trying to put the frighteners on the tenant because they don't want to piss off the LL. Plus many agents are completely ignorant of the law - or they simply ignore it and operate on the fact that tenants don't know their rights, or are too scared to say no.

I bet the LA advised the LL on the rent...and now has one cross LL who is losing a great tenant, and doesn't have a replacement. Hence they're getting aggressive.

I'd probably offer them a couple of 2 hour slots as a compromise, but really this is their problem, not yours.

I assume your deposit is protected in a government approved deposit protection scheme?

If so, the landlord cannot withhold its return because you didn't allow some viewings. The landlord would need to be able to prove that he suffered financial loss as a result of your breaching any agreement, which he will not be able to do.

It's a good point above that I'd add to the note "We have also made the flat available for viewing 12 times over the past month already."

I assume your deposit is protected in a government approved deposit protection scheme?

If it's not then the LL is in the shit and can be made to pay 3x the original deposit back.

I left two flats and refused all viewings before I left. I had the right to the quiet enjoyment of my flat.

You have put up with 6 weeks of people traipsing through your flat and seeing all your private belongings, you have been more than reasonable and they would have a very hard time proving otherwise.

@TrixieFranklin LOL what a cheeky git.

Tell him to jog on, and good luck in your new home!

Hope your landlord gets a total twat for a tenant, who doesn't pay the rent, and leaves the place trashed, with £2K of rent arrears.

But then I am a bit of a malicious and vengeful twat when people fuck me over.