Surely I’m not expected legally to have this tenant in my property forevermore??

[Saywhetw]

Tenant been in property since 2017. I need to sell. Solicitor telling me we can’t used section 21 as I didn’t provide the right information at the time of the tenancy and also didn’t carry out electrical report or gas safety checks. This was oversight on our part. We can’t seem to use section 8 as tenant paid rent and isn’t a nuisance or anything but she literally won’t move even though we’ve asked repeatedly she just says she hadn’t got anywhere to go. It doesn’t seem right there’s no way out of this?? Solicitor said best they can do is write a letter asking her to vacate. I will get a second opinion tomorrow but really panicking now

Only read some of the thread but laughing at the idea that electrical and gas certificates for rentals are "essential for the tenant's safety".

I lived in a flat that had gleaming reports... and exposed wiring coming out the walls, appliances just wired into the mains directly with no plugs, mains wasn't even properly grounded. And yet it passed the "checks" with no issues. I literally did feel unsafe and moved out as soon as I could find alternative accommodation. Turned out the reports were done by a friendly tradesman to the real estate company...

Tenant has been in place happily since 2017 and doesn't want to move now so this business of the checks is just a paperwork exercise. Of course OP is in trouble now for not dotting the i's and crossing the t's but I don't quite get all the "omg SAFETY" cries. Perhaps my experience has made me cynical.

Is that true? I know people who rent out flats e.g. in Paris, just because they have them but are not using them. Surely this is a thing everywhere?

Speak to an eviction specialist- mark Dawson at AST Assistance is highly recommended in property circles. There will be a way. Don’t continue with your current solicitor. Get all the paperwork up to date for a start. Or as others have said sell with tenant in situ. You’ll not get full market value but there will be LL’s out there that will for a discount.

@puppymaddnessHow will you get it back when you want it though in the uk? It will take forever!