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.

People have not posted 'nonsense.' People responded to what the OP said in her opening post, because why wouldn't they?!

It was FIVE HOURS before the OP posted the additional information about this 'other house.' And her 24th post!

It's absolutely ludicrous to not expect the majority of posters to respond to the original scenario!

Whats that got to do with anything

Are they though? Because that was only mentioned after countless posters told OP what they thought of her.

I think it will bite OP on the ass in the end!

OP. Are you going to give the tenants some money back on the rent they have paid over the last 7 years given that you are now choosing to accept less rent from your niece for the same house?

I would personally be very interested to know what rent these tenants have paid compared to what the niece will be paying going forward.

I also think it's fair enough that people have asked if the mortgages you have on both your other properties have been paid off

Because if they have. You've probably taken 60k or 70k from these tenants over the last 7 years and you are booting them out to let your niece move in. And your niece doesn't know the full story

No I wouldn’t have kicked out a family so my niece didn’t have to find alternative student accommodation. Most definitely not a family with children as the housing market is dire atm and the fact they’ve been there 7 years already shows they are good tenants.

They have said that, they updated the thread, and while I was looking for the time of their updating post to direct you towards it I found this!

"We have also put them in touch with a good friend who has a property very near the original house but they aren’t interested in that."

There is yet another property available! I wonder how many more empty private rentals there are nearby?
So we have gone from - "OMG This family will be in temporary accommodation or on the streets" to - "This family have been offered two houses at great rent and have knocked them both back!" They are definitely not making enough tenants any more.

Its the niece getting the cheap rent. The tenants have been offered a bigger house for the same rent as the house they are in. The niece is getting the better deal out of this. Clearly

Stark. Raving. Bonkers.

I think i would prioritise my neice if I could.

I do think you need to think about if you can afford the financial risk because the tenants are reliable and your neice a. Might not be and b. Might struggle to afford to pay going rate. Renting to family can be risky, to the relationship as well as regarding the money.

But if you can afford the risk and believe this is best for her I would too. Its your property you dont owe your tenants a home. And i feel for them, I am sure this is unsettling for them. But you dont owe strangers lodgings or a home. If theyd wanted to end the tenancy, no one would be calling them for not staying in your house. People are allowed to make decisions based on whats best for them with their own money and property.

But its your house and you can do what you like with it. And I think YANBU to decide thats prioritising your neice.

I wouldn't consider your plan unethical at all, yet I am one of the people who thinks the OP is being unreasonable. I think they are completely different situations. You may have to end a tenancy to move back in to your family home, whilst the OP is ending a tenancy in order for her niece to live in the house for two years, totally different situations.

I think I would be seriously annoyed off if my family was evicted to make way for one 19/20 year old student for a short term. Surely the most sensible solution would be for the niece to find somewhere to live for two years and then when the OP comes to sell, S21, tenants get first refusal then put on market.

EDIT: posted before the OP's latest drip feed re. an alternative property.

I don’t need to make money from the property so need to worry about the ‘business’ side. Morally, yes, I understand that the majority of people on this thread think this is wrong. It’s a difference of opinion, I think that is morally right to put family first and others think tenants should come before family. I accept their views but don’t agree. I do think it’s one of those things where until you are faced with this particular set of circumstances, you wouldn’t know what you would definitely do and as the thread shows, some people are just trying to stick the boot in telling me they hope bad things happen to me.

That does not say that the tenants are getting the flat below market rent and it doesn't say that they've been paying less than market rent for the last 7 years

So dire in fact that the tenant and family have knocked back two houses at cheap rent so far? And that is before they even bother to contact another landlord!

Ask me politely and I will answer!

This is an appalling thing to have done. There are children involved here and your niece could quite easily find somewhere else to live. Please reconsider.

That is my post you have quoted, the OP"s update says that they have been offered the landlord"s other (larger) property nearby for the same rent.

This ^ 100%

That really is some clap back. Big woop to you. You seem really invested in this

All you've done on here is invent things and make nasty slurs at people.

That's not the same thing as cheap or below market rent which you've been spouting off about for the last few pages

What have I invented and what slurs have I made?

No. That poster said that they hope my next tenants dong pay their rent, trash the place, refuse to leave, and you have to go through the one year plus process to evict them through the courts. All that was addressed by me within my first few posts and within 30 minutes ish of starting the thread.

Alice in wonderland stuff. Next someone will pop up to say this family have been renting it for a pound a month or that the OP has paid to let them live there

This is a classic example of too many houses and not enough tenants.

Agree. Wherever OP is, I seriously doubt it's easier for a family with children to find somewhere suitable to live than it is for a student looking for a one bed flat/studio. And yes, I know it's not the OP's responsibility to worry about her tenants next home, I just think it's a daft business decision that has created a lot of unnecessary stress for all parties involved.