To refuse viewings once I’ve given notice

[WryJadeWren]

Once I’ve given notice, I’ve always felt that my time and space should be mine.

In the final weeks I’m usually packing, organising a move, working and trying to keep life ticking over. Having people come in and out for viewings feels disruptive and stressful, especially when it’s framed as an expectation rather than a request.

My view has always been that landlords or agents are free to show the property once it’s empty, on their own time but that I’m not obliged to facilitate viewings while I’m still living there.

AIBU?

I don’t know what it is about landlord-tenant relationships that always makes the tenant go ‘I want to cause my landlord as much trouble as possible’. Somehow, when people borrow something that isn’t a flat, they remain decent people, but all decency goes out of the window in this situation.
OP, if the landlord was a nightmare and unfair to you, then go ahead. If the landlord was decent and you just want to be difficult for the sake of it because they’re a landlord and you’re their tenant, then get a grip!

People are not desperately searching, that is a myth, they are taking their time and finding the best deals.

https://landlordassociation.org.uk/rents-fall-and-a-supply-surge-weighs-on-house-prices/

It is her home and space while she is renting it.

Quiet enjoyment is a very old legal right of tenants. Landlords should already be prepared for tenants to exercise this right. With the lack of available rental properties, Landlords will have no problem getting someone else in so that void time should make little difference.

The problem is too many Landlords go into the rental market without doing their homework, they think they can contract out of statutory rights when they can't. If you are going to be in a business, you have to know your rights and responsibilities and be prepared.

Laughing my head off at the ignorance in this comment. And no, I'm not a landlord.

Following the law on a business agreement is not "causing trouble", if a landlord has not costed for voids they should not be a landlord (and in many cases probably won"t be for much longer with rising interest rates)

As a landlord... we need vvoid periods. Its a change to decorate, check for damage/wear and tear update things etc without a tenants belongings in the way.

We plan for them fiancially because you can never predict when they may happen.

That’s not relevant to your point. If the market dictates the property can charge £900 a month, the landlord can’t expect £950 because they have additional costs they didn’t factor in

voids costs should already be factored into the rent. So you need to make your mind up whether the landlord will need to increase the rent to cover void periods, or not.

Never used to have viewings when I rented, it's proper disruptive and an invasion of privacy. I wouldn't allow anyone in, no way.

It is their home until their last day of their tenancy!!!!!

I've been a tenant for years, but I'm afraid this is a reminder that it isn't your house.

Until the last day that you're there, yes, things should remain as they otherwise would and not be disruptive as you're presumably still paying full price until you leave. However, they're running a business. Many landlords will want to get other tenants in asap because even a week of it being empty could mean a loss of £100 - £400, at the very minimum.

I totally understand how viewings are disruptive but I do absolutely think that this is unreasonable. I think you could create firm boundaries (offering e.g. 2 fixed mornings a week max, and you won't be there), but I think it's just a bit shitty to say I don't want to live here anymore but I'm not going to let you find someone to take the property promptly, thereby potentially putting your mortgage (or other general running bills/costs) or your own financial position in a precarious place.

That honestly sounds much more reasonable to me because it’s structured, limited and mutually agreed rather than constant ad hoc disruption. I think that’s very different from tenants being expected to remain perpetually available/open for repeated viewings over weeks while still living there.

With immigration falling and unemployment rising "increased rent generally" is not going to happen, many landlords just want to cover their mortgage debt now.

We had viewings when the owner was selling our house. It wasn't too descriptive, but I don't think there was that may of them because they can usually fill them fast, such is the poor state of the U.K housing market.

I do find it absolutely cheeky though when landlords try to sell houses to regular, non-landlord people when they have tenants still in them.

I’d probably feel differently about it if there was some genuine acknowledgement/compensation for the inconvenience rather than it simply being treated as an automatic expectation. Part of my issue is the assumption that tenants should just absorb unlimited disruption because it benefits the landlord commercially.

Well it is her home if she pays the rent

Legally you can refuse, you may get a bad reference, personally I’d recommend negotiating set times, when it suits you.

I don’t think that’s right, you can simply say to them every Friday at 3 or whatever works for you.

I think this is probably where the “reasonable in practice” point comes in tbh. A few pre-arranged viewings towards the end is very different to feeling like people may constantly be in and out while you’re still actively living there. As I’ve said, my issue is more with the assumption of automatic unrestricted access rather than every possible viewing under all circumstances.

But people keep telling us that there is massive demand for rental and people are "desperate" and "lining up for rentals"? Obviously this is all shite if landlords can barely allow time to re-paint the place between tenants because they will lose money if they don"t immediately grab another tenant.

Well, pass me a torch and an electron microscope, because I need to go up to the attic and look for the world's smallest violin.

In these days of utter entitlement it is refreshing to read this point of view.

I’ve always allowed a general open day/afternoon once a week, usually a Saturday - when there can be multiple viewings - luckily as tenant I’ve only ever needed the first one as someone always took it - what I don’t want is multiple viewings every other day etc

When I gave notice I had contractually obligated viewings that annoyed me but I had to. I was there because our DGirlcat is so nervous. The viewers tried to ask me questions! I'm not interested mate.

But you could ask for the viewings to be back to back for a hour rather than taking up days?