To want to sell my house?

[Blueberrymuffinman]

I started to let my house out in 2016. I was living a long way away and so I just let the letting agent sort it all.

The rent has stayed the same during that time until last summer when I asked for an increase. This has amounted to £20 extra for me.

I want to sell, but I am concerned there are no rental properties in the area, and my tenant may not move and this could lead to a long costly battle.

Any advice?

You could possibly sell it to an investor who wants to keep the tenant in situ.

Yes good idea , sell with sitting tenant.

Someone I work with has a property they let out (was their batchelor pad before they met their wife, let it out while they rented in a different part of the country etc settled down) and years later they’ve now decided to sell it.
Their tenant sounds a) like an arse but has also got some
Dangerously bad advise from someone about her tenancy. The whole thing sounds like an ordeal. I’d sell with a sitting tenant

Selling with sitting tenant prob won’t happen as the rent is considerably below market value.

I think you have to start eviction proceedings in advance.

Is your tenant in a position to buy the property?

No definitely not

Sounds like you need to increase the rent anyway? Doesn't it usually happen annually?

Why have they got below market rent and why do you think there will be an issue of them leaving? Just evict and then sell?

Can you not increase the rent to be in line with market rates?

Speak to the tenant maybe? Give them the option of you increasing the rent up to market value so you can sell to an investor, or the option of looking for somewhere else?

It doesn't have to result in a long, costly battle, OP.

If certainly has to be done properly, and as a person with a conscience, you're right to be sad that someone who's called your place their home for 6 years is going to have to go through upheaval.

That's just the way it is, unfortunately.

The best you can do is give them as much notice of your intentions as possible.

Issue all the right Section notices.
Don't make them take viewings whilst it's selling.

And if they don't leave on the leave date, issue eviction proceedings.

To say, you can't 'make' them take viewings anyway.

Don't ask them is what I meant to say.

Thanks @EinsteinaGogo

So the rent has gone up but it can only go up by a certain % annually. It last went up in June. It can go up again this June but this still will be far below current market value.

Sounds like you need to do a no fault evocation either to sell or remarket at correct rent.

@Blueberrymuffinman

Thanks *@EinsteinaGogo*

So the rent has gone up but it can only go up by a certain % annually. It last went up in June. It can go up again this June but this still will be far below current market value.

I have a couple of properties that I rent out.

I also keep the rent below market rate for good tenants.

The reason is, by the time tax, fees, maintenance etc is taken off, any profit I make is minimal.

If i were to, eg, increase the rent by £100 month, I'd probably only see £35 of that.

£400 ish a year is not that much to me but £1200 a year is a hell of a lot to a tenant who has to find the extra.