To rent a house while mine is up for sale to escape nightmare neighbours

[Magenta999]

I've had long running problems with one set of neighbours who were dumping business waste in a garden opposite and play loud rave music until the early hours. I reported them to the council and they did not take kindly to this. Now another neighbour has started giving me abuse for this as well. I'm a single parent with a small child and feel very unsafe being shouted at by several men. The garden is out of bounds as we get shouted at if we step outside and even going out the front door to walk the dog is scary.
The house is already up for sale but will obviously take a long time because of the virus. It would be a big financial strain but I'm considering moving into a rental until it sells. I'm not antagonising anybody or responding to the abuse, I have a strong gut feeling I'm going to be attacked. I have reported it to the police. Any advice would be great as I'm very scared.

YANBU to want to move immediately.

Remember though that you will have to declare these confrontations with the neighbours to prospective buyers, this may well make the sale very difficult, so be prepared to be renting for a longish period.

I would if you can afford it OP.
I've lived with neighbours like yours and also sold up and moved but I moved in with family until completion. I'm guessing this isn't an option for you?

I found it very damaging to my mental health living next door to people like that so you have my sympathy!

Why does OP need to declare?

Call the police if they are intimidating you. You'll get buttons for the house if you leave it empty though.

Because that's the law in the UK. You must declare neighbour disputes over a level of seriousness.

Why does OP need to declare?

She’s made a formal complaint, and she will need to legally declare the issues with the neighbours in the property information form.

OP move if you can for sure!

Like others have said, any family you can stay with?

Can you leave the house “dressed”? Like a Pp said, empty houses don’t sell as well.

@orangejuicer she will need to declare because she reported the neighbours to the council.

This information has to be disclosed.

I don’t blame the OP for wanting to escape but with corona virus, the likelihood of house prices falling, mortgages being difficult to secure and a documented dispute with the neighbours, she could be looking at a very long rent.

I would move and I would be tempted not to declare it. Although as you've told the police you might need to? What did the police say?
Could you rent your property out to some equally scary fuckers? Then let them fight it out (kill each other).

Legally you need to declare it, it’s not a choice!

I had no idea you had to declare it.

What about letting it out and renting? Rather than selling?

Like the idea of renting / selling it to some equally scary folk!

When I spoke to the police I just wanted to log that this particular episode of verbal abuse had happened. So that if my car or house were subsequently damaged I would then have a paper trail. The police offered to speak to the men from the two households but I asked them not to as I would get a terrible backlash. I've already had my son hiding under a blanket on the sofa after we tried to go out in the garden and were shouted at "you need to leave your f*cking house"

It's going to be a costly solution to rent and you are unlikely to find anything for less than 6 months as that's the minimum tenancy recognised by law. It will have to be a property which is currently empty and you are very likely to need to move yourselves. The biggest issue could be in leaving your current property unoccupied. Under the circumstances it sounds like that could be very risky. If the neighbours see you leave are they likely to cause damage? Insurance is also another factor - insuring an unoccupied property is often not cheap.

As others have already said selling your house could be difficult with an ongoing neighbour dispute and could cost you financially. Is there anyway to resolve do you think?

They shout abuse at me if I leave the house. I dont respond so I'm not provoking or antagonising anybody. I can't see how there could be a resolution as they're determined to intimidate me as revenge

Op, if you consider the implications if you don't manage to sell your house for quite some time, and you can still manage, then I'd say definitely move.

Its a legal requirement you have to declare disbutes. If you dont your buyer will sue if they find out you not declared and will win damages. It come out insearchs anyway. I totally understand why you want to rent bjt might be long rent as alot of buyers be put off if you bad neighbours sadly. If you afford a long term rent and the mortgage go for it. Yanbu.

Log everything, get police back round if they are abusive. May as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

Just reporting it means you have to declare it, it’s irrelevant whether the police spoke to him or not. The property information form is very long and very prescriptive; don’t even think of omitting information or answering dishonestly because it will come back to bite you.

Are you in an area where buy to let is a decent market? Eg a landlord buying to rent to students will perhaps prioritise getting a good deal on the property over whether the neighbours are pleasant. But for the moment I’d sit tight anyway because you’re not going to be able to sell, and in fact even moving out and renting would be tricky with viewings etc

Whichever way you look at it I’m afraid you either need to sit out for the long term (which is probably not good for your mental health) or accept that you’ll have to take a financial hit. Anything which makes a property less attractive means a lower value

I think the issue now is that, realistically, you’re not going to sell your house. You have reported them to both the police and the council. You have to declare it. Would you buy your house?

if you don't declare issues your buyer gets problems they can sue you & its illegal to sign contract where you have ticked that it is OK & there will be a record if op reported it either to council HA or police
Op make a log of what happens & record on your phone it would probably cost less to get one of those door alarms with video & one video alarm recorders round the back
You have no idea how long it will take to sell your property or even more importantly what your neighbours would be like in rented property & you would probably have to rent for 6 months - problematic

What do you guys think about the option of me letting out my house? As selling it seems pretty impossible.

I think Pillow has had the best idea. Rent it out and then rent somewhere else for you to live in. Neighbour dispute might settle with someone else there and if you sell in future, you have nothing to declare.

Sorry crossed post!

I think you might struggle right now but batten down the hatches for a couple of months and try then.

Discuss with a local estate agent. Someone may be needing to move into your area for their work and cannot buy/sell at the minute.