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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To refuse any viewings?

87 replies

CityHigh · 23/02/2022 11:47

We are due to hand in our minimum two months notice on our flat soon and we are thinking about refusing all viewings but not sure IWABU.

When we made an offer of rent on the flat we had to fill in a form asking if there was anything work we wanted doing/anything changing. We said yes and made our offer based on the blinds in the living room being fixed. It wasn’t completely broken upon viewing but the fix was clearly temporary and you have to reach right up to the top and manually handle it open and closed as opposed to just pulling a toggle like the rest of our blinds IYSWIM. We were told that this would be fixed before we moved in. We wouldn’t have accepted the offer if they couldn’t agree to this.

We moved in and blind was not fixed. This wouldn’t be a problem, only a minor inconvenience if I wasn’t disabled. This means that if I’m home I either have to sit in with it closed all day (I WFH) or DP has to open it before he goes to work which isn’t ideal either as we are ground floor and windows go across the front of our flat ground to ceiling.

I have emailed, called, chased up throughout the tenancy and have been told ‘contractors have been called’ but nothing has been done. It probably is only a minor thing, but they knew our offer was based on this being fixed and that’s what has annoyed us so much.

Secondly, our neighbours are horrific. This is the main reason we are leaving. We have lodged a council complaint and gone down that path as they are aggressive, bang on peoples doors, have parties of about 50 people and music until the next day. We have the same estate agent as them and we have tried to go through them but they have replied to one email and then ignored. We know they have the power to evict and give them warnings as it’s in the tenancy agreement but instead they have ignored it and our life has been hell since they moved in six months ago.

Our landlord sold our flat one month after we moved in. We allowed them in for valuations, to make the floor plan and other things but then they started to take the piss and try and book viewings (when we were only one month into our tenancy) so we said no and we were then hounded by the estate agent.

Our tenancy agreement says we have to allow viewings in the final two months of us living here but I know that our legal entitlement to a quiet life trumps that and we don’t have to let them in at all. So, AIBU to say no on the basis that they have been less than helpful to us so why should we help them? I would usually try to be helpful in this situation but feel like they’ve done nothing for us.

OP posts:

LittleGwyneth · 23/02/2022 12:23

I wouldn't allow viewings, and if pushed I would tell the estate agent 'I will be in the house and couldn't, in good conscience not mention the maintenance issues and the ongoing problems with the neighbours. So it seems sensible for everyone involved that viewings take place after we vacate the property.' I imagine on that basis they'd far rather wait.

Also the people telling you that you're being unreasonable are probably landlords!

lemmein · 23/02/2022 12:23

Even without those issues I wouldn't do viewings - it's your home till the day you leave.

roarfeckingroarr · 23/02/2022 12:24

Of course YABU

Ohwowhoho · 23/02/2022 12:26

This is why landlords get a bad rep. Investors shouldn’t be able to come in and buy up everything and then ignore tenants.

If you don’t want your flat sitting empty, you should look after your tenants. YANBU.

Ohwowhoho · 23/02/2022 12:27

@roarfeckingroarr

Of course YABU

How on earth is OP being unreasonable? She doesn’t have to give a reason at all to not allow access.

JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 23/02/2022 12:29

When we gave our notice to leave, I followed up the acceptance with an email reminding the agent that we were entitled to our peace and we therefore would not be accommodating any viewing before we left. We didn't need a reference. We weren't hounded, they didn't ask all!

FindmeuptheFarawaytree · 23/02/2022 12:29

I'd probably let a minimal amount of viewings but at a pre-agreed day and time that suits you once a week. I wouldn't be wanting to do any more than that though.

strawberry2017 · 23/02/2022 12:32

What's the point of being awkward for awkward a sake. If you can accommodate the viewing you should.

Ramalamadingdongs · 23/02/2022 12:32

Not a chance in hell i would let them do viewings. They can wait till it's empty.

Original poster

CityHigh · 23/02/2022 12:34

So if we were to allow viewings would we be okay with saying like between 2-6 on Mondays or Fridays? Or do we have to give them full access at all times?

When they were doing the measuring up for selling I told them a few times I was available between and I came home one day to find 4 estate agents in my flats taking photos! Outside of the times I gave them.

They said because I said they could come in they could come in at any time, which is why we said they couldn’t come in anymore after that. Is this not correct?!

OP posts:

MalbecandToast · 23/02/2022 12:35

No to the viewings, crap landlord or not you don't need to and its stressful so enjoy your home and pack at your leisure.

I'm pretty sure also that you only have to give one month's notice not two by law, regardless of what they wrote in your tenancy agreement but I may be wrong.

forrestgreen · 23/02/2022 12:36

I'd find a time which is convenient to you and say only between 2-4 on a Sunday for example.

Original poster

CityHigh · 23/02/2022 12:36

I just don’t want to give them my written permission to do something that I don’t mean, because that’s what they said they had last time?

OP posts:

Aprilx · 23/02/2022 12:40

@CityHigh

If your landlord owns 500 (???)

Sorry I should have explained that better. We live in a huge, new high rise in a city centre. When it was sold after we moved in a Chinese investor ended up purchasing out the lease for pretty much every apartment bar one or two which are owned by the people who live in them. That’s why they are soley run 100% by the estate agent. The landlord has absolutely nothing to do with the running of the flats. We don’t even have contact details for them- I think it’s actually a company.

I don’t see how this is relevant to be honest. Even “Chinese investors” have to follow the law and it really is not as easy to evict noisy tenants as you appear to think, if they have only been there six months they are likely to be in the fixed term of the tenancy which makes it even harder.

So you are essentially not agreeing to viewings because of a blind. If you don’t want to then don’t, but sometimes life is easier if you try to get along with people and be helpful.

AgathaX · 23/02/2022 12:40

You should allow viewings but it's reasonable to restrict them to certain times for your convenience. Say give them a 2 hour slot twice per week.

To not allow any viewings would be petty and unreasonable in my opinion.

PuppyMonkey · 23/02/2022 12:40

Tell them you’re unable to allow viewings as there’d be no point because viewers wouldn’t be able to see anything due to your blinds being stuck.

Original poster

CityHigh · 23/02/2022 12:48

So you are essentially not agreeing to viewings because of a blind. If you don’t want to then don’t, but sometimes life is easier if you try to get along with people and be helpful.

It is relevant because there’s a disputes process for tenants to follow if they need to complain, as I’ve mentioned above. I’ve not had a single email or phone call back to raise the dispute. So very relevant. The first step of that is sending a letter and a warning the the tenants in question. They haven’t sent one and the tenants could very well have settled down if they knew they were at risk of being evicted.

And it’s not just a blind. They are limiting me being able fully enjoy my property because I’m disabled and they can’t be arsed or don’t want to spend money fixing it.

OP posts:

Pamlar · 23/02/2022 12:48

Just ignore the communications about sending in people for viewings or send your emails requesting they fix the blinds as a reply

Original poster

CityHigh · 23/02/2022 12:49

@AgathaX

You should allow viewings but it's reasonable to restrict them to certain times for your convenience. Say give them a 2 hour slot twice per week.

To not allow any viewings would be petty and unreasonable in my opinion.

As above we already did that when they were selling the flat and they said that it doesn’t work like that and if we allow access then they have written confirmation of access and can enter the property? Hence why we withdrew it on the first place.

OP posts:

Pamlar · 23/02/2022 12:49

Hope you can get out and move to somewhere better asap. The whole situation sounds horrendous.

EveryAvenue · 23/02/2022 12:51

@CityHigh

So if we were to allow viewings would we be okay with saying like between 2-6 on Mondays or Fridays? Or do we have to give them full access at all times?

They said because I said they could come in they could come in at any time, which is why we said they couldn’t come in anymore after that. Is this not correct?!

Please can you clarify this? I’m pretty sure that is illegal. What actually happened?

Yeahbutnotreally · 23/02/2022 12:58

@CityHigh

If your landlord owns 500 (???)

I would allow viewings and then warn off anyone who views and tell them about the neighbours. I would hate anyone to go through the hell id been put through.

Metalguru22 · 23/02/2022 12:58

Asking here you will get people advising you based on what they think should happen. You would be better off contacting Shelter to get the right advice. I've posted a link here.

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/what_to_do_when_you_leave_your_rented_home

Original poster

CityHigh · 23/02/2022 12:59

Please can you clarify this? I’m pretty sure that is illegal. What actually happened?

When our flat went up for sale they contacted us asking for access and there was a few things they needed to do over multiple different visits. I said no problem and gave them a few different times I was available over a two week period. I told them to stick to these because I WFH and deal with sensitive info and needed to make sure I wasn’t in a meeting/stuff was away.

The first couple of times they came on the given dates but one day I’d been out and when I came back there was four people in the flat, taking photos for advertising. I was mortified because it wasn’t within the times I’d given them and I hadn’t cleaned and my dirty underwear was on the floor!! When I raised this with them they said because they had my written confirmation to enter they didn’t need to give 24 hours notice and I couldn’t give set times they could just enter? They then tried to start viewings when selling so I told them under no certain terms to enter at all.

So if I said they could have viewings under a 4 hour period on a Friday could I do that or could they enter at any times? I know that I can refuse viewings but not sure about once I give them permission? I would be happy to do it at select times but if they have lied to me and gained access by lying I won’t be letting them in at all!!

OP posts:

Tryingtokeepgoing · 23/02/2022 13:01

Well obviously you don’t have to allow viewings. But, do you expect to be able to view other flats so you can move? If you do then I do think you are being unreasonable. If you are limiting yourself to seeing vacant properties only, then that’s fine. Though there don’t tend to be many of those, and the ones that are are vacant for a reason…

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