Landlords, would you consider this if your tenants asked?

[DesperateTenant]

I have rented my current home for 13 years. I am a good tenant, I keep the house in excellent shape and care for it as if it was my own. I have never asked for anything, rent is always paid on time.

Landlord has decided to sell and I only discovered this when someone knocked on my door wanting a sneaky viewing. They showed me the listing on Rightmove, complete with pictures I was completely unaware were taken.

I am shocked and desperate not to move. I came from nothing and I've made a life for me and my children here. We have a real community around us. I'm at the point where I'll be able to buy locally within 6 months and staying in the area is so important to me.

I completely understand that legally I am not entitled to be told when the LL is selling and have no rights to ask for anything from the LL and I don't know their personal situation.

But, for the landlords out there, in these circumstances if your long term tenant asked if you would consider waiting 6 months and offered to pay more rent (currently pay £850, would offer £1150) would you?

Would it be completely unreasonable for me to ask this?

In 6 months I'd have enough to buy the house I'm in and would do so in a heartbeat.

I agree with @Mummyoflittledragon. You owe the LL nothing at this point. Hold your nerve. Absolutely do not agree to any viewing and write to the Estate agent confirming that you do not give consent to the property being entered whilst you are not present. I’d also make a formal offer (the one you made via FB) to the EA. That way, the LL will owe the EA commission (which he would’ve avoided had he taken your offer). I’d also print a big list of things that are not for sale/wrong with the house in a large font and leave just inside the front door which would hit every potential buyer in the event they decide to let themselves in.

If you go onto the land registry and pay £3, you can see the title for the property. Check he actually owns it. His address will be listed on it. I’d also see who the lender is (it’ll be listed if there is one) and approach that bank/bs to see if they would lend to you. I bet it’s a fixed term rate that is coming to an end which is prompting the sale but that doesn’t excuse him being a dick about it.

Sorry you are going through this, it’s appalling behaviour on his part.

Maybe £170,000 would have been a more sensible offer on a £185,000 house? Are they asking for "offers over"? His idea that he's going to get £200,000 for it seems very strange otherwise.

Message LL back and say the offer remains on the table for now.

Write to the letting agents and give instructions that, given the wholly enethical and illegal breach of your rights as a tenant over the listing photos, you will not be giving access to viewings. See what they say then. But put it in writing, to the most senior person there, and ask for a response.

Oops, I realise I messed up the numbers on my last post. Ignore those - I actually offered 8% under the asking price so a reasonable offer!

I've changed the numbers (and a couple if other things) so I can try and avoid being outed but there's probably no point doing that now!

Ah just read your update. He is a greedy arsehole. I'm so sorry. Maybe it's better this way. I hope you find a bigger and better house, come back here and tell us when you do. I also hope he sells it for far less than you offered, and that they mess him around 😆

I had to evict tenants, cost thousands and took six months. I'd have sold to you.

I've been checking rightmove every day and have multiple alerts set up but nothing close by that is within my price range. Within a 5 mile radius there are 46 properties listed but only 1 I could afford and it's a 2 bedroom bungalow that needs a huge amount of work done.

Plenty of properties 10-15 miles away which means new schools and all that which is sad and scary. I have booked viewings for several so I know I have options and I am fortunate.

I'm just so sad and stressed.

What’s the rush OP? You’re not being evicted, EA can’t conduct visits against your will, seller is stuck…. Have you made a formal offer on the property? I’d stop making home offers on fb messenger and go through the listing agent.

I just want to be done with it all now.

I'm tired of the constant calls from the estate agent about viewings, the worry of them just letting themselves in whenever they want (which they have already done). Checking the post every day for the s21. I don't want to deal with going to court to be evicted and potentially having to pay court costs that may take a chunk of my deposit.

Maybe I am just a weak person.

I agree, possibly delusional too, if he's expecting to get more than the asking price (although I concede the market might still be very different away from my part of the SE, where properties are taking much longer to go under offer than they were a year ago, and prices are sliding a bit).

When he realises what it's going to cost him in agents' fees and in legal fees trying to get the OP out, he might well be kicking himself for not agreeing to the OP's offer. So much less hassle. And if OP finds somewhere before he's got an offer in place, he could have months without any rental income. Twat.

Sorry it didn't work out for you OP, but I'm sure you'll find something soon.

Before you resign yourself to moving away, make sure you get in contact with all the local estate agents (including the one listing yours) to explain what you are looking for. There may have something perfect that hasn’t quite been listed yet.

I think you mentioned your son being at a special school. If so I'm guessing he has an EHCP who means the local authority would provide a taxi? Worth looking into if you have to move

Would the 2 bedroom bungalow work? My colleague had to get out of her home quickly, could only find a bungalow that needed doing up. She wasn't pleased at first, but it turned out great. She did one room up at a time and removed a wall. After 18 months she had modernised it, it felt like a holiday home.

Block estate agent's number, change locks, sit tight. Even you do get a S21 notice you'll have months and months to find somewhere else.

I know it's stressful but try to remember that you do have rights, and while it's sensible to look for somewhere to buy, you don't have to settle for an unsuitable place. You can stay where you are for now.

Was she a single parent with a disabled child?
I doubt OP would have the time or energy for a fixer-upper.

@AnotherEmma · Today 12:10

Yes she was and still is a single parent of 2.

When I say a huge amount of work I'm not exaggerating. From the pictures you can see that it's not just outdated and needing cosmetic work but worse. It looks like there is structural damage, there is damp and mould in every room, etc. I walked past it and it looks like the windows will need replacing as well. Where would I find the time and money?

Do you have any legal cover with your home insurance? They're very good at helping draft legal sounding letters referencing the right legislation...

I know it's stressful, but to buy some headspace i'd forget Del Boy LL and consider sending a letter to the estate agents saying :

They have previously unlawfully entered your home without permission or notice violating your right to quiet enjoyment and The Housing Act 1988.
You have not been served a S21 notice to quit and wish to make it extremely clear that you will not be hosting ANY viewings until a S21 is received.
Even when this is issued, they will be expressly forbidden to enter your property without prior appointment in line with your rights as a tenant & not without you being present.
Any evidence via your CCTV that people are entering the property without express permission from you as the tenant will be passed to the police for trespass.
Once an S21 has been received you will notify them, please stop calling until this time.

It doesn't need to be true that you have CCTV or intend to involve the cops etc. you're just buying breathing space until this bellend if a landlord has upheld his legal duties & you know where you stand & can breathe.

Really sorry this is happening OP, Landlords don't need to be shits (I tried very hard not to be).

Letting agents are legally required to provide a landlords details as set out in S. 1 of the LTA 1985. They can be fined about £2,000 if they don’t comply - info about it here https://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/legal/housing_options/private_renting/tenants_right_to_information_about_a_landlords_identity

@SquirrelsAssemble
Good advice. However I wouldn’t be encouraging a S21. And I also would not allow viewings after that time. Op is perfectly entitled to refuse viewings full stop for the duration of her tenancy, whenever she decides to leave or once the ll has sought a court order for possession… not that I’m advocating for her to do this as the letting agent wouldn’t then give her a good reference for a future rental.

I would change the locks. I'm a long standing landlord and have never let myself in, let alone an estate agent.

How's things going @DesperateTenant? Did you manage to find a new home? Thinking of you.

Hope you’re ok @DesperateTenant

It's kind of you to check in on me!

It's been a roller coaster couple of months. I have a lot of new grey hairs!

I found a great house and was due to exchange last week (I've practically been a bully chasing everyone up constantly trying to to push the sale through quickly)! However the vendor, who had been flip flopping for a week or so, decided to pull out of the sale entirely. No reason given.

So it was back to square 1 only 2 weeks or so before my S21 expired. That was on Friday.

Yesterday I put another offer in on my current house and the LL accepted! So it looks like I might get to stay here after all.

I have to obviously deal with what a survey etc. turns up and hope to god there is nothing that affects my mortgage agreement and gives them reason to decline offering me what I need.

I am quite disappointed at losing out on the great house, it was actually ideal. But being able to stay here means there will be no stress for the children which is good!

Very pleased for you. Clearly the LL wasn't getting any offers! Serves him right. Hope you offered the same or less than last time?