Renters won't leave the house I'm buying, they 'can't find anywhere suitable'.

[wirldsgonemad]

But thanks to covid, a section 21 means people have 6 months instead of 2 months to vacate and this means I get charged £4,250 extra in stamp duty, plus mortgage application fees and survey of £1k plus my life being on hold for 6 months.

They are fully aware of my position, they know I'm a single mother of 2 small children and they don't give two hoots that they're actions are costing me £5-6k and months of waiting.

God give me strength to get through these next few months without attacking them on a regular basis.

What would you do in my situation???

Pull out 🤷‍♀️

Not buy that house?! It was always going to be a risk of buying a house that has tenants.

Ultimately if you're not buying it with sitting tenants, your solicitor should be insisting on vacant possession. I'd walk away and find somewhere else personally.

Pull out. This should be the vendors problem not yours

I wouldn’t buy a house with a tenant in situ, I’m afraid. If it’s not too late to, I’d pull out unless the current owner can find a way of ensuring vacant possession.

Why on earth have you put an offer in on a house with tenants??
The owner should have waited until the tenants had left before putting the house on the market. Expecting tenants to make themselves homeless to suit you, a total stranger, is a no brainer. It was never going to happen.

Offer them £3k to leave? They get £3k, you save £3k? Not ideal but a problematic approach?

Look elsewhere. And blame the vendors, not the tenants. The 6months notice has been in place since last summer.

Pay them to move? Or get seller to pay them. Tell them you need to pull out if it doesn’t go ahead before March 31. Any chance the renters are interested in property and stalling intentionally??

But what happens if I LOVE the house?

I would also pull out.

• Joke obviously

Sorry OP, I'd pull out

Pull out of the sale.

It is their home, it is very hard to find places to rent at the moment we are in a housing crisis without even factoring in the C-word.
Why would you attempt to buy a house with a sitting tenant?

That said I do have sympathy with the extra charges you are facing.

Yep pull out, they also have more than 6 months before they actually have to leave, just find somewhere else, and next time don't buy somewhere encumbered with tenants.

I would pull out or negotiate with the vendor to reduce the price by £5-£6k.

Either you don't buy the house or you buy the house, thus saving stamp, but understanding you will have to serve notice to the tenants and wait out the 6 months maybe

I wouldn't risk going ahead with this

what happens if I LOVE the house?

What happens if they LOVE their home?

I've offered money for them to leave, they are still staying put!

well, the tennants are losing their home and moving will cost them a lot of money.
it's not their fault.
maybe the landlord should have given notice earlier and sold once the property was empty.

If you love it then buy it and go through the eviction process. There is nothing else you can do. The seller should have sorted this out.

Tell the seller they need to reduce the price to compensate you for costs to evict?

If vacant possession was an agreement to the purchase then I'd pull out and find somewhere else if you can.

I wouldn't blame the tenants, anyone on here who is having their rented home sold or whatever is often told to sit tight, wait for the section 21 etc. They aren't doing anything wrong, as frustrating as it may be for you.

The owner needs to buy them out

I've offered money for them to leave, they are still staying put

Offer them more, they will have a price.