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???

Hang on in there if you really feel that it's the right place for you. You'll have to suck up the extra costs.
Problem might be that the current tenants decide that they will not leave willingly.
You might end up on 'Can't Pay, We'll Take It Away.'

Pull out

You would absolutely mad to peruse it, I would pull out without hesitation.

That's you should not fall in love with a house UNTIL someone hands over the front door key

Have you already exchanged contracts?

I would refuse to complete until the vendor can assure you vacant possession. That will hold up the sale but will make getting rid of the tenants the vendor’s problem not yours (he or she is their LL after all!)

And those blaming the OP for offering on a house with tenants - they signed a 6 month tenancy agreement knowing full well the house was for sale & that the 6 months would not be extended.

I’d say there’s probably an element of fault on their side too.

@MrsJackRackham

Can you complete the sale and you become the LL and collect the rent? (might be a stupid idea as I have no idea how these things work 🤷🏻‍♀️)

She could but then she would have the expense of evicting them. That would be extremely foolish.

I won't be pulling out, I love the house, it just means waiting longer.

You pull out. Your seller was a greedy git. He can deal with it and put the house back on the market. You're throwing good money after bad. NEVER try to buy a house with tenants in it.

If the owner entered into a new six month rental agreement after putting the house on the market, I'd pull out.
Can't say I blame the tenants for staying put - they'd probably assumed they'd be able to extend the lease, not be pressurised to move out after a couple of months.

Don't buy without vacant possession as someone has suggested above (unless you can negotiate a VERY big discount).

@redcandlelight

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.

Yep this. Sorry OP it's shit for you, but it's shit for them too and they're the ones who haven't made a choice to be in this situation - their home is being sold and they're being turfed out during a pandemic. What if they can't afford to move? Maybe they're waiting out the clock so they're not classed as volutarily homeless when they need help with housing - that's a really common situation. Ultimately it's a shame to pass up on a house you love, but you are in the enviable position of having the means to buy and a choice of where and when.

Withdraw from the purchase until the tenants have vacated.
That makes it the vendors problem.

@wirldsgonemad

I won't be pulling out, I love the house, it just means waiting longer.

That's your answer. Life ain't fair, but you're choosing this.

Try to negotiate a discount with the landlord, or pull out, or pay the extra and try not to get wound up or it'll tamed the pleasure out of the purchase

With your update I agree with others that your anger is completely misplaced. The vendor hedged his/her bets. Advertised the property both for sale and rent. You offered to buy and the tenants agreed to rent... the vendor accepted you both. The tenants have every right to have that contract fulfilled and not be pushed out early.
Be angry at the vendor for playing you both.

Your financial issues aren’t the tenants problem so no they don’t care and why should they?

Their landlord sounds like a dick if he just got new tenants before selling to you. It was bound to cause issues even without covid.

Pull out and find somewhere else with no sitting tenants

Just pull out the current owner should be ensuring vacant possession that's not your responsibility
Put the money towards another house

We had a rental but gave notice to our tenants before we put it on the market that's what's anyone with any sense would do to avoid this!

@CoffeeRunner

Have you already exchanged contracts?

I would refuse to complete until the vendor can assure you vacant possession. That will hold up the sale but will make getting rid of the tenants the vendor’s problem not yours (he or she is their LL after all!)

And those blaming the OP for offering on a house with tenants - they signed a 6 month tenancy agreement knowing full well the house was for sale & that the 6 months would not be extended.

I’d say there’s probably an element of fault on their side too.

There is a reason the notice period for tenants has been extended. The global pandemic has made securing safe and suitable housing extremely difficult for those without means to buy. The tenants need a home and at the moment they have one. The fault is 100% on the side of the vendor and the mistake is 100% of the OP.

Fuck that shit. We had this. Pulled out.

@wirldsgonemad

I won't be pulling out, I love the house, it just means waiting longer.

I hope you have another 6-18 months to wait

@wirldsgonemad

I won't be pulling out, I love the house, it just means waiting longer.

I bet the seller is astounded you are hanging around! You do know, don’t you, that the tenants could also cause thousands of pounds of damage by the time they move out?

So the tenants have only been in there weeks but signed a 6 month contract and are now being asked to move? If this is the case I'm not surprised they arent keen to move it must be very upsetting for them.

@CoffeeRunner - that’s assuming the landlord told them it was being sold? They may have signed a years lease with a 6 month break clause.

Plus there's a very good chance if they're being awkward they could trash it - remove doors, sinks off walls

I used to work in am estate agents I've seen it all

Plus if they have kids it's very difficult to make children homeless they could string this out for ages

@Athinginitself

So the tenants have only been in there weeks but signed a 6 month contract and are now being asked to move? If this is the case I'm not surprised they arent keen to move it must be very upsetting for them.

I read it that she's been waiting 6 months to exchange and is now pissed off that the tenants aren't leaving at the end of the 6 month period

This isnt the renters fault if they have just signed a 6 month contract - they must be fuming as well.

it is the vendors fault - I would try and knock some money of the asking price that you are losing just say you are redicing it by the 5-6 k or you are walking away - he isnt going to get someone else with tenants remaining that long.

And be agnry at the right person