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 didn't read it as smug, more looking for absolution because poster feels that they may indeed have done something wrong. Which they are obviously not going to get here. Oh well.
Honestly I think if you chose to be a landlord you have to accept that youre going to screw people over occasionally and make your peace with it.

Do you seriously believe that everyone who rents is entitled to a council property? And that it's that's easy? I bet you think that 'If only they worked harder' they'd be able to afford to buy their own house 🙄

Poor show.

Poor in respect of the tennants, it's a family being turfed out after doing nothing wrong and by the sounds of it, everything right.

Poor financially for you.

I would be cancelling the eviction and grovelling in apology.

Dick move. If money is no object, help your niece find a smaller property more suited to her and use the rent you get from your house to pay for it.

That’s an awful thing to do to a family, who’ve been good tenants.

Yes, this is a real dick move. I am flabbergasted that you would do this to a family TBH.

Well, no, landlords can't just "do what they want with it".

There are pretty strict regulations in place that give tenants strong rights and as OP points out, these are being strengthened in May - which is another reason why they are acting like dicks trying to get them out before the changes come in.

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.
They are not wrong. You are making a family homeless through no fault of their own. I don't know how you can live with that.

I'd definitely think less of my niece for asking if I would kick a family out of their home so she can live there. Most people accept that if their budget is shit then you aren't going to live somewhere 'very nice', it's part of growing up.

I'm a landlord and I would never behave like this. Awful thing to do to a family. Your niece would have lots of choice if she looked hard enough.

I wonder whether you have done this tenancy legally OP because of the low rent. There are a few problems.

If you have a tenancy agreement with the low rent, you won't be able to no fault evict your niece and she can stay there as long as she wants.

If you don't have a tenancy agreement, then likewise you cannot evict her and she can stay there until you go through the courts to get her out.

Neither of these are necessarily a massive problem until you factor in people that she will meet who might see her as a walking gravy train and take advantage of that. If she meets someone and moved them in, where do you stand?

What a mess!

Remind me again why council house tenants should go into private rents?

YABU - as someone who was treated the same way way by a previous landlord. We had a 9 month old baby and he kicked us out to move his son in. We heard from the neighbours that the son was awful, I think he was young and was having parties. Apparently the garden smelt like vomit 🤢.

When your niece finished uni she’ll be off. So you will have to sell up or find more tenants, and no guarantee your niece and new tenants will be as good as those you have.

Your niece should never have asked, and you shouldn’t have said yes.

I hope the tenants your kicking out are truthful with everyone about why you’ve kicked them out, then when your niece screws you over, you can’t get other tenants!

What an absolute dick move to unsettle a family who’s been loyal to you and paying each month. I hope they find somewhere amazing for their family and hopefully not another scum landlord.

Wouldn’t the alternative have been to help your niece search in a city you know well?

I think it’s okay as long as your niece stays long term, but really there is no way of knowing what she will want to do once uni is finished. Good tenants are like hens teeth, so I’d have been reluctant to have got rid of them.

You own the property and you should have the right to do as you please with it. I have been a landlord before but would never enter into it now.

Really good points

I am a LL also and I would not have done that- certainly not to good tenants.

For a start- never mix family and business ever. secondly- she's planning to stay only 2 years? Then what? Also- can she even afford the rent? What does she need a multi-bedroomed house for?

Team Dick Move here.

Unless our children want it for university, we will probably sell the house when my niece moves out as we were going to sell it within the next few years anyway.

Yes, and OP has just shown her exactly how to do it.

Someone who will ask her Aunt to evict a family will have no qualms exploiting the low rent for longer than expected.

Not to mention, as you say, those who may look to exploit niece.

Why couldn’t you have bought a small flat to rent to her then sell when she’s done? You almost certainly would’ve profited from that and the family wouldn’t end up in temporary accommodation (crappy budget hotel usually with zero cooking facilities) with children!!!!!
YABVVVVVVVVVU

This was a terrible thing to do and basically the reason why the Renters' Reform Act is so needed. That family were not just 'the tenants'... your property was their family home. You basically evicted a family on a whim and people like you should not be allowed to be landlords.

We had a family member ask if we would evict our tenant so they could live in our flat instead. We said no, because we're not arseholes. It's no wonder people think all Landlords are evil dicks when people do things like you've done