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.

I agree. I'm aware of a case where the tenants had been renting for around five years. The house had originally been let through a lettings agency who did regular six month inspections etc and kept on top of the paperwork.

The house was then sold to a different landlord who sacked the lettings agency and did everything himself.

The deposit was transferred to the new landlord but it wasn't protected. The electrical certificate was out of date as was the gas safety certificate.

I noticed that even the EPC certificate was out of date (and that lasts for ten years). Even then, it was an E rating (only just, it was just above an F), so god knows how much it would cost to get it up to the 2030 standard (it was a Victorian end terrace).

I've actually changed my opinion having read the OP's update. Offering them a larger and better house at no extra cost seems pretty reasonable.

@MyNameIsClementine I am in the same position as you will be at the moment: I am working abroad, letting my property out for the duration, having made it clear beforehand to my EA and the tenant involved, that I would be back by a set date. The conditions of the tenancy were formulated with that information in mind - a set period of twelve months, rolling contract thereafter.

The EA got in touch with me recently about the new Section 8 regulations, I studied the Renters Rights bill carefully, and it is down in black and white that the landlord can perfectly well issue a Section 8 on the grounds of moving back into, or selling their property, provided four months notice is given: it would be outrageous if they couldn't.

Every renter's situation is different, and not all renters want something long--term: my own tenant and partner are happily living in my place, paying a very reasonable rent for the time being, while saving for a deposit on their own home. Unless you feel that the four months' notice required now really is not tenable, it just seems to be a question of matching the prospective tenant and their needs carefully to the property and its T&Cs.

I guess your brother is aware that you have chosen to subsidise your niece ( as you not charging her the rent you got from your tenant) whilst he and his family are not seeing any financial support going their way. So showing favour one part of your family. Yes it is your right but they would not necessarily appreciate that,

Some people have been harsh on here, and there is some anger towards you, but you can't POSSIBLY think @SunnyDaysAndCoolNights that what you're doing is OK.

You asked 'AIBU to get rid of my perfectly good tenants after 7 years so my niece can have the house for 2 years while she's at Uni?' and almost everyone has said 'yes YABU, this is not a nice thing to do, and it's deeply unfair on the tenants.'

Yet all you have done is disagree with everyone and insist that what you're doing is fine, and then double down over and over, refusing to accept you're wrong.

I am confused as to why you have come on here and asked everyone if YABU? You clearly think you're not in the wrong.

What has this got to do with this thread?

I don’t usually comment on these types of posts but I’m slightly puzzled at all the flack you seem to be getting here (and also why you posted here in the first place- I think the amount of YABU would have been expected!)

However: It’s your house and therefore your business to do what you want with. Help your niece. Keep the family and don’t help your niece. It’s you that needs to be comfortable with your decision and you are not responsible for the house of either the family or your niece. You won’t be the first landlord to evict, as awful as it is. Just like chains collapse for people buying all the time. Still confused as to why you posted here but don’t think you deserve the abuse that seems to have come you way.

I'm autistic, I had plenty of parties and friends over when I was at uni.

You have been awful landlords and very short-sighted. I absolutely would not have done what you have done.

No landlord is obliged to do that though, a family sitting in a cheap rental for 7 years should have saved some money for their next potential move, and if you can be bothered it is always worthwhile keeping an eye on the local rental market and maybe making contact with other landlords (Those with large portfolios are best as they tend to know what they are doing and might have more frequent availability, avoid "accidental landlords" like the plague they tend to be clueless on various levels)

I didn’t mention it because they are having none of it and saying it isn’t an option for them.

It’s because they’re providing a commodity which is something that is a fundamental human condition for a decent life: food, water, housing.

Sure, it’s a business deal for them, and they charge money and make money out of it, fine. But - for me, and clearly others - when you’re providing a key human right then the human beings you’re dealing with become a factor. If you forget real people are involved, want to make the most money possible then you get…Grenfell etc. This is why people are so upset, because once you start treating the fundamentals of human existence purely as a financial business with no consideration of the humans involved you do not, imo, end up with a great society.

Some of these replies show very heightened reactions so I think there are a few very stressed tenants commmenting on something that feels very close to home. I’ve been both a tenant that was no-fault evicted and a landlord that has used the section 21 when selling my home, so I can see both sides. It’s horrible and stressful when your house is pulled out from under you, and I think the rental market is very tough right now. However, being a landlord isn’t an unending responsibility, and people’s circumstances (and thus capacity to continue letting) change. I think you have a valid reason and it sounds like it has just brought the inevitable eviction decision forward (as you were planning on selling soon anyway). It is really a failure of governmental policy that so many landlords have recently left the market en masse, and that the rental market is now so tenuous. It is not your personal fault or responsibility! Your brother probably feels aggrieved because it highlights the fragility of his situation. Two things can be true - that the system is unfair, but that also you can choose what to do with your house that you own.

Great. My nieces autism means she hates noise, loud music, crowds etc so that isn’t for her.

Surprise, surprise! Why wasn't that mentioned earlier? 🙄

Have you mentioned all that to Tesco and Thames Water?

She has given a good amount of notice.

What a horrible thing to do, you have good, reliable tenants who never give you cause to worry so what do you do? you use a cruel piece of legislation to get rid of them so you can help your niece. When all is said and done she can find a house share somewhere, it is part of the student experience after all. Search your conscience and try to put yourself in the place of the family you want to evict

It is your property. It is completely up to you with what you do with it.

But if people had known there was an option for the the tenants their comments might have been more sympathetic.

They are being completely unrealistic, in that case, and your original post is unnecessary as you implied you were making them homeless. You are not. They are being ridiculous. Does the council know about the alternative you are offering?

Yes I did thanks for asking. I was priority for a house and got offered a council house (my flat was worth less than 27k and I wasn't in a position to buy anything else at that point in time, one reason being even if I could have afforded to the money for the sale didn't come through after I had physically moved). There were around 800 of us in a similar position - mostly council tenants but a few owners and many more across the area as a whole.

Yes, I would question whether the OP is actually suited to running a landlord "business" though, but posters seem to have missed that update and continue to call the OP a nasty landlord etc. Not being nosey OP but can we assume you are well off or have other income from stocks or another business etc.?

meh, OP. I hope each side of your pillow is always hot and that your sleeves slip down when you're washing your hands.

I hope your not-at-all-at-fault tenants find somewhere to live and that you and your niece have a few sleepless nights after chucking a blameless family out of their home.

My sibling has Aspergers and absolutely would not have parties, trash the place, would love living in a house and keeping it clean and tidy, dealing with an electric cut or having to unblock a toilet wouldnt bother them a jot.

On the one hand people are painting this girl as if she is completely inept and cant spend one minute on her own without getting cuckood or overwhelmed by the oven breaking and the next minute she is living it up, trashing the place and could easily find some where else by herself or take a gap year anyway

Government has taken action over pricing in the past, and there are countless relevant regulations over food and retail in general.

Water companies regardless if what you think and how much it definitely needs to get better, are heavily and extensively regulated. They literally cant increase prices without permission.

Not that whataboutism has any value anyway.