To ask how to make rental flat less likely to sell?

[RainingPasta]

My son and his girlfriend have been renting a nice flat for the past couple of years but the LL now wants to sell it. They haven’t officially been given notice yet so it looks like the agent will be conducting viewings while they still live there.

They will still keep it clean and tidy but they are wondering if there is anything else they could do to make it less appealing. I suggested removing all their homely touches like cushions, rugs and pictures so it looks cold and bare but I’m not sure if that is a good idea?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. They want to delay the sale and might even be able to buy it themselves if it goes down enough in price.

Bye then @RainingPasta

Contact MNHQ and ask to get the thread deleted.

Oh you know she'll be back, they always come back!

I’m grateful too that MNHQ had the good sense to leave the thread in place as it’s been a bloody good laugh

It would help if you kept your story straight.

You started the thread because the landlord wanted to sell and 'It looks like the agent is going to be showing buyers round whilst they are still living there.

Now its an informal chat and the landlord may not sell.

Seriously I think moving the cushions and homely touches may be a waste of time.

The delusion is strong with this one.

You stated that they are in professional jobs so arguably better qualified than many and accountable too.
Yours and their suggestion is lowlife and lacking integrity, neither of which can be measured by professional status.
I'm astounded that you can't see why you are wrong.

I think you're giving the impression that you think he may change his mind about selling after putting it on the market: that's unlikely.

Maybe he will try to sell to another landlord, in which case he doesn't need to evict them, but it will be much harder to sell.

If he wants the best range of possible buyers, he will give them notice before/as he puts it on the market, and that's the time to start looking. He's not going to wait until he has a buyer, because lots of people won't touch a property with a sitting tenant.

In the first case, if they put buyers off, it is more likely that he will decide that he needs to go the second route after all.

You are trying to deliberately prevent the property from selling so your son can get it at a cheaper price? The LL may have all their savings in this property, what an awful thing to do to a person.

FFS

They could move early if they find somewhere they like more than the current place. Or they could wait to be served notice and potentially end up
having to accept somewhere not so nice if nothing else is available. Personally I’d be looking now and moving to somewhere I wanted to move to on my own terms.

Maybe you should be setting your son a good example and not encouraging him to do dishonest things.

Yep

A lot of landlords wanting to sell will consider waiving the notice period of course but you don't want to consider that..

...by removing cushions 🙄
Yeah - that's a plan!

“My son and his girlfriend haven’t actually been given notice yet but should I move a few cushions around and take away a rug or two? Then even though they’ve not been served notice, it might make the flat harder to sell” - there, I’ve re-written the OP for rainingpasta

@RainingPasta they have a legal right to quiet enjoyment of their home. A landlord can have access for necessary repairs but not for viewings, even if it is written into the contract.

So they do not have to allow any viewings.

But if they dont allow viewings, the LL will need to evict them which they can as the property is being sold.

Personally I think they should negotiate. Allow viewings for a cash payment or rent reduction whilst it is on the market.

Removing soft furnishings will affect them but not a buyer. It would be pointless.

Check rightmove. If the market is saturated with one bed flata then it won't sell quickly.

Ultimately they will have to move eventually so not much point delaying. Could they not rent a room in an HMO and save a deposit?

Off to rain chaos

They could, but then again they could find somewhere even better when they are given notice. And since OP has been clear that rents on a new property are going to be significantly higher, it's sensible to avoid moving until they have to.

OP has been clear that rents on a new property are going to be significantly higher

So current LL is letting their flat to the OP's son and partner at a reduced rent and OP thinks it's ok to treat them as she has suggested. Unbe-fucking-lievable.

“one cannot go blame one’s own failing to save for them”
Are you really saying that if parents cannot afford to financially help their children then it is a failing of the parents?!

@RainingPasta - “afford to” is subjective. Parents who live hand to mouth and rent themselves with no cash at all are obviously not to blame.
But those who are mortgage free with large pensions and savings and multiple holidays then lamenting online how their “professional DC” should game the new legislation to their own benefit and “get a good deal” out of a landlord - obviously are!

What's with the "even further"?