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?

YABU.
Your landlord likely has mortgage and insurance payments to cover and will likely be keen to avoid a void period with no rental income to cover these outgoings.

If you can be amenable about permitting the agent to show prospective new tenants round while you are still in residence they may be able to get someone signed up to move in shortly after you move out.

If I had a tenant who was deliberately unhelpful I would possibly mention it when writing their reference. I may also be a stickler for ensuring the inventory at check-out matched the previous inventory at check-in - in case anything needs to be taken out of the deposit.

If a tenant had been really reasonable and helpful I’d likely give them a glowing reference and return their deposit swiftly. Turn a blind eye to a bit of wear and tear.

What goes around comes around, OP.

If tenants refuse to do viewings and the landlord has to wait until it is empty, they potentially will lose 2 or 3 months rent. Who do you think will pay for this?
God forbid the owner of a property should be able to pay the cost of it for 2-3 months.

If you're in so much mortgage debt that you're only making a "small" profit from accruing an asset that someone else has paid your monthly outgoings and you can't afford a gap to even maintain said property between tenants for then perhaps you can't afford to accrued an asset that particular way and shouldn't be a landlord.

When an action helps the other party a lot but costs you very little - someone going round the flat takes what? Five mins? - I would always always do it.

Madness not to, from your perspective.

So many replies from twatty landlords who think they're entitled to force through what they want, even if it is actually against the law.

Why are there so many of them on Mumsnet?

Thank god I'm not renting anymore.

I know... I'm not sure why people think MN hates landlords, it seems to hate tenants!
I was both at the same time and my landlord was terrible and my tenant shafted me lol.

It's embarrassing how many landlords are showing themselves up on this thread by showing how readily they want to threaten their tenants by delaying returning their deposit if they want to live within their rental rights. No one's being deliberately unhelpful by not allowing viewings and every landlord I had before buying never asked for them before we had left the place, because they were going to be maintaining it in between and weren't charging unreasonable rent so they wouldn't be empty for months looking for another tenant.

Would you be paying to fix that wear and tear given you can't afford a month or two mortgage payment? Or would you just be handing it over to the next tenant with that wear and tear? 🤔

It's your home with all your things and in some cases people's children's bedrooms though. When you're not selling and making a profit on it, having total strangers in your personal space isn't great.

I think many tenants would be much more willing if they got a discount and picked the viewing slots.

They can then plan their days without a random can we do a viewing 5pm tomorrow. Nice and clear set out by the tenant viewings Saturday 10-12 only type thing.

Landlords don’t want to part with the rent but expect the tenant to give up their peace for them.

Legally you do not have to give access for viewings, even if there is a clause in your tenancy agreement. The clause is not enforceable as it does not undermine your statutory rights.

I was going to say exactly this but you put it better. The PP is being deliberately obtuse I think.

It doesn’t though does it. People take more than 5 minutes even in empty houses.

They open cupboards and if you have them built in wardrobes to see the space.

Nosey strangers with all your stuff there while an agent or landlord just lets them roam freely.

Why is it madness though? It doesn't benefit her, and it doesn't cost her very little if she very much does not want to do it.

Peak landlord.

And you LL can refuse to give you a reference. Why upset LL by not allowing 2 half days over a 2 month period it is not a major disruption especially if you signed contract with viewing in final 2 months clause in it?

I'd do the same. I'm very fair with my tenants and in general they are good tenants and have often found tenants not only agreed a viewing but have asked me if their friends or family member can take up the tenancy.

While she's living there and paying rent she's entitled to quiet enjoyment without disruption and intrusion by strangers, so in a way it is her home while she is paying rent for sole use of a space.

While she's living there and paying rent she's entitled to quiet enjoyment without disruption and intrusion by strangers, so in a way it is her home while she is paying rent for sole use of a space.

I always had viewings after tenant had gone. Who wants to view with all their rubbish there? I preferred to show property after a good clean! So I’d definitely leave the op to her packing mess.

I’m a landlord. That’s a really unkind thing to say. Of course it’s op’s home and space.

YANBU. You are paying for quiet enjoyment of the property for the whole duration. No discount on rent, no strangers tromping about.

To all those saying she’s entitled to quiet enjoyment - no one is questioning this, however, when my upstairs neighbour texted me a few months ago to ask whether he can come to my flat to assess a damage under his window, I didn’t reply ‘sorry but I’m entitled to quiet enjoyment of my property’. I’d have been within my rights to do so, but I replied ‘yes, of course’ and suggested a couple of dates that were convenient for me. I don’t see why I wouldn’t extent the same courtesy to a landlord who asks for access.

Landlords are running a business, anyone competent at doing so would more know you have to allow for things like this.
As it is, rental homes are in such a high demand that the chances are a landlord could arrange viewings after the tenant leaves and get a new tenant signed up to start paying in a matter of days.

When renting I hated viewing homes with tenants belongings in, especially the times when it became painfully obvious the agency hadn't asked permission (walked in on a guy asleep in bed after a nightshift, needless to say we didn't take the tenancy) It's much easier as a tenant to see the condition of a home if it's empty, and to get a clear picture of exactly what does or doesn't come with the property.

Presumably that would have been a one off and didn't require them to go looking in detail at every room in your house?

You may already know your neighbour, and perhaps there was some urgency to carrying out the repair. This is quite different from allowing strangers to enter and inspect your home for marketing purposes.

If you're in so much mortgage debt that you're only making a "small" profit from accruing an asset that someone else has paid your monthly outgoings and you can't afford a gap to even maintain said property between tenants for then perhaps you can't afford to accrued an asset that particular way and shouldn't be a landlord
And that's exactly why landlords have been selling at the largest rate in the last few years. The outcome: much more demand than supply, leaving the less stable, those with debts, many children, pets, unable to get a rental property because there is always another prospective tenant with a much better application.

It's not the landlords who suffer long term but the tenants. The landlord still gets its investment. They are not social landlords, they have no responsibility towards those who need to rent.

Make it worthwhile to be a landlord, they will invest in property, the monthly rent will go down!