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???

I can well believe they can’t find a suitable place. I’ve been looking for a place for my mother and sister for almost a year, all they want is a two bedroom with some kind of outside space because they have a dog. Because they have a dog and claim housing benefit it’s been proving impossible.

Do you know if the tenants are still paying their rent?

If they are then re-negotiate with the vendor the agreed price taking into account assuming he’s still getting rent, and that you need to cover your costs.

If tenants are not paying rent, then it could be over a year before you could get them out, and quite frankly I would walk away from the sale.

They are not sitting tennants as they have moved in less than 6 months ago. You didn't buy a property with sitting tennants,the seller should have given them notice as soon as you put the offer in .This should not be your issue. What does your lawyer say on the matter?

Tell the vendors you are pulling unless they cover the costs

@Puzzledandpissedoff

Someone would have bought it if it hadn't been me, the market is hot now

As said, the only other people who'd buy in these coircumstances are BTL landlords - and they're unlikely to have paid the owner what he wants

And the market's only "hot" right now because of the ridiculous stamp duty race. What's your view on owning a devaluing house if a crash comes, which you can't live in and which is costing you a fortune in legal fees to remove tenants who may even trash the place before leaving?

Still think it's such a good idea ... ?

Tenants can indeed trash places. You only need to see those bailiffprogrammes on tv to know that. I’d blame the greedy landlord. No one else. There are always other houses to buy.

If the tenants can't find anywhere to live by the end of the six months then the council would advise them to stay put and let the landlord take them to court which can take up to several months due to covid backlog.

What happens if they LOVE their home?

It's not their "home", though.

I don't blame OP for being angry at the renters (in addition to the seller). When you rent, you know that circumstances can change. It's not a permanent, guaranteed arrangement.

Wombatchocolate why are the sellers greedy? It’s their house and the time has come that they need to sell. I am so sick of mumsnet making out that landlords are all the same. Some of us do our best to provide wonderful homes for our tenants and go above and beyond but sadly In the current climate many landlords are selling up as it’s too risky. Some cannot afford to keep their rentals anymore as tenants paying no rent just because of covid. No proof is needed of financial hardship from tenants but mortgage companies require proof from property owners to reduce mortgage payments. Tenants have all the rights.

Is their 6 months even up yet?
They were more than reasonable by allowing anyone in to do anything other than the legal checks.
By continuing to pay their rent as per their tenancy, not a lot anyone can do until the LL gets them out legally. If they haven’t serviced papers yet then you have no choice to wait until they move or get evicted.
It’s not your property regardless of how much you might love it.

Do you even know their circumstances?
Just because it eventually went on the market for sale doesn’t mean this was the case when they signed.

@SamLovesLembasBread

What happens if they LOVE their home?

It's not their "home", though.

I don't blame OP for being angry at the renters (in addition to the seller). When you rent, you know that circumstances can change. It's not a permanent, guaranteed arrangement.

But it is until their tenancy is up .

They won’t have been served notice until November. From their POV both you and the LL are the bad guys and they owe neither of you anything, as it’s a massively shitty situation for them.

Play hardball with the vendor about the stamp duty or walk away. Or sit tight, shut up and accept you’ve put yourself in this situation and the stamp duty deadline was never going to be achievable for you.

When did the Seller give notice? At present he has to give six months notice not two months. Even then the tenant may not move out at the expiry of 6 months if they need to present as homeless to access social housing. If the Landlord has to take them to court it could be well over a year before they are out.

Have you see a copy of the notice served?

Also,the seller should pay for all the extra £5 to 6K that this is costing you.

@SamLovesLembasBread

What happens if they LOVE their home?

It's not their "home", though.

I don't blame OP for being angry at the renters (in addition to the seller). When you rent, you know that circumstances can change. It's not a permanent, guaranteed arrangement.

Of course it's their home.

@SamLovesLembasBread

What happens if they LOVE their home?

It's not their "home", though.

I don't blame OP for being angry at the renters (in addition to the seller). When you rent, you know that circumstances can change. It's not a permanent, guaranteed arrangement.

Yes it is their home The property is the HOME of the tenants while they are legally renting it The concept that only property owners have homes is disgusting

Also a renter would not be looking at the For Sale section of Rightmove just the For Rent Section so it would not say SSTC on there just that it was available to let.

@Iamsodonewith2020

Wombatchocolate why are the sellers greedy? It’s their house and the time has come that they need to sell. I am so sick of mumsnet making out that landlords are all the same. Some of us do our best to provide wonderful homes for our tenants and go above and beyond but sadly In the current climate many landlords are selling up as it’s too risky. Some cannot afford to keep their rentals anymore as tenants paying no rent just because of covid. No proof is needed of financial hardship from tenants but mortgage companies require proof from property owners to reduce mortgage payments. Tenants have all the rights.

They are greedy because they wanted to sell which requires vacant possession but they also wanted to collect rent. That is greedy.

@SeasonFinale

Also a renter would not be looking at the For Sale section of Rightmove just the For Rent Section so it would not say SSTC on there just that it was available to let.

Exactly this

Ooh yay, another opportunity for me to use my new phrase...

Do a Duke.

@wirldsgonemad

I can't buy with the tenants in because that would be a buy to let mortgage and those rates are much worse.

But the tenants would be paying the mortgage. 🤷‍♀️

There probably isn't anywhere for them to move to op. There's nothing up for rent on rightmove in my area. Literally nothing at all.

I think you're going to have to pull out.

The seller screwed up by putting tenants into a property he was selling. You are going to have to keep looking and only come back to this once they are out. Its not fair on you but there is not much you can do as the legal issues are between the landlord and his tenants

Having read the full thread I am not at all surprised the tenants are staying put. I would be seriously pissed off to have gone to all the trouble and expense and stress of moving into a property only to be told pretty much as I arrive that I am moving out.

The landlord was as complete and utter greedy, selfish bastard to do this to them (and I say this as a landlord of a property myself).

Your ire should be directed at him, not the tenants. They are as much victims of his greed as you are.

I agree that any feeling cross needs to be directed at the Landlord not the tenants. The tenants are simply living in their rented house and any dealings they have are with their Landlord and nothing to do with the Op. it is for the Landlord and tenants to talk about ending the tenancy and dates and not the Op.

The fact that the Op hadn’t established if notice had been given to the tenants or when that would run out, pluses all the daft comments about loving the property and being willing to wait, makes me think the OP is clueless and naieive and really foolish to insist on trying to keep going with this sale...plus stubborn and unable to listen to lots of good advice given here.

Those tenants might not be gone for close to 18 months. They have whatever is left of the 6 months notice from the point it was served legally, plus if they choose not to actually go at that point, a formal eviction could takeaway further year. There are loads of reports of landlords who have been trying to evict for 2 years now and due to Covid, it’s not possible as government keeps using the dates where eviction is possible back.

Op says the market is not and someone else would have come along.....well only another fool who was prepared to try to proceed with a tenanted property, where they hadn’t even been given notice to quit. The vast vast majority of people know not to offer on such tenanted properties or if they do, their solicitor soon puts them straight about the situation. They certainly don’t spend money on surveys on a sale which cannot proceed and they don’t blame the tenants but know the landlords greed in trying to sell at the bottom of this and their own folly for trying to proceed in such a situation.

You sound like you think they just cba to move op. What's their famy circs ie children or single person or elderly couple etc?