To NOT leave rented house when I said I would?

[WaitingForLifeToGetEasier]

Been in current rented house for 9 years. Landlord is a company with 30+ properties.

Tenancy is generally renewed every year as LL puts rent up.

Last year, less than 6 months into our latest year long tenancy agreement, an estate agent contacted me out of the blue saying he'd been instructed to sell the property so I needed to agree to a time for them to value and take photos as well for viewings.

I was shocked as LL has not said anything and it transpired that the letting agent has added a 6 month break clause into the tenancy agreement. There had never been one In previous agreements and I wasn't made aware.

I made it clear i was not going to allow anyone in the property until the end of the agreement and if the landlord wanted to sell, I'd leave at that time.

Tenancy is up in early March. I had expected to get a Section 21 in early January but nothing.

We have been looking but properties are either not available anymore or agent doesn't get back to us so have not found a property yet. Rents seem to have gone up £3-400 a month which is going to be impossible.

Not sure if LL is just expecting us to leave or what but I am not intending to leave in early March and will stay as long as possible - await section 21 etc.

AIBU?

The landlord has not given notice.

The onus is not on the tenant to chase a section 21 notice!

@emptythelitterbox Maybe the OP has been dodging them but the onus of responsibility is on the LL/Agent not the tenant. If the LL hasn't served the Section 21 then the tenant does not have to leave.

This

Interesting to read a post where it’s a “corporate” company landlord causing problems, not an “accidental” landlord. The former are replacing the latter in the UK.

Hi Op, a correctly served and filled out section 21 along with all prescribed information previously been served such as gas check cert, EPC cert, EICR, deposit protection certificate and how to rent booklet is the only correct way for a landlord to give notice to a tenant and to legally start the eviction process. Until this has been served, legal notice has not been given. Please give Shelter a ring or start an online chat with them and tell them your situation, they are experts on the laws on the matter and have great help available. Best of luck x

I would only advise this if the OP was at risk of homelessness.

Not everyone has that luxury though so they ??

What do people think a reference will look like?

”The tenant refused to leave even though I have no notice” 😂

You think it's OK to ignore phone calls, emails, letters from your landlord just because you don't want to move?

Should you refuse access to the property for inspection, valuation etc ( assuming they have given 24hours notice and tried again and again to offer reasonable times etc ) the landlord can get an injunction for access.
Or take you to court.

They’d only be wise do do this after issuing Section 21
They have every right to sell the property
If you refuse to move the landlord will have to take you to court to get you out.
All court and legal costs will be yours

Any landlord only more than a certain number of of properties should be subject to the same rules as housing associations.

@emptythelitterbox are you the agent? How do you know that the OP has been ignoring all communication?

They might just outright refuse to give one and that will look pretty bad 🤷‍♀️

@Everyonehasavoice this is incorrect. A tenant does not have to give access for viewings etc.

Agree
The lack of forward thinking by the Govn is astonishing
There will be no where left for people to rent, and certainly nothing affordable for the majority.
There needs to be a serious u turn on Govn policy

The current waiting times for eviction noticed being granted through the courts is about 18 months. The liklihood of injunctions / evictions being granted at the moment is miniscule.

This

Doesn’t matter, even if this was true.

Section 21 still needs to be served. A few phone calls don’t cut the mustard legally

No they dont
Thats why I noted if they don’t the landlord will have to take the matter to court or get an injunction.

A landlord has the right by law to take further action. I think it’s in the landlord and tenancy act
( Assuming they’ve issued a section 21 )

I don’t know why people ask for advice, especially legal advice on here. Mumsnet has drastically changed and there has been an influx of thick people all over the place just running their mouth with stupidity just to make the OP feel less. I can’t be the only one noticing this? I think they’ve come from Netmums.

OP, contact CAB or Shelter.

Oh give over. She's hardly deliberately being a difficult tenant when there are no properties to rent ! I hate landlords and it's a shame so many have been forced to rent privately in recent years with the demise of social housing. I absolutely hope this crisis forces the next government ( because the current one have failed to address the issue) to build more stable social housing so that renters are not at the mercy of these landlords.

If the LL has a lot of properties then chances are other LLs locally will know them.

LLs that do things like cutting corners with notices will likely be known.

Christ, it's amazing people come on here to reply to posts when they don't even have simple reading comprehension skills.

Don't know where you got November from? If you read my post I said an EA contacted me less than 6 months into current year long tenancy agreement which ends this March.

I was contacted last August to say LL was selling and informing me of the break clause that had been sneakily inserted, the day before we were due to go on a long saved for holiday which was totally ruined! I had assumed we were 'safe' until the following March and would never have booked a holiday if I'd thought we may have had to move in the next few months.

LL obviously wanted us to bear the stress and inconvenience of viewings and wasn't going to issue a section 21 until he's got a buyer.

I asked if he would reduce the rent for the viewings but he said No, there was no legal reason to do I told him I wouldn't allow access.

Rent has always been paid on time and house is immaculate. LL had done no general maintenance in 9 years and has constantly put off doing essential repairs. Front door locking mechanism went once so it couldn't be locked and was a composite door so couldn't drill a bolt in it. He was unbothered about us having to put heavy furniture in front of it (fire risk) for a week until I got a locksmith out myself and took it off the rent.

He's worth at least £50 million (in news). House has increased by £150k since we moved in and we've paid £140k in rent. Nice little earner huh!

OP
Guessing the reason for sale is due to all the laws changing on tenants rights. Some I believe are about to go through soon.
Lots of landlords are bailing out.
If I were you id find somewhere new before the new laws go through, as rents will more than likely get even more ridiculous