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.

Sorry to hear that. Did you get rehoused ok?

If a) (as you say) money is not an issue
and
b) your niece is completely unable to live with anyone else or to find a place to live on her own

then I would have used some of the rent from your longstanding and reliable tenants to help fund a small flat for her, rather than kick a family out onto the street so she could live in a house.

I do also think it would be beneficial for your niece to learn how she is going to live in the future (you say you plan to sell). Part of uni is about understanding budgeting and relationships with others - you removing her need to do that does not help in the long run unless you have the finances to support her into her old age.

IMO you have handled this very badly and with little financial sense for any of the three parties involved: you, tenants, niece. And certainly no compassion for the latter two.

I’m not surprised your brother is appalled.

You don’t have to be “on the streets” to be homeless. You’re still classed as homeless if you’re placed in temporary accommodation.

But you couldn't have done this to avoid kicking out a family who've done nothing wrong. It's an absolute shit move and you need to hope karma doesn't exist.

Yes I know that. But it’s a technicality isn’t it. Homeless and living in the streets is one thing, while being put up in temporary accounts, waiting for a council house, is quite another.

As I worked as a homeless officer for 25 years, I'm fully aware of the legislation, the terms that are used and the legal situation in respect of the eviction process.

All these mumsnetters that are telling me I’m awful, yet mumsnet have had to post a warning about what many of them have posted.

Lots of what has been written here and messaged to me has wished bad things happening to me, others have called me and my niece horrible names and some have made up entire scenarios to suit their agenda.

Maybe some posters should question their own morality in doing this, instead of disagreeing with me in a respectful way.

I am a real person who has always been a good landlord but I love my family and want to support my niece. If you think that justifies calling me names and wishing bad things on me, then you’re not as nice as you think you are.

Thanks to those who have answered respectfully, whether you agreed or not. We are still trying to work with out tenants to find a solution.

That was a horrible thing to do.

Good tenants are worth their weight in gold.

You're on thread after thread after thread claiming that there is an over supply of rental properties. There just isnt. Service users I work with find it hard to impossible to find rentals.

I dont think OP has done anything wrong but dont pretend this family will just slot into another property

you are infantilising and excusing her.

In some ways it doesn't really matter who was living there - it's still reprehensible behaviour. She knew she was going to make someone homeless by asking to move in, and chances are that a family sized house rather than a small studio flat is fairly likely to have housed a family rather than a single person. If she's smart enough to go to uni she's smart enough to have worked that out.

If you wanted to help her there were other ways you could have done it - let her stay with you on weekends and a night a week so she had a break somewhere 'safe', or even subsidised her rent - with the difference between the reduced rate you've said you would charge her and what you're changing the family you could have helped her find somewhere nice and still made more money overall.

TBH I'm not even sure you are helping her, rather than just pushing the problem 2 years down the road. Firstly you are shielding her by protecting her from any inconvenience rather than helping her build resilience. Secondly, if she can't stand to be in a normal rental now how is she going to manage when she graduates? What incentive does she have to find a good job and move out - even if she gets a decent job she's highly unlikely to be able to afford a family sized house on one wage!

How has she managed the first year of uni? If she's presumably managed in halls (to the extent you even think it's been good for her), which are notoriously loud, dirty etc, why can't she manage in a studio flat, or ask to stay on in halls for her second and third year, given her additional needs, or live in one of those purpose built private student residences that are everywhere?

This PP raises a salient point - OP’s niece’s university should be prioritising her for suitable on-campus accommodation, given her autism (assuming she actually has a diagnosis). It would be a real shame if this option wasn’t explored, given the inconvenience and upheaval that will now be caused to OP’s tenants.

What do you think being evicted means

Yes, that was an absolutely rotten thing to do.

Do people actually send nasty private messages? That’s awful.

Try to follow the conversation please

I don’t think it’s a technicality. Both are quite shitty really aren’t they.
Temp accommodation is usually hostels, bedsits or sometimes a different hotel every night. Would you fancy that? Moving all your stuff into various shitholes just so you have a roof over your head. I wouldn’t.
For a family of 4 who have done nothing wrong except not being the OP’s niece.

We rent, its a chance we take, obviously landlords can have thier house back at any time.
I dont think you have done anything wrong, obviously its an investment for you and you are not going to let the tenants live there forever.

Your niece is going to mess you around, I can see in the ripples in this gin.
Your brother is a wise man.
Oh shit! I've split some down my front.

OP, I'm a landlord, whilst I admire you giving your niece a leg up, I think its both morally dubious and financially bonkers to get rid of long standing tenants who presumably pay full rent for your niece who will pay very little.

Surely she could rent a bedsit as students do and your tenants can stay put.

However, legally, its not an issue, and you have done things in accordance with the law - the family staying put is standard guidance from the council, but also underlines that they have nowhere else to go, so will end up in emergency housing, which can be awful.

This. And the poor children in that family will now have to find potentially new schools, etc. you e massively upturned their life.

Your brother is right that it was a selfish move.

In all honesty, I don’t see posters wishing bad things or name calling OPs in general. Maybe it says something about how very abhorrent people think your behaviour has been. And I know the answer to this is just going to be “I don’t feel bad about putting the needs of my niece first” but maybe if you could see past that, you might understand why all these posters think what you have done is really inexcusable.

Good tenants are rare. Your niece could be a nightmare. Dick move

This family are not "service users" though, that term implies a need for support due to various issues and not all landlords are looking for that type of tenant.

I’m surprised by the responses. I’ve just been issued a section 21 after being a good tenant for nine years. I believe the landlord is moving back into the property. I’m absolutely gutted and can’t find anything else affordable that’s suitable. I’ve just accepted it as one of those things though as the landlord can technically do what he wants with his property. Even after May 1st, he would have been able to ask for the property back as he needs it.

I think in your case, family comes first.

I mean, this is one of the goadiest threads I’ve ever read so I’m not convinced it’s even genuine. Surely nobody is so self centred to just breezily say they’re putting ‘family first’ while making a family homeless at a time when there are no rentals and nobody has any money? A family that have paid their hard earned money to OP for many years?

Sorry I’m not buying it. If OP isn’t a DM journalist or a troll this is awfully depressing. Is this really what we have become?