AIBU to end a tenancy so my niece can live there?

[SunnyDaysAndCoolNights]

We have a house that we rent out to a family with 2 children who have been in the house for about 7 years. The house is in the same city that our niece is at university in.

Just after Xmas, my niece asked us if she could live in the house for her second and third year at uni, (possibly longer) as the houses she had looked at weren’t very nice and she can’t stay in halls.

After speaking to my husband, we decided to say yes and we gave our tenants a section 21 notice in February. Our tenants were/are not happy and have been advised to stay in the house by the council. We thought that may happen which is why we served the notice in February despite my niece not needing the house until September. We were also aware of the new rules coming in soon which would make it harder to end a tenancy.

Since finding out that we have ended the tenancy for our current tenants, my brother and his wife (not nieces parents) have told us that we are ‘typical arsehole landlords’ for ‘kicking out a family’. They think our niece, also their niece is selfish for asking, that she could have found somewhere herself and that we should have put our tenants first as they have been our tenants for quite a long time and they have children. My brother and his wife rent with their children, so obviously that may play a part in their feelings on this. I feel upset they would say these things as I think it’s normal to put your own family first. My other brother and his wife who are parents of my niece are very annoyed at our other brother and his wife.

Would you have done the same as we have or would you have put the tenants first and said no to your niece? I do have sympathy for my tenants, they’re a nice family and have been good tenants, but obviously we love our niece and to us, she comes first.

No, I agree she may not be eligible. I would still think her family might do better to help her find a low maintenance/upkeep studio flat than a family house though. Much easier to live in as a single young person.

Op, Initially I thought you'd been harsh and made wrong move. But having read all your posts, considering that you want to sell up soon ish anyway and considering that your niece had no real alternative and may have quit her course, I can see why you've done what you've done.

I think it’s a bad idea as well as immoral. If you’re happy to subsidise your niece to the tune of a few hundred pounds a month off rent, you might as well just give that to her for better accommodation options. Most people wouldn’t do that for a niece, but it’s the same as renting your house at a lower rate and better for her than renting a family house on her own.

Autistic or not your niece seems very entitled in that she expected you to give notice to a family who have lived there for 7 years.

Your niece doesn't need a full family house, for a small period each year for a couple of years at uni.

It was pathetic to push a family out, and it wasnt some emergency "family comes first" situation like you are pretending it was.

But you can do what you want, just don't act like the judgement isn't reasonable.

So, if local authorities build more homes and the need for private housing is diminished, what will happen to those properties? If there was a plentiful supply of social housing so private rents weren't required, what would landlords do? Because they would complain then, wouldn't they?

Oh, I see the niece has her own Mumsnet username. 😆

lol. The meanest thing you’ve ever read on mumsnet is someone helping her niece out. You haven’t read much here have you. 😂😂😂

Haven’t the laws changed recently for tenants to try and prevent this kind of situation. Ie landlords making people move without a strong reason? I would worry if the council cannot house them yet they will be advised to stay put and wait for court orders etc which could effect your niece moving in.

Im perfectly happy with the accommodation I live in. Not in a private let.

Next week I believe

She's going to be charging the family minimal rent. That's no longer a business. She's subsidizing her niece's rental.

Will your niece be doing any upkeep like mowing?

I do think serving them notice was mean. Your niece would have found something else.

That poor family will likely end up in homeless families accommodation. Which could be a hotel anywhere the council sees fit. So not near the children's schools parents work. Furniture will have to go in storage. It realy is cruel of you

@Flyingkitez the OP is starting the process now so they don’t get caught by the new rules which would give more protection to the tenants. How convenient

"It’s decent of you to give tenants notice."

'Decency' has got nothing to do with it - it's a legal requirement.

So silver lining! The government will get some capital gains tax out of you at least.

No amount of council house building is going to make up for the amount sold off during the Thatcher years. In my area some people are waiting 15 years plus for an offer of council housing

So on the one hand people want landlords to be more business like and professional (hence the apparent desire for more big businesses to take over landlordism rather than the local singular landlord), but on the other hand when a landlord makes a dispassionate decision they should be acting emotionally all of a sudden?

Also on any other thread people would be criticising most of these posters for being 'abelist' about the niece.

There is a lot of virtue signalling here.

OP, you are helping your autistic niece and I would 100% do the same in your position. Family comes first so good for you. I hope the family get sorted with a new house.

OP, I have an almost identical situation, except it's my dd - who is medicated due to the severity of her ADHD.

The property is a mere 2 metro stops from the doorstep of her university. However, here is a family with a primary aged dc living there for 3 years now. Not that my dd would be so uncaring and entitled to ask, but I would never evict a family for my dc to have an easier life - in this context.

Firstly, she doesn't need 130 sqm. Secondly, I don't want to facilitate this level of living for a student, but mostly, I could not in good conscience, evict the lovely tenants in my property.

Your niece is spectacularly self-centred. Where are her parents in all this?

This isn't a case of family coming first because you could and should have explored other, more suitable options. A university student living alone in a family sized home is absurd. What you have done is your legal right but it's is morally wrong and unbelievably callous.

Rules change next month which is why the OP served notice some time ago.

So, what would your niece have done if she didn’t have your house to fall back on?

And misogynistic re: language used about the niece

I think you are more callous that you would put others before your own daughter.