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.

Well done op, it was obviously meant to be.

That's great news @DesperateTenant so pleased for you. Like @Agapornis says, hope you got it for the same or less than you previously offered. Good luck with everything.

LL here, l would definately wait for you if l could, BUT and here is the rub,

Maybe your LL's fixed term mortgage has come to an end and they cannot afford higher repayments, so have to sell fast.
Maybe they need money from the sale to pay their own mortgage.
Maybe family situation.
Or they may have no issue with waiting for you. Plus a sale can easily take 3-5 months.

I would not offer more rent but email your LL directly stating you may be interested in purchasing the house and asking for a meeting.

In the meantime have all your facts and figures worked out, speak to a mortgage broker if necessary. See the earliest you can get enough funds together, see if you can borrow to bring it forward say three months. Most importantly establish the actual value of the property, get three agents in to value it for you. Ensure they are discrete.

At the meeting ask why the LL is selling, is he/she in a hurry, this dictates your strategy.
Say you want to buy and he/she would have the considerable advantage of rent right up to Exchange of contracts.
Say you know the condition of the property well and so the sale should be faster and more straightforward.
Remind him/her that they already know you and that you are a reliable person.

You hold many cards op.

I have sold to a tenant in the past and in fact gave a 5 % discount because of the above.

You want to buy the house you rent, your landlord wants to sell it. You really need to speak to the landlord. If it were me and I wasn’t desperate for my money now (I am a multiple landlord) I would be happy to accommodate you.

@DesperateTenant sorry you lost out on the great house, but congrats on being able to buy your current one! So pleased for you, hope everything comes back good with the surveys etc

That's a shame about the other house, @DesperateTenant . I wonder why people do that right at the last minute? 🤔
Pleased you're getting the opportunity to buy your current rental tho. Fingers crossed for the survey (and that He doesn't mess you around down the line, too!).
Good luck.

Congrats! I really hope it all goes though with no more problems

Oh wow that's great! Shame about the other house though.

Great update OP! I hope it all works out for you in your current house. Sometimes these things are meant to be. Someone said that to me when I missed out on my dream house. I was most uncharitable and sulky in my response. 4 months later my dream house came back on the market and here I am!

Your landlord is silly, if he’d sold it to you privately and cut out the estate agent he would’ve saved the percentage he’ll now have to pay to them.
Glad he’s excepted …. No chain at all and no move costs or hassle…. Hope the sale goes through quickly.

Things moved very quickly!
So did you have several viewings over the past months?

im wondering if the LL is realising that he could potentially need to fork out A LOT of money to take you court… he’s probably also had lots of feedback saying too much works needs doing for the money being asked for the house… plus he knows if you move out in 2 weeks and the house isn’t even sold yet he could potentially have a house sitting there for 6 months or more with no rent coming in! If it’s still mortgaged how will he pay that without a tenant!
Think I’d have put in an anonymous bid and just told the estate agent that you’re in the position to buy and move in straight away. 😂

you may still need to knock money off for the works that need doing… The windows and fire don’t sound safe and need doinf urgently! I’d ask that he knocks half the price of repair off of the house cost.

I can’t believe a gas engineer would sign off on that job!!…. If it’s not safe he could be held liable if something happened! I’d have been complaining and got those jobs done…. Even if it meant getting worked and telling the letting agent you’re getting the work done and knocking it off the rent each month!