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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to give tenants notice so I can sell house

97 replies

Maggie178 · 12/01/2022 20:22

I didn't want to become a landlord. I bought a little one bedroomed house just before crash so was in negative equity. When family grew couldn't afford to sell and make up the short fall so rented out our house and rented somewhere bigger.
Currently have tenants in. There's always something that needs fixing, the mortgage interest rate has gone up, the tax bill has gone up, more regulations likely in the next couple of years. We want to get another mortgage but that mortgage will impact on what we can borrow. But I also feel bad giving someone the stress of finding somewhere else to live.
YABU - wait until they move out then put it up for sale
YANBU - do what's best for my family and tenants understand that's a risk of renting

OP posts:
Hospedia · 12/01/2022 20:26

So long as you do everything above board, issue the proper notice paperwork and notice period, etc then it's your house to do as you please with.

You could always ask them if they want to buy it? They might not be a position to but its worth an ask before you issue notice.

waitingpatientlyforspring · 12/01/2022 20:27

Its your home so your choice. You can give them first refusal and maybe offer price less estate agents fees as a sweetener.

Bells3032 · 12/01/2022 20:29

As long as you act like a decent person - give them proper notice, give them the right to refuse viewings etc it's your property and you need to do what's right for you.

Ohshittt · 12/01/2022 20:29

I'm a private tenant, from my point of view it's definitely a risk with renting but I would give them as much notice and physically possible and understand they will be pretty upset. Not your fault though, I hope they take it well and manage to find a new place ASAP.

LethargicActress · 12/01/2022 20:31

Needing to sell the property for the sake of your own family is pretty much the fairest reason there is for ending a tenancy with good tenants.

TeachesOfPeaches · 12/01/2022 20:32

You can give them notice but it doesn't mean they'll leave

MadeOfStarStuff · 12/01/2022 20:41

It’s crap for your tenants but it’s not unreasonable, you have to prioritise your own family. Just make sure you give notice properly and as far in advance as possible and don’t force them to accommodate endless viewings.

elbea · 12/01/2022 20:45

You can sell with tenants in place, attractive to investors.

sweetcheekweak · 12/01/2022 20:48

YANBU

Not even sure why this is a question, you're a landlord, not their friend or parent. Give the correct notice and move on with your life

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 12/01/2022 20:49

Give them notice. They may put an offer in for it themselves.

GattoFantastico · 12/01/2022 20:52

Of course you can give notice, following the correct procedure; it's your property and the tenant will make life very difficult for themself going forward if they choose to be obstructive

BobLemon · 12/01/2022 20:57

Why don’t you just sell it with tenants in situ??

sirfredfredgeorge · 12/01/2022 20:57

But realise of course that you're going to have months of empty property between them leaving and the sale completing. No purchaser other than an investor who'd rather the tenants were still there will want to proceed without vacant position, so you need to be financing months of zero income from the tenants to pay the mortgage.

Also of course remember that simply giving notice doesn't actually mean they'll be out at the end of the notice, they don't legally have to leave at that point.

Also remember if you haven't provided the statutory details, your notice will likely not be valid, so make sure you have before doing it.

BurscoughBooths · 12/01/2022 21:06

@sirfredfredgeorge

But realise of course that you're going to have months of empty property between them leaving and the sale completing. No purchaser other than an investor who'd rather the tenants were still there will want to proceed without vacant position, so you need to be financing months of zero income from the tenants to pay the mortgage.

Also of course remember that simply giving notice doesn't actually mean they'll be out at the end of the notice, they don't legally have to leave at that point.

Also remember if you haven't provided the statutory details, your notice will likely not be valid, so make sure you have before doing it.

Not necessarily. I sold a property that had been rented when my father died. The tenants moved out a week before exchange, 2 weeks before completion. No issues at all
jimmyhill · 12/01/2022 21:06

Shitty thing to do, to kick people out of their home. Wait until they move out.

Nisse23 · 12/01/2022 21:17

This happened to me (I was the tenant). I’d only been there 6 months, they did a bunch of viewings without informing me, and I got suspicious and found the place for sale online.

Made me pay for all the cleanings and repairs for the new owner - I managed to fight the ‘repairs’ with the TDS, and forced me out early too.

They were awful, but if you’re kind and give notice, don’t hide the sale, and offer them first refusal I think it’s fair enough, though never nice.

GattoFantastico · 12/01/2022 21:22

@Nisse23 that's awful and no landlord should ever behave like that. But if they do everything properly and above board then of course it's their right to sell their property. A rental contract doesn't give a tenant some weird entitlement to live somewhere until it suits them to move!

2022IamHavingYa · 12/01/2022 21:25

I’ve been the tenant too. 7 weeks after I moved in I was told the house was for sale. It was massively over priced and over the course of my years tenancy, it never sold. There were however many many viewings and I felt I was forever dealing with estate agents. In the end I have one day a month they could do block viewings. When it came to the end of my tenancy, my cheeky landlord asked if I wanted to stay in on a month by month contract until the house sold! Nope! They then tried to charge me £800 in carpet cleaning, decorating and repairs. Managed to get it down to about £80 to clean my toddlers room carpet and paint the room.
It was at least another year until it sold.

So yes, by all means sell, but if your tenants are good, look after them and don’t make them field all your viewings!

Arabellla · 12/01/2022 21:27

This is a no brainer. Get rid of this albatross around your neck.

soisealta · 12/01/2022 21:39

It's up to you, but don't underestimate the stress it could cause your tenant. I have heard about the new taxes on landlords, however it is the tenants who could easily become homeless.

I rented 3 private rents over many years, always paid the rent on time, and when my last landlord decided to sell up it was one of the most stressful times in my life.

Despite the new so-called rights for tenants - that just makes landlords more wary of anyone who isn't a high earner IMO. The price of renting compared to wages and benefits is shocking and probably a big factor in foodbank use and poverty.

I traipsed around agencies and private landlords trying to find somewhere in our 2 months notice. I had a guarantor and unblemished references for paying rent and still got no, no, no. Because I'm a single parent low earning person. Even properties which had been reduced due to lack of interest declined me. Also the money to actually move.

We were about to end up in a homeless unit far from their schools when another landlord bought the flat with us as sitting tenants.

It was a hideously stressful and wasted summer 2019. My children were stressed by it as well.

Despite private renting for nearly two decades, that gave me a scare. I could never hope to get a mortgage (no way of saving for deposit after bills are paid).

After that I applied for social housing in the only place I could get accepted within any reasonable time frame - a 'bad' area, a run down property.

We've never been happier. Finally some stability and security.

Affordable and stable housing should be a right, but it's not, and many don't even think about that.

I'm not saying that's you OP, it is a business and I get that i have a business, but do think about it. If you are losing money or getting hardly anything or you are in need financially then of course, but do think about the upheaval and stress for the tenants, which can be significant.

isitthestew · 12/01/2022 21:49

YABU - I mean, you can do it if you like, but your name will be mud.

There's no equivalent to Section 21 in most European countries. Kicking people out of their home on a whim is immoral and should be illegal.

Kshhuxnxk · 12/01/2022 21:51

Give them plenty of notice and make sure you've done it right. Let them know they can move out before the notice ends with no penalties if they find something else. Bottom line is it's a business and renters take their chances with a private rent.

soisealta · 12/01/2022 21:52

@Kshhuxnxk That should read "Many renters have no choice but to accept the instability of renting^

Kshhuxnxk · 12/01/2022 21:53

@isitthestew

YABU - I mean, you can do it if you like, but your name will be mud.

There's no equivalent to Section 21 in most European countries. Kicking people out of their home on a whim is immoral and should be illegal.

How on earth will their name be mud? It's their 'home' for as long as the owner chooses to rent it out. Don't like it, buy your own home.
GattoFantastico · 12/01/2022 21:57

Yeap there's a few batshit comments on here tonight Grin