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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be there for the viewings?

177 replies

SachaStark · 02/06/2021 23:53

My landlord is selling the house we live in, and the estate agent is doing about 10 viewings tomorrow afternoon.

AIBU to be present for the viewings? The LL is totally fine with it, but the estate agent seems quite put out.

My reasonings are that, whilst it might be a property to sell to the estate agent, it’s also our home, and filled with our possessions, and I’d rather be in the house to keep an eye on things. Also, why should I inconvenience myself by making myself scarce for several hours? I’ve got a stack of exercise books to mark as it’s half term week (secondary teacher), and I don’t much relish the thought of dragging all those books out and about with me whilst I try to find an appropriate place to work.

If it were an ordinary day without these viewings, that’s what I would be doing, so should I just be able to carry on as normal?

OP posts:
NavigationCentral · 03/06/2021 06:53

Speaking as a buyer and seller going through a move at the minute I found viewings where people were present incredibly awkward and weird. Likewise we always cleared out with baby and child in tow massively inconveniencing ourselves for our own viewings at our house.

But look - obviously you don’t HAVE to allow viewings. In this case I’d rather just not allow viewings instead of allowing these awkard viewings to occur and waste a lot of chances and time for people

Cadent · 03/06/2021 06:53

Just reading other threads by teachers and it seems people are spending a lot of the half the term marking. And it’s no one’s business when and what OP does in her own home.

honeygirlz · 03/06/2021 06:55

I don’t really get all the angst about viewing with occupants present, we’ve been to viewings where the occupants were chilling in front of the TV with their dog, we didn’t think it was odd. It’s just one room.

colouringcrayons · 03/06/2021 06:55

@Cadent

Just reading other threads by teachers and it seems people are spending a lot of the half the term marking. And it’s no one’s business when and what OP does in her own home.
Exactly this. If my tenant had said they were marking I would have accepted it.
DelilahTheParrot · 03/06/2021 06:56

@honeygirlz where did I say that it was legally enforceable? I didn’t. Anywhere. I said it was tosh that “landlords should really wait until a tenant has left before putting a house on the market”. If they want me to wait until they’ve left then it will cost another 8-10% a year for the time that the house is unoccupied. What’s so hard to work out about that?

You sound like you’re someone who just hates all LL tbh.

honeygirlz · 03/06/2021 07:00

@DelilahTheParrot by saying it’s tosh means you’re implying can ride roughshod over tenant rights.

I don’t hate all LLs, I’ve mostly lived at my parents and then my own home so no personal reason to.

DelilahTheParrot · 03/06/2021 07:03

@honeygirlz

I’m not implying anything, stop making things up.

I said it’s tosh that LL should wait until tenants have left to market their property. It’s perfectly normal to have viewings in the last 2m of tenancies. If it were to become the norm that properties weren’t marketed until a tenant has left then rents would have to go up to make up the difference.

That’s what the cost would be of “quiet enjoyment”. I’ve been a tenant, I know what I’d rather choose.

FTEngineerM · 03/06/2021 07:04

It’s a particularly arseholey thing to do imo, it’s not like you will be chained to the marking every second of half term. Go grab a coffee and chill out, not your house. It will be awkward, I viewed one with people there and hated every second, didn’t even care about the house from that point on.

DDiva · 03/06/2021 07:07

Well unless your hoong to.be following them.around the house ( very awkward) then I dont think there's much point in being there. It wont be a great environment to.concentrate on marking either.

As for a quiet place to.go, how about the local library........

DelilahTheParrot · 03/06/2021 07:07

@SachaStark It also sounds in this case like the agent has been pretty considerate by blocking all ten viewings together.

Can I ask the background to this, did you give notice to move out, or are you reaching the end of your tenancy and the LL has decided to sell?

FuckyouCovid21 · 03/06/2021 07:08

@FTEngineerM

It’s a particularly arseholey thing to do imo, it’s not like you will be chained to the marking every second of half term. Go grab a coffee and chill out, not your house. It will be awkward, I viewed one with people there and hated every second, didn’t even care about the house from that point on.
You're right it's not her house but it is her home, if she wants to refuse viewings then she's totally within her rights. I certainly wouldn't want groups of people tramping through my home all day, and especially not now
Doris86 · 03/06/2021 07:11

@YouBringLightInToADarkPlace

It's obviously up to you OP but as a recent buyer the house we went to view had the owners there while the estate agent showed us round and it was really awkward. I felt uncomfortable as if I was invading their space (which I was, obviously) and it made me want to leave quickly. Slightly different situation for you, granted, as you don't own the house but if you are serious about it selling I'd just vacate for the afternoon.
Why would a tenant be serious about the landlord selling their home from under them?
FuckyouCovid21 · 03/06/2021 07:12

[quote DelilahTheParrot]@SachaStark It also sounds in this case like the agent has been pretty considerate by blocking all ten viewings together.

Can I ask the background to this, did you give notice to move out, or are you reaching the end of your tenancy and the LL has decided to sell?[/quote]
If the agent was being considerate he wouldn't have organised the viewings until after she'd left. I've rented many properties over the years, not once have I been asked to allow viewings.

DelilahTheParrot · 03/06/2021 07:16

@FuckyouCovid21 My experience is completely the opposite, I find what you say hard to believe but have no reason to disbelieve you.

I have never felt the need or been advised to wait until a tenant has left to start viewings. Likewise when I rented for several years I always both viewed and allowed viewings when the property was occupied. Only a couple of times in probably over a hundred viewings in the past ten years has the occupant been home.

Whatshouldicallme · 03/06/2021 07:17

YANBU at all, it could take ages to sell a house and having people in and out all the time is hard work so you will need to do what you can to make it manageable for you.

If the LL and management company are reasonable I'd work with them as best you can and leave when you are able but you can't kill yourself to suit all viewings. If they become unreasonable at any point, I wouldn't hesitate to refuse entry.

When I was leaving my rental flat, they had initially agreed that they'd provide us 24-hours notice before viewings but after the first week or two they'd literally just turn up on the doorstep and knock with viewers in tow. If we didn't answer they'd just walk in. It would leave me fuming as obviously interferred with my ability to just relax at home (in a property I was still paying for!!). I'd never even know if they'd have been in when I was out as they didn't even have the decency to inform me.

I love all these LL saying YABU not bending to their every whim to sell a property on for highest profit. Management companies take advantage of tenants in a way they never would if it were the owner of the property. The last two months of my tenancy were hell, how is that fair? I wish I'd have known we had the right to refuse because I would have.

SuperMonkeys · 03/06/2021 07:19

I think for a rented property it can be fairly normal to have people in it when viewing.

The owner of your place does mind (and even if they did, you could still stay) so it really doesn't matter what the letting agent says or thinks.

CeibaTree · 03/06/2021 07:19

If you've agreed to allow viewings then you are being unnecessary awkward by insisting on being there. If you are not planning to follow each viewer around and watch them like a hawk then they will be alone with your stuff at times anyway. But in my recent experience of house hunting the EA will be with the viewer at all times so it would be hard for anyone to steal anything. If you are really this worried about your stuff then you should have said no to viewings. I can see why the EA is a bit put out.

Sugarplumfairy65 · 03/06/2021 07:20

When I was a LL of 3 properties , I offered my tenants a weeks free rent for every full 8 hour day of viewings they allowed in the last month. It was entirely their choice to have viewings or not and any who refused were not penalised in any way. The way I saw it, they were doing me a favour. Only one in nearly 20 years ever refused but they were going through a break up at the time which was why they'd given notice.

Whatshouldicallme · 03/06/2021 07:23

Also, I don't think it's usual for sales viewings to go ahead whilst a tenant is in place. When we were renting I remember some of the properties we viewed seemed to still have tenants in place but buying, no. It was always empty or owner occupied. I think you are already doing them a favour by letting them in.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep · 03/06/2021 07:23

@FTEngineerM

It’s a particularly arseholey thing to do imo, it’s not like you will be chained to the marking every second of half term. Go grab a coffee and chill out, not your house. It will be awkward, I viewed one with people there and hated every second, didn’t even care about the house from that point on.
For the period that they live there it is their house
Tulipomania · 03/06/2021 07:24

Has anyone mentioned Covid?

I wouldn't want 10 lots of people going round the place I live in while I was there at the moment. Will you wear a mask to protect them? Thought not.

Open the windows and go out for the afternoon.

The Estate Agent is there to make sure nothing bad happens.

Fairyliz · 03/06/2021 07:25

Has anyone seen how quickly properties are selling at the moment?
Around here (Midlands) they go up for sale one day and are sold the next. I don’t think it will put anyone off that you are there.
So I would stay if you want too.

DelilahTheParrot · 03/06/2021 07:25

@Sugarplumfairy65 that’s generous. I always let mine move out early without paying the remaining time on the agreement if they’ve been amenable in allowing viewings that mean it’s a quick transaction. I’m also more likely to waive chargeable items on the inventory. I do this because I know exactly what is coming next and when.

Comes down to the same thing, you and I are both giving a financial benefit to the tenant in return for making the property available.

Only apparently I am a “bad landlord”, a “bully” and a “feudal overlord” Grin.

VioletCharlotte · 03/06/2021 07:25

I used to be an estate agent OP. It's completely fine for you to be there, especially as it sounds like you're just going to be sitting in a corner working while the estate agent shows people round.

housie · 03/06/2021 07:26

I got browbeaten into allowing viewings as a tenant. We did stay in one of the rooms as the EA insisted on doing open houses or arranging overlapping viewings so too many people in the house at one time. They had one set of people upstairs (no one with them) and another downstairs sometimes. I could hear cupboards being opened, a child wandered down playing with my son’s toy... very annoying. We didn’t even want to move in the first place. Apart from the staying in, we generally agreed to most viewings and cleaned the house (even fresh flowers!)
For those who think this buys some credit with LL/EA - which was partly why I did this... unfortunately not in all cases.
I endured two months of viewings before being ‘scolded’ by the LL that the house was not clean enough to sell (lost faith with EA at that point - she’d had cups of tea and admired the house while waiting for no shows with us)
The house was overpriced, so didn’t sell, it was that simple.
We thankfully found another house which was available two months from then, but they tried to get us to leave a month early. Lots of pleading but where would we move to? I think they needed to buy a new build in time but I wish they’d just given us notice before it all started! And then at the every end again charged us £300 even though the independent inventory showed a spotless house (with pics!) Shocking and really horrendous behaviour - we had a lovely landlord for almost six years before that (and have lovely ones now too!) so had forgotten we could be treated like this.