Landlord showing around buyers in our family home flat :(

[Dragontale]

Our landlord wants to sell our flat. We've been here 16 years and are raising our children here.

Firstly, we'd actually like to buy it ourselves and it would be possible for us financially. The reason we didn't ask to buy it was that we didn't realise it was up for sale.

We're gutted. I'd really like some advice from you please.

How can we get the potential buyer to pull out? We'd like to buy the flat ourselves without going into a bidding war.

Not sure if this makes a difference but the landlord is an investment fund, not a private BTL landlord.

AIBU to think we could get the landlord to sell to us instead? And if you know what we could do please let me know

Presumably at this stage they're just potential buys taking a look? I'd chat to your landlord, it would save him fees etc

You just need to ask. There isn't a special process. Contact the landlord, make an offer.

Contact the estate agent and tell them you want to buy it.

As it's already on the market your landlord might have already have had offers to buy.

The estate agent will want to confirm that you are serious buyers (ie you actually have the money to buy it) so you would normally need to show that you have a financial capacity to get a mortgage for that amount.

They do not have a right to show buyers around without your consent. It might be for sale to btl landlords with you as sitting tenants. Ask if they would be interested on selling to you instead, make an offer.

You need to talk to landlord and estate agent.

How can we get the potential buyer to pull out?

Don't try this. Don't even think about it. That's not the way to do it.

Speak to the landlord or the letting agent that you usually deal with about the rent and property matters. Make sure they know you're interested in buying the property. Speak to them today.

So, is it already under offer? Have you spoken to the landlord/estate agent? If not that's the first thing to do presumably, get the lie of the land then make an offer? If you will need a mortgage you'll need to sort out a mortgage in principle and I'd do that asap.

Tell the Agent or whoever your contact is that you would like to buy it for £x.
Get a mortgage asap if needed
Stop allowing viewings - you can do this anyway

As others have said they aren't allowed to show people round without your consent.

Weird that you weren't given first refusal as you've been there so long

Have you actually asked the landlord? I would go to them direct rather than through the estate agent.

Assuming you have the finances in place then I can only see advantages to them in letting you buy it - no need to potentially go through eviction procedures for a start. They could even get out of paying estate agent fees if they wait out the notice period before selling to you.

Thank you for your level headed replies. Yes I think we'd have to make an offer, a bit gutted because now there's interest in the flat we'd have to offer more!

Why would we need to speak to estate agent? Surely we'd just make a private offer to the landlord (who are a property investment fund)

The flat isn't officially on any property platform that I know of.

Speak speak speak!! Ring the landlord and tell him.

Hi Landord, it’s Sarah from the Station Road flat. I had no idea you were thinking of selling, I wish you would have said, we’d love to buy it and are financially in a position to. I’ll tell you what, if you take it off the market today, we’ll offer you 5k under the asking price. Selling to us will save you from paying an agent. It will also mean you don’t have to clean it, clear it and do all the usual stuff that comes with selling a flat. We love it here, we’ve looked after it and would love it to be ours. What do think?

Obviously if you’re desperate go in with the asking price. It will make his life so much easier selling to you.

DEFINITELY don’t speak to the agent. Once you have made contact with them the agent will say to landlord that ‘they’ found a buyer. If the agent has never spoken to you the landlord can probably get away with not paying agents fees. Selling to you would be FREE!

In theory, you are an appealing buyer to the landlord as you are already in the property and therefore they don't have to go through the eviction process, and you are very unlikely to pull out because you are already settled. Get in touch today!

what is first refusal please?

We haven't had any viewings yet. The request to view came out of the blue this morning.

How do I stop viewings? Do we just say that we want to buy it and have the mortgage xyz and that we won't let anyone view it?

Yes I’ve had two flat and always offered the current tenants first refusal.

Just bear in mind that if you have a contract with an estate agent for renting they may count that as their sale for commission.
Ours tried to claim that when we bought even though they weren't managing our contract by then.

If the landlord has already got an offer then you may need to offer above the other offer, which could be more than asking price.

What do you mean "interest in the flat"? That it's had viewings, or it is under offer? Stop allowing viewings, speak to the landlord, get a MIP sorted. You won't necessarily have to outbid anyone or pay over the odds, an "easy" buyer like you will be worth a decent amount. Move fast, and good luck!

Just talk to the estate agent. Particularly if the LL is an investment company- its going to be the agent who knows who the contact person dealing with it will be.

You don't have to necessarily offer more. Call your landlord, ask what's going on and let them know you're interested. Strangers on the internet won't be able to help much!

First refusal is just as it sounds, you'd be given the chance to accept or refuse first.

You don’t have to allow anyone into the property.

So say that you are unable to agree their request.

then separately express an interest in buying.

You tell them that unfortunately its not possible for them to view and as you have a right to "quite enjoyment of your property" by law you do not give permission for viewings. They might try and say they can with 24/48 hours notice but thats not actually true

Tenants have the right of quiet enjoyment | LandlordBuyer (landlordbuyers.com)

I'd be careful not to be too obstructive and piss anyone off if you are hoping to buy this at a good price... But surely this viewing isn't today, you can talk to the landlord in the meantime and try and sort it out. Be "busy" and push back any other viewing requests which come before it's sorted.

So you have been contacted by LL asking if someone can view your flat with a view to it being sold?
maybe this is a useful article. It’s from the LL perspective but gives you a sense to start from.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/guides/seller/other-things-to-consider/selling-a-tenanted-buy-to-let-property/
Id be contacting the LL. Asking what the asking price is and expressing possible interest.
You don’t have to allow potential buyers in immediately. This gives you some breathing space.