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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be pissed off about landlord throwing us out then letting property out again

58 replies

orangeweight · 09/10/2020 20:13

Landlord gave us notice right in the middle of coronavirus. Originally they said we could stay but they asked us to allow viewings in person them to sell the property and as it was still lockdown we refused.

He then offered us a discount to which we explained no that still won't be ok,
They then gave us 3 months notice. It was really bad timing, we'd been in for less than a year and rent prices were soaring due to us living on the outskirts of London and pretty much every property was being snapped up by people from London trying to move out of the city and into a greener area.
The landlord phoned us all the time saying when are you moving out, he said he would not make us pay the notice we just needed to move out. We tried very hard to move out early due to the pressure of the phone calls but again because of the rent prices and properties being snapped up so quickly we couldn't find anywhere any faster.

Eventually we did find somewhere and moved out early.
We then saw that property come back on the rental market straight away for more money. Literally 2 days after our last day.
I'm so annoyed. We never missed a payment. Always looked after the place etc. It cost a lot of money and stress to move our dc had to move. I know it's renting but still this seems so mean, they didn't even ask if we'd be willing to pay the extra and stay! AIBU to end so pissed off.

OP posts:
pastaislife · 09/10/2020 20:15

Definitely not being unreasonable. We had a situation where the landlord gave us notice as their family member apparently wanted to move in, then not long later we saw it for sale, they couldn’t get it sold so put back on the rental market. All that stress for no reason Hmm

Pumpkinnose · 09/10/2020 20:19

I don’t understand - he offered you a discount and you said no? You said you wouldn’t let viewings which is fair enough but from the landlord’s perspective sounds like he wanted someone more flexible. As you explained it’s a landlord’s market.

emilyfrost · 09/10/2020 20:20

It’s annoying for you, yes, but it’s their property and they are entitled to do as they please with it.

It could be a case of they were going to sell but changed their minds, or it could be they just wanted more money and/or different tenants.

Either way, that’s their right. They don’t have a moral duty to house you.

Although I did think there was a suspension on current evictions due to corona?

NailsNeedDoing · 09/10/2020 20:25

Is there any other reason you could think of that may have made the landlord not want to keep you as tenants? It does seem strange that they’d do that during the pandemic. Is the new asking price a lot more than you were paying? Maybe that’s all it is, they can increase the rent with new tenants but have to limit their increases with existing ones.

ripples101 · 09/10/2020 20:35

@Pumpkinnose

I’m presuming the landlord offered a discount on the basis that the OP agrees to the end of their tenancy.

@orangeweight

Did the landlord serve a section 21?

And also check on the ban on evictions during Covid.

Although it does sound like you ended the tenancy yourselves by finding another place and moving out...

Original poster
orangeweight · 09/10/2020 20:37

Well I thought all was fine and they simply wanted to sell the property which I do understand and we did try very hard to move out as soon as possible so as not to prevent a sale. It's only when we noticed our move out date and then the rightmove listed date of the new rental advert was 2 days after that we thought wtf.
We can't think of anything that was wrong. At the time I was homeschooling and said it would be really difficult to vacate easily (as was required at the time for viewing properties) as we have young dc and we were homeschooling as well, we offered to do FaceTime viewings which is what we had to do when viewing properties at the time, they declined.

I understand it's theirs to do what they want but seems a bit low to Chuck a family out in less than a year and then get a new one in. We did get our full deposit back as well so I'd assume nothing was really wrong with the actual property.

OP posts:
Original poster
orangeweight · 09/10/2020 20:40

We got three months instead of two months due to Covid. The new rent is more so I'm assuming that's what is was. We would have paid more but maybe as a pp said they are restricted to ask us for so much more. Maybe that's it then.

OP posts:
AnotherEmma · 09/10/2020 20:43

You didn't actually have to move out when the landlord told you to. There's a legal eviction process which they didn't follow, by the sounds of it. If anything similar happens to you again, don't let the landlord bully you into moving out. Wait until they serve a valid section 21 notice (and do check it's valid) and even then you can stay longer and wait until they have a possession order. (You could actually wait even longer until you're actually evicted but I wouldn't recommend that given the stress and expense!)

Original poster
orangeweight · 09/10/2020 20:50

Ok thank you for the advice @AnotherEmma we really panicked after the notice was given. Had we have known it would just be let out again maybe we would have tried harder to stay but we were told they needed to sell the property desperately and so we moved.
Clearly they weren't as desperate as they made out.

OP posts:
YellowandGreenToBeSeen · 09/10/2020 20:50

@AnotherEmma

You didn't actually have to move out when the landlord told you to. There's a legal eviction process which they didn't follow, by the sounds of it. If anything similar happens to you again, don't let the landlord bully you into moving out. Wait until they serve a valid section 21 notice (and do check it's valid) and even then you can stay longer and wait until they have a possession order. (You could actually wait even longer until you're actually evicted but I wouldn't recommend that given the stress and expense!)
This.

You were illegally evicted. Notice periods before (I believe) September were 3 months on the serving of a Section 21. They are now 6 months. Both are plus an eviction / court order should a tenant so desire to take it that far (and legally they are free to do so).

Too late for you now but any eviction notice (or illegal variation thereof) in future? Call Shelter.

PonfusedCarent · 09/10/2020 21:18

You were illegally evicted

No, if the OP was served a valid notice and moved sooner (without the landlord changing the locks and flinging her out, etc.) that's on the OP that she didn't stay for the hassle of the rest of it. Where is the illegal part?

Imo, I would have done the same OP did if the circumstances allowed it rather than go through the turbulence of longing out the process unnecessarily for both parties.

The circumstances sound very odd, OP. Did the landlord even request higher rent at any point/serve notice to increase it?

Bluntness100 · 09/10/2020 21:23

There is no crime here, she moved out willingly after being served notice, the landlord has the right to change their mind about selling or renting, it’s their call as it is their property,

Pressurising them isn’t ok. But it’s certainly not illegal.

Bearnecessity · 09/10/2020 21:27

This happened to me some years ago, I imagine he didn't offer it you at the higher rate because usually the tenant then asks for various improvements to be made. A new tenant accepts it as is.

Shizzlestix · 09/10/2020 21:29

You didn't actually have to move out when the landlord told you to. There's a legal eviction process which they didn't follow, by the sounds of it. If anything similar happens to you again, don't let the landlord bully you into moving out. Wait until they serve a valid section 21 notice (and do check it's valid) and even then you can stay longer and wait until they have a possession order. (You could actually wait even longer until you're actually evicted but I wouldn't recommend that given the stress and expense!)

I hate when people offer this advice. All well and good if the situation was desperate, but this was not, although frankly the harassment of the landlord’s constant calls make me think he or she is an absolute twat.

YellowandGreenToBeSeen · 09/10/2020 21:36

OP were you served a Section 21? If so (and it was served within the current time constraints), the your LL was all well and good.

If not, we’ll then he/she did act illegally.

Do the thread a favour and let us know before a binfigjht ensues! Grin

YellowandGreenToBeSeen · 09/10/2020 21:38

@Bluntness100

There is no crime here, she moved out willingly after being served notice, the landlord has the right to change their mind about selling or renting, it’s their call as it is their property,

Pressurising them isn’t ok. But it’s certainly not illegal.

Only if a Section 21 was issued on an ASHT (or Rolling Contract)
Aldilogue · 09/10/2020 21:41

It’s all very well to say you’ve got a legal right to stay etc but those events are extremely stressful when you have to go to court over it.
The same thing happened to us OP. We were asked to leave after a year even though the landlord said it would be long term. He kept moving the original agreement and made the whole process extremely stressful.
You can always tell the home owners in these threads because they’ll always say “ it’s their house they can do what they like”. Of course they can but human decency can be applied. Renters are paying for a service and it’s an agreement.
Go and enjoy your new home and put it behind you.

AnotherEmma · 09/10/2020 21:49

Luckily they can't just do what they like, by law.

emilyfrost · 09/10/2020 21:50

You can always tell the home owners in these threads because they’ll always say “ it’s their house they can do what they like”. Of course they can but human decency can be applied. Renters are paying for a service and it’s an agreement.

Aldilogue I rent but I still said it’s their property and they can do what they like, because it is.

Yes, it’s an agreement, but it’s not forever set in stone. It’s there for as long as it works for either party. Landlords don’t have a moral duty to house their tenants.

yetmorecrap · 09/10/2020 21:51

We had this just once in Oxford and it was because the landlord had learnt from a friend that if he offered it to the Uni (and it was a very nice house in good order in a very nice bit of town) that they did 12 months fully up front deals for visiting staff. SometimesOP it’s absolutely nothing you have done at all. In this owners case they wanted a nice big instant cash pile

Emeraldshamrock · 09/10/2020 21:53

It is a awful there needs to be firm laws in place to support the tenants and landlords.

AnotherEmma · 09/10/2020 21:54

"Landlords don’t have a moral duty to house their tenants."

No, but they have a legal duty to house them until the tenant ends the tenancy or until they get a possession order in court.

Emeraldshamrock · 09/10/2020 21:57

Landlords don’t have a moral duty to house their tenants
Some have no morals at all that's the problem.
The whole industry needs an overhaul.
Thankfully renters have some rights and protection in Ireland.

YellowandGreenToBeSeen · 09/10/2020 22:10

@AnotherEmma

"Landlords don’t have a moral duty to house their tenants."

No, but they have a legal duty to house them until the tenant ends the tenancy or until they get a possession order in court.

Correct. Landlords own the property the tenants call home. There are legal processes Into which both parties enter: a tenant can’t just ditch the property or stop paying rent without reason and landlords can’t evict without due process. Both are protected and it seems from the OP, the LL did not follow the law.
Aldilogue · 09/10/2020 22:19

Emilyfrost of course they don’t have a moral duty but wouldn’t it be nice if people showed consideration towards other people circumstances.
Life is not just about seeing what you can get out of it.
If I had more money, I’d love to have investment properties and yes I’d rent them out for more income but if I had a family renting off me, I’d consider the impact on them if I needed the house back and try to come to a reasonable agreement.

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