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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To accept a huge loss on my house

295 replies

CurlyHairMare1 · 29/10/2025 18:33

I live in a semi detached house in a quiet cul de sac. I’ve spent a lot of money doing it up and making it lovely. Early this year my neighbours (the ones I’m attached to) sold their house incredibly cheaply as it needed an awful lot of work doing to it.

A man bought it to do up and rent out, I understood he had a property business so assumed he’d be the landlord.

Fast forward to now and he’s actually turned it in to an HMO. He has a number of them across the city.

I put my house on the market in Spring and I just can not sell it due to the HMO. I’ve had a number of offers accepted and they have all pulled out when they have found out what I’m attached to so I’m now declaring it up front.

Would I be unreasonable to sell my house for way under asking price just so I can get rid of it? The estate agent has suggested it would need to go for nearly 100k less to even get any kind of interest.

I’m exhausted with the whole situation.

OP posts:
Original poster
CurlyHairMare1 · 29/10/2025 19:39

MID50s · 29/10/2025 19:37

Do they not have to put a planning notice up for this and then people can object if they want?

Show quote history

Yes they’re supposed to have planning permission but this council seems to be approving HMO licences without it

OP posts:
MID50s · 29/10/2025 19:43

CurlyHairMare1 · 29/10/2025 19:39

Yes they’re supposed to have planning permission but this council seems to be approving HMO licences without it

Show quote history

That’s not good.
maybe you could speak with your local councillor and see what they have to see about it.
what about renting, Maybe to students? Would that be an option for you? You could use sn agent so you dont have all the crap that comes with it, it can bring in decent money!!

NamechangeRugby · 29/10/2025 19:50

I would be challenging the council for not enforcing pp. That is not fair. Surely it isn't legal? It is a change of use. You are suffering a quantifiable loss because of it, plus distress.

HappyNewTaxYear · 29/10/2025 19:51

3luckystars · 29/10/2025 18:52

What’s a HMO?

Google?

RaininSummer · 29/10/2025 19:52

So sorry this has happened to you. We had an HMO next door but one and they caused so much trouble with fights, rowdiness, police , late night noise, drinking in street, sitting on cars . It was bloody awful.

MaDugsAFud · 29/10/2025 19:55

I lived next to one which was full of shitey bratty students. Got it closed down. THEN put my own house
on the market immediately.

Phobiaphobic · 29/10/2025 19:56

UncertainPerson · 29/10/2025 18:39

What’s actually happening with the HMO that’s making you not want to live there?

What's actually happening in HMOs that is making estate agents devalue to the tune of 100k? Why would the occasional Racist TM (which you clearly think includes the OP) put so many people off buying next to an HMO?

Lovingbooks · 29/10/2025 19:59

Although you said on bin days If they are stacking lots of rubbish in the street you can report to council if rubbish is left about, same with unsocial noise. Are you sure it’s a legal HMO I wouldn’t be so sure due to the size of your house. If people are continually smoking don’t they have jobs? You could sell at an auction as less likely people would pull out of a sale.

Original poster
CurlyHairMare1 · 29/10/2025 20:00

Lovingbooks · 29/10/2025 19:59

Although you said on bin days If they are stacking lots of rubbish in the street you can report to council if rubbish is left about, same with unsocial noise. Are you sure it’s a legal HMO I wouldn’t be so sure due to the size of your house. If people are continually smoking don’t they have jobs? You could sell at an auction as less likely people would pull out of a sale.

Edited

It definitely has a licence.

I don’t know for definite but there isn’t much coming and going next door as if the occupants have jobs.

OP posts:
Lovingbooks · 29/10/2025 20:04

Have you checked with a second estate agent regarding a sale price. 100k reduction seems huge.

MidnightMusing5 · 29/10/2025 20:05

I would do what someone suggested upthread and ask him if he wants to buy it off you , or even auction as first instance.

edited

Doobedobe · 29/10/2025 20:09

Oh thats so shit. My friend faught the HMO that was being planned next to her house and won and got a ban for the whole area too.
Its really shit. Can you try reducing in stages. 100k seems like a big hit in one go.

Lovingbooks · 29/10/2025 20:09

Bit Mis Marple but have you counted how many people are outside property going in out regularly. HMO will have a rule of how many tenants the landlord is allowed on the size of the property. If there is overcrowding the council can enforce.

Bagsintheboot · 29/10/2025 20:11

Lovingbooks · 29/10/2025 20:04

Have you checked with a second estate agent regarding a sale price. 100k reduction seems huge.

Depends on how much OP bought it for and when, and how much the current asking price is now I suppose!

Greyhound98 · 29/10/2025 20:12

If the HMO has over a certain amount of occupants they need planning permission.
have you contacted the local council to ensure he has all the correct permissions?

I wouldn’t want to live next door to an HMO either, especially one full of men, who are likely fresh out of prison, or drug/alcohol abusers, or newly arrived asylum seekers.
These properties are appealing to Landlords as they can charge around £400 a week in housing benefit which is covered by the local authority. In order to meet criteria as a supported accommodation they have to adhere to certain conditions ie a minimum amount of ‘support’ offered to the tenants and they are not within a certain distance of another HMO.
I would be making a nuisance of myself at the local council and reporting every instance of anything antisocial.
If you can’t be bothered with that, approach the landlord to see if he wants yours too.

Doobedobe · 29/10/2025 20:13

Phobiaphobic · 29/10/2025 19:56

What's actually happening in HMOs that is making estate agents devalue to the tune of 100k? Why would the occasional Racist TM (which you clearly think includes the OP) put so many people off buying next to an HMO?

Show quote history

The ones in my area, they were being used to house the following types of people

  • people newly out of jail, reasons for jail time unknown
  • people newly out of rehab programs
  • single males without jobs

Fine these people don't have places to live, but would you want 6 to 8 people in the above catagories living next to your young family? When your kids are playing in the garden, or playing outside the front with friends.

SingingOcean · 29/10/2025 20:13

I admire people's faith in the council and legislation for controlling this kind of thing. The ones in our neighbourhood flaunt all of the rules and the impact on the area is shocking.

amber763 · 29/10/2025 20:13

themerchentofvenus · 29/10/2025 18:46

But what is actually wrong with the HMO? Noisy? Too many cars? I assume he got the correct council permission?

Show quote history

Oh come on. Its shite. I live in a ground floor flat thankfully with my own back and front door. There are 9 flats total in the 3 floors above and 3 have been turned into hmos. Groups of loud men congregating outside in the back court until all hours. (thank god the colder nights are coming in), the whole place just stinking of weed constantly. So many bad experiences some of which honestly would just sound made up if i wrote about them here. I can't afford to move but if i wanted to, i dont think i dont think I'd be able to sell. I dont know what the solution is for the people living there, but honestly i wish it wasnt living next to me. This is my experience. I think you may need to take the loss.

Phobiaphobic · 29/10/2025 20:15

Doobedobe · 29/10/2025 20:13

The ones in my area, they were being used to house the following types of people

  • people newly out of jail, reasons for jail time unknown
  • people newly out of rehab programs
  • single males without jobs

Fine these people don't have places to live, but would you want 6 to 8 people in the above catagories living next to your young family? When your kids are playing in the garden, or playing outside the front with friends.

Show quote history

No, I absolutely wouldn't want any of that. In truth, no one would. I really feel for OP.

momtoboys · 29/10/2025 20:16

Createausername1970 · 29/10/2025 18:53

House of Multi-Occupancy.
Bed-sits effectively. Self contained rooms with ensuites, maybe some communal living.

I wouldn't want to live next to one either. I'm so sorry.

FettleOfKish · 29/10/2025 20:18

I feel for you OP. We’re desperately trying to sell our 1 bedroom flat now we have a toddler but the world feels against us. Just as we were preparing to sell when I was pregnant storm ciaran took the roof off the building resulting in us having to move out for a year while the flat was totally gutted and refurbished. We moved back in last December and listed again in May, right after our management agency published a 20 year maintenance plan that has to be shared with potential buyers, and work is about start on building a hospital next door (there always was a hospital building next door but now it’s been demolished and we face a several year build). I’m beginning to think that just to get the space we desperately need we’ll have to sell cheap enough to mean we can’t afford to buy again ourselves 😕 It just feels so unfair.

In your case, have you thought of offering yours to the same landlord that owns next door??

JamesClyman · 29/10/2025 20:19

Sohelpmegod25 · 29/10/2025 18:35

How about contacting the owner of the HMO next door and asking if he would be interested in yours?
private sale, no fees and he may well be a cash buyer
this could be a plan?

We did that with my late father's flat after he died. Offered it to a guy who owned 3 other flats in the block. Worked like a charm. The guy was only too pleased to get it and what we "lost" on the price we "made" on no EA fees.

EmeraldRoulette · 29/10/2025 20:20

Oh, I really feel for you

If the HMO was granted without the council doing proper procedures, could the LGIU help? Probably not because they're all in cahoots but just thought it was worth mentioning.

Otherwise, yeah, just to see if he wants to buy another one

I hate what's being done to this country.

VivaDixie · 29/10/2025 20:20

I took a massive hit on my flat after a drug using/dealing family moved in upstairs. I bought the flat for £28k and sold it for £18k. This was in 1999 hence the price - but my point is i took a hit of a third of my mortgage, thank god I had an inheritance - which was a huge amount of money to me and could have changed my life in other ways but worth every penny for my mental health. (Actually it did change my life for the better)

If you can afford it just do it. You won't regret it.

lifeonmars100 · 29/10/2025 20:20

Wowsersbrowsers · 29/10/2025 19:21

Is it all done legally? Some areas need licenses and whatnot. Might solve the problem.

I wouldn't hold out much hope about that. The house next door to me is an unoffiacal HMO, it is a two up two down terrace with a floating population of around 10 adults. This is a selective licensing area and they are toothless, I have reported this house numerous times, it is overcrowded and in a poor state of repair, the very things that selective licensing schemes are meant to stop. They do nothing, despite assuring me that they are aware of the issues and will be taking action! This was over 2 years ago! Like the OP, my house has decreased in value due to having this property next door to me and the only buyer I would get would be an exploitative BTL landlord,