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.

its standard now that views are to be allowed if property is put up for sale

they won't put off potential buyers and if difficult they have to keep in mind they will need a reference in future (I always want one from previous landlord)

what is going for them it that it is very hard to get a mortgage at present and many flats are on the market

Could you be present for viewings, OP?
I think your mere presence would put most buyers off.

It’s unlikely to go to an investor though as there isn’t a reasonable yield in it, given the house value, interest rates and rental value.

You sound a bit naive about the current property market. Nobody is clamouring to buy rabbit hutch leasehold flats with ever-increasing service charges and possible cladding issues. The combo of trying to sell a flat these days in the U.K with that flat having tenants in situ means it’s unlikely to have much, if any, interest. Your son and his girlfriend's time should be spent looking at other kinds of living situations or even relocating to areas with less rental demand.

Now, that is funny. I could loiter in a menacing manner but that would be even more despicable than removing the cushions 👹

What an utterly bizarre and frankly frightening way to look at things. The insight social media gives one into the workings of some people’s minds is fascinating.

but to answer your question I’d just look at some of the states people market their houses in - owners that is - so no the things you are saying won’t make a difference.

OP, the landlord/estate agent cannot conduct viewings if your son does not give consent.

So the landlord would have to serve the proper notice and wait for them to leave.

Also at the moment flats are not very popular and the housing market is slow so there is no guarantee that there would be a lot of interest.

I would advise them to approach the landlord and mention that they are interested in buying the property and start discussions as it is in both parties interest.

So there is nothing in it for the landlord and when they want to get out of the business - what many on MN call for - and potentially give somebody a chance to buy their own home - as above - you do your best to stop that happening.
How lovely.

How can they be evicted for smoking or having pets? They don't actually smoke or have a pet, they give the impression that they do.
Fags, lighter, ashtray and cat food are just props, like a reverse of the display pineapple in a fruit bowl.

They won’t have to move then if there isn’t much interest in the property.

So they want to sit there and force down the price so that they can buy it?

They are totally at liberty to say no to viewings as that will interfere with their right to quiet enjoyment, then the landlord will need to serve notice so that they can conduct viewings once they have left.

Them simply living there will be enough to put people off, but putting people off won’t stop the LL giving notice. My brother is moving back into his house and the tenant continued living there for 5 months beyond the notice date. I wouldn’t buy a place without vacant possession unless I was a landlord or happy to wait an indefinite amount of time for the eviction to go to court and the tenant to actually leave

Your son would be better spending his time looking for somewhere else to live.

This might sound obvious but they should TALK to the landlord. My husband and I sat down and had a frank discussion with our landlord, we did NOT want to move again, we are happy for estate agents to come round and value. But we said we really wanted to stay as it was our home, and we hashed out a deal between ourselves. We actually got a lower price in the end because our mortgage company valued the house lower than LL wanted. We compromised and because he wanted rid of his properties, we did a private sale.

Worth a shot, got the whole thing done in about 4 months. Get your son and GF to a mortgage broker, pronto. You don't know unless you try, if that doesn't work out, they need to start looking for a new place. It will cause them more stress to not cooperate and face the music. It's the LL's property, and ultimately, it's his decision. Your son and GF have my sympathies. I was given notice after over a decade of renting, but all good things have to come to an end. It was very hard to leave, but ultimately, we have a family home and it's ours (well part of it, some way to go on the mortgage, lol)

It isn’t the landlords home whilst they use it to get money by renting it to someone else.

To be fair, they haven’t even been given notice so there is zero point in looking for somewhere else to live at this stage. 🤷‍♀️

Exactly. This thread is so bizarre as people are usually so anti landlord on MN

In that case no need to make the flat look bad is there.

They (and you) need to act like grown-ups. They should explain to the landlord that they love the place, would much prefer to stay and buy it, and talk about the price. Landlord may well be amenable to a lower price for a quick sale.

Thank you. They don’t have any direct contact with the LL and the agent is pretty sketchy with the details so far but definitely worth a conversation via the agent to the LL.

I don’t think they have touched the cushions yet!

I feel you. We rent with 2 kids in London from the same landlord 8 years. If he would decide to sell - we are honestly fu**ed. We would end up in temporary accommodation, as agencies need 3x rents on salary per month. 2 bedrooms in zone 4 - £1600, it means we would need at least £4800 after tax per month, so it's impossible. We tried to find something cheaper, but honestly, no chance....
Smell - make it smell bad, especially dump. I helped my friend to do some viewings and I would personally never consider buying house with damp/mould smell.
Lots of bleach everywhere, they'll think you're trying to mask it.

Having viewed a bunch of rental flats to buy with my dsis, I can tell you that it's not a lack of cushions that puts you off ...
Clutter, just mess. Then it's hard to see the place properly.
Smell.. damp fusty smells due to damp laundry and so on. I find it very off-putting!
Dirt, most house share rentals i went to were really grimy. Again just makes it hard to see past and also then you wonder whether it's masking other issues.

I’m so sorry you are in that situation, particularly with children. It shouldn’t be too much to ask to be able to settle and provide a stable home for them and the new rental laws are making things so much worse for tenants.