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 would do the same, my family would come first. I don’t think people are really being honest about what they would do in the same position.

It's actually quite stressful to move house as anyone who has been through the process will tell you - who actually said that these tenants were paying below market rate rent. The niece is going to be. What makes you think the tenants are

Wow I’m really really really genuinely surprised with the majority of other posters.
It’s your property and you’re helping a family member with it. You’ve also given your tenants way more notice that legally required, and they’ve already lived at the property for a while it’s not like you’re asking them to move after a year or two, and not like you’re asking them for no reason or only to increase the price.
I say that at a left-leaning person, mother and someone currently renting the flat I live in!

I guess it’s because it feels so imbalanced. Four people, two of them children, who have lost their home (with all its comfort and security and memories and safety) and now have to scramble for somewhere they can stay, for the benefit of one adult who had other options that just weren’t her preference. Seems like if you can forego the rent from your tenants on one of your many properties you could have helped your niece rent a studio apartment or something instead of making children homeless. No doubt there will be another convenient reason why this wasn’t possible though…

Someone keeps repeating that they're paying under market rate, no idea where that idea came from. People make stuff up from threads.

I think they are though. It’s a family home for a family. This is one person. It would benefit everyone if the OP just gave the rent she’s getting to the niece sp she can get a nice 1 bed flat somewhere. Everyone is happy then. No reason to turf a family out of a property to make it underutilised.

In private rented accommodation. With family. In temporary accommodation or homeless units. Like any other place in the UK where there's not enough council or housing association housing to go around.

Well considering that you conflated "Asylum Seekers" with "Immigration" yes it is a serious question, "Immigration" is down by about two thirds so your local experience of the "asylum" nonsense is unlikely to affect the wider trend of house price falls, less demand and more available rental.

I haven’t read all the replies but I have read all OPs updates.

This is such a vile thing to do. Saying it’s because you put family first just doesn’t wash. It shows a total lack of empathy for others.

You say your niece is lovely and not aware there is family living there? Why don’t you tell her so she can then make an informed choice. If she is lovely she will be mortified at what she has caused.

You are perfectly entitled to do whatever you like with your property however I completely understand why your (non niece parent) has said what they have said. It's a very emotive subject. I understand that you want to help your niece but I think you should have clearly explained to her what would have to happen for her to live in the house. As someone has already said another way of approaching it would be to use your rental income to supplement her rental funds and find her a non mouldy flat. Something safe and cosy for one person. It would also have given her more agency because as she properly grows up she needs to practice how to navigate life challenges.

Presumably because the niece is getting it at a reduced cost

Yes, I think it is mean and also ill advised in so many ways. A family will lose a home which essentially isn’t your problem but as other posters have said, will your niece pay, will she sublet, will the house be trashed, will she pay during holidays etc. Should this end badly, will your family relationships be damaged? Students usually manage to sort their accommodation in the end and I believe their standards are higher than they were when I was a student!
Your lack of compassion might come back to bite you in the bum.

I don’t think you are being unreasonable at all. Your niece is family and quite rightly you are putting family first.
Your tenants are crazy to not take your offer of the bigger house.

Indeed.

I agree with this - give the lovely niece the full facts. Ask her if she still wants the property once she knows a family with kids have to be kicked out to make way for her. She’s an adult, she can choose with her eyes open.

Are the lowly renters not bowing down at the feet of the Lords and ladies dictating where they should live and when they need to go, and that they should ignore that they just got evicted from a family house to move in a uni student for a bit - it's the superior societies family after all!

Poor diddums KeepPumping is clearly upset at this horrific breakdown in society, and the classes not behaving as they should. I hope you get over this trauma.

Christ.
#TeamBrother.

Christ indeed. Unbelievable. The same people who have probably paid 50-70k in rent over the last 7 years. At least.

It's not like the niece was homeless and living on the streets. It is wasn't a make or break situation for her. If that was the case then you might have a point, but it was just convenient for her niece and the opportunity for cut price rent.

You do realise anyone can join the council list, that’s not 14000 “homeless” people though. Those that are high priority are being housed.

Kicking out a family with children that is their home for someone who’ll rent it for 2 years is absolutely despicable.

You do realise (or maybe you don’t) that your reason will have to be legal and as such if you go to court you will have to evidence that reason? Seems like a big gamble to evict someone from later this week because you feel like it.

Exactly. A private landlord with one or two properties is not it doing out of duty to provide long term homes for others. It’s an investment in a free market capitalist economy. That’s the the way it is and if you want to idealise some utopian society then crack on.

No they aren't. Tell me how building 400 houses in 6 years is housing everyone who needs a home in a town of 33k people? There are people at the top of the list who have waited five years for accommodation when they have been overcrowded.

Why would I go to caught when I can let a relative use it for a while or put it on the market for a while and not accept any offers?