Landlord won't sell. Another second home in our dying village

[AppelationStation]

DH, DS and I have rented our current home for 6 years. We moved here, back to where he grew up, and weren't in a position to buy. We've saved hard and now we are.

We love this house. It's small, and in many ways impractical, but we adore the bones of it. It's seen us through some really rough times and been our sanctuary. We've cared for it, at our own expenses, and done loads of work to make the garden something special. Our landlord has said themselves "It's much nicer now than it was when I lived here!".

We love where it is, which is quite a unique rural setting with amazing landscapes and near the sea. We've made friends in the village, my son goes to the local primary and I'm a governor thereWeHouses aren't for sale here often. We know the local walks inside out, which wild flowers grow in which hedgerows, which birds come back to nest in which trees. It just feels like our forever home. Which of course it isn't, because we rent it.

Our landlord left the house herself to marry a farmer who lives an hour away. She won't move back. Since we've lived here the law on EPC ratings has changed so she can't legally let it out again. There is a 300% council tax penalty on second homes, because they're such a problem here (massive housing crisis, no houses for young families to buy, so local schools and shops closing all over the place). We thought, for those reasons, they'd be interested in selling to a sitting tenant.

We asked them recently. They came round this weekend, in person, to tell us No. They won't sell it. They know they can't rent it, and that they'll have to pay the second home tax. They're not sure what they want to do with it, but they don't want to sell and that's that.

I know, of course, that they're under no obligation to sell their house. They don't owe us anything. But I'm finding it really hard to accept that we have to leave, or face paying rent for the rest of our lives and have nothing to show for it. And I'm finding it doubly galling that, having paid them over 50k in rent and added value to their house by taking such good care of it (more fool us), they're going to leave it empty, let the garden go to ruin, just to keep it as an asset on their balance sheet.

I genuinely think I'd feel better if I knew another family or person was going to live here and love it. Instead the village will have another empty / second home. I can't imaging ever finding somewhere like it (it's very secluded, stone built, old, and just feels "right"), which means anything we do buy is going to be a reluctant compromise.

I know I probably sound a bit wet and daft. I can't make them sell. It's made me feel surprisingly, profoundly sad, and I just don't know how to move past that feeling.

The problem is the rules changing stopping them renting it out again. Or another family could have benefited from what you did: a way to live somewhere you wanted to live.

No, I'm not a landlord. But I had to work all over the country. I'd have been totally fucked if there was no private rental sector.

Well you can't force them to sell to you, so your best bet is to accept that you can't get your own way and start house hunting. Your other thoughts and feelings are frankly of no consequence.

Can you get a buy to let so you have an asset and a foot on the ladder and continue to stay where you are?

I know it’s too late, but I wonder why houses and ownership isn’t like a buffet- everyone should have firsts before anyone gets seconds. But that’s too socialist for most. In my area loads of “developers “ are building houses that aren’t needed because driving down the street exposes how many houses are to let and sell , but remain unoccupied.

Then where would people live who had to move to follow jobs, and couldn't buy a different house every year? I'd have had nowhere to live without the private rental sector. Leaving them empty is unreasonable, but it sounds like this landlord doesn't want to leave it empty, they want to rent it out. And haven't copped out to Air BnB. Which is needed. We've lost vital staff because they couldn't find a private rental.

YANBU however it doesn’t sound like a good investment for you and Joe does it sound like a good place to raise a family. It may be beautiful but if shops and schools are closing all over the place is it really a good place to set up long term with young children? Think of the teen years.

They could rent it out again if they invested a bit in the energy use of the house and got the EPC up. They don't want to. They can afford to have it sit empty, and would rather do that.

I've briefly thought of a buy to let, but that doesn't solve the problem. We want to put roots down and make a home thats ours and special. We've been silly by putting a lot of work into doing that here (the landlord had previously told us they'd consider selling to us down the line). All we've done is I crease the value of someone else's house.

It must be very disappointing but I think you are being unreasonable to say she is keeping it purely as an asset on her balance sheet - it isn’t economically sensible for her to be keeping it so the reality is more likely that she is emotionally attached to it and doesn’t want to let it go. I suspect you may find that once it has sat empty for a year she puts it up for sale, because the reality of the financial drain will outweigh her emotional attachment.

In reality of course, it’s always a big risk to put your own money into improving somebody else’s house. It’s a risk you knowingly take.

The whole EPC thing is daft of course, why should landlords be held to a higher standard on that specific point than house owners. There should absolutely be minimum standards about the safety etc of a home but the EPC scheme isn’t the way to do it.

Wishing you the best of luck finding somewhere you like as it must be super frustrating.

The EPC rules are that if it’s going to cost more than £3500 they don’t have to do it.
Unless there changed yet again?

so your best bet is to accept that you can't get your own way

Hopefully you meant well and your choice of words that sound like you’re enjoying the OPs frustration and sadness was inadvertent.

You're spot on (abut lots of things). I suspect it'll be up for sale within 2 years. By which time we'll have incurred moving costs and DH will have had to change schools.

Because landlords are letting to people who most likely won't have the first clue about electrics and they have a responsibility to their tenants. Homeowners have a responsibility to themselves.

I'm sorry OP and don't think you're being unreasonable. The owner only has one bum and I suspect they may change their minds about selling.

Nobody needs a second home. I'm glad they're finally being cut down on - and holiday lets. Hopefully this will improve the rental market for tenants and stop bloody crap houses being built all over the place.

We don't know the state of her marriage, it's possible that she doesn't want to end up in a scenario where she gets divorced and doesn't have the house/protected pre marital asset to fall back to/on

It might well be an economically sensible decision not an emotional decision for the landlord to hold onto it just now. If as the OP says they are farmers then with the new APR and BPR changes and the shitshow the government dumped on farmers last week then having a disposable asset on the books is probably a wise move.

She might have the same connection with the house, adoring its location, build, age. Maybe they will use it for a family member?

Exactly.

The idea that individuals can’t own more than one residential property is absolutely absurd.

People have a right to secure their future as they see fit.

Talk about entitled.

My 2p having seen friends become accidental landlords… it’s catch 22 which is often hidden as a ‘second home’
People- especially women may want to keep ‘their’ home/ even if they’ve moved in with a partner - it was her home first, and relationships change. It means she can keep safety/ investment in her name.

if they sell they will get hit on huge capital gains - the irony of sometimes not then being able to afford to sell because of the bill gained

costs - this is a ridiculous kicker - and the main issue - it’s now almost impossible to break even as a landlord in some parts of the country so it’s better financially to either leave void - this should never be the answer!! I think there should be a space for landlords with 1-2 properties to be different to those with 20 - it’s a hugely different model!

finally - house costs even as not a second home don’t become affordable - I’m from a desirable area- I chose to live away because careers were limited. I couldn’t have a lifestyle I wanted if I stayed. Unless all houses were £100k or below min wage roles don’t afford to buy them. homes which were 3 bed semi were always 300k+ then.. so second homes stopping didn’t crash prices to that level…

This was my thought exactly. Specifically because it was hers before marriage and she had previously lived in it.

Maybe she's bluffing. In this moment, she would rather rent to you than sell to you. Good tenants who seem to want to stay long term are worth their weight in gold. When you actually leave, maybe she will put it on the market.

Unfortunately the only way to find out would be to call her bluff by giving notice. I'm not sure that's a good idea.

It’s their asset to do with as they please - none of which is your concern.

With respect, you need to come to terms with that, and emotionally check out and move on.

We are in a similar position at the moment (where we are the Owners/LL’s).

I would start stripping out the bits and pieces I’ve put into it and which have improved it.
Your landlord has misled you in promising to sell in the future so you owe them no loyalty.
Take plants out of the garden and put them into pots to take with you given they’ll unlikely survive if it’s left empty.
Just take all the love you put into it out and leave anything you don’t really want.
Also put notes thru each village door asking if anyone is looking to sell. Put the word out you are looking because you may fall lucky.

Given they’re farmers they will be looking at it as an asset to use for payment of the IHT this dickhead government is levying on them.

When small farms are broken up to pay this tax, the country will have even less food security.

The problem is that you fell in love with a house that isn't yours. Are there any others in the village that are up for sale? I think keep your eye out for something suitable then move on. You can control what she does, so best to walk away.

Whilst it is a shame that the landlord doesn’t want to sell it to you, you are currently renting it with no end date in sight. This gives you the opportunity to sit tight, register with estate agents (letting them know that you are local already, first time buyers with no chain and keen to move as soon as something suitable pops up). An agent could call you as soon as they get a new property - before it goes on rightmove etc.

One door shuts and another opens! You’ve saved hard and are in a position now to buy so not all is lost.
Really do put the word out in the village that you’re looking. They will likely be keen to help a young family stay.