To not allow viewings during our tenancy?

[endcityspawner]

First off I’m gonna say I’ve ready previous threads, the housing act 1988 and done extensive research which says that they cannot go against common law. We’ve rang the estate agents and opposed to viewings this weekend mainly because it’s such a faff. We move out in less than a month, stuff is everywhere as you can imagine. We have an 18 month old toddler, dog, my partner works full time and I’m disabled. They have told us that they will be entering on the weekend because it’s in our contract we must permit viewings. Everything I’ve read says that’s absolute bollocks, yes the landlord can enter with 24hrs notice but that doesn’t extend to strangers coming into our home. It may be their house but it is still our home. They won’t budge on even when they’ll hold the viewings. Been told that because we’ve asked to either cancel this weekend our landlord is “really really not happy” and to expect a call. As far as I’m aware what they’re doing is illegal but what do I even do when they say they’re entering for viewings whether we like it or not?

You don't have to say anything else. Tell them one last time you do not agree to the viewing and you will not be letting them in. Lock the doors this weekend and keep the key in the lock. They don't have the legal right to enter and they can't keep your deposit for this. They're just trying to intimidate you.

I know that. I just think it’s selfish. They want their deposit back from the landlord, but they are making it difficult for the LL to sell it, they want to delay viewings until after they’ve gone, meaning more expense to the LL. They will still have to pay a mortgage on the property even when OP moves out.

When the LL releases the money from deposit protection scheme, they could either do it swiftly and be a decent person, or they could leave it a few days because the OP has refused viewings… think I’d be inclined to take my time.

Selfish? You’re acting as if we are trying to turn down the viewings because we simply can’t be bothered, lol.

we have told them we would like a different date to allow us more time to get the house sorted and we’ve been told this is not an option.

I’ve explained our entire situation to them as to why the house is not and can not be ready by this coming weekend and again they won’t hear it.

im personally not prepared to go out of my way for someone who won’t do the same back, let alone even hear me out.

Then they should negotiate a mutually reasonable time and not tell me that they are entering on X day for viewings whether we like it or not.

It seems we're always told renting out property is a business, so landlords don't have to show extra decency or do favours because they're trying to make a profit.

Well it works both ways, in that case the OP is a customer and doesn't have to do favours for the landlord.

This happened to me when my LL decided to sell up during COVID. They assumed I would be happy to have viewings, passed on my details to the estate agents and I then had texts from estate agent TELLING me when viewings would be happening and as it was covid, I had to be out for each one. And there were several booked in the first few days.

I said no, this isn't okay. Reminded the LLs I didn't have to accept viewings at all and would only be accepting them when it was convenient to me, if at all.

So then they were more reasonable though I did still have one particularly depressing day walking round the park in the rain for an hour.

LLs were greedy and just didn't want to wait till I'd moved out to have viewings and have a 'void' period.

I'm a people pleaser and hate conflict so agreed to some but wish I'd dug my heels in and refused tbh. As it was horrible.

Why are you worried about the house being ready? If it’s a mess and in chaos it’s no skin off your nose is it?

Have you actually suggested some dates and times that would work for you then?

Well yes it very much is? This is our HOME with all of our family belongings in, I don’t want our personal items out on display for anyone to be walking through and viewing

also surely goes without being said you’d want your house to look as presentable as can be for a potential viewer? It is of course also a representation of ourselves.

again, also, we are on limited time as it is and being forced to be away for a couple of hours is by no means ideal at all.

Yes, been told it is happening this weekend anyway

No surprise there

Totally irrelevant - nothing in a contract can override the tenant’s statutory right to privacy in their home for the duration of their tenancy. Landlords know that - but they try to trick tenants into believing the opposite.

There are some idiots on here. JFC.

OP. You do not need to allow viewings. I’m a solicitor who did L&T law back in the mists of time

That’s not the landlord being greedy as such, is it? Who in their right mind would want to pay costs for an empty property? They just wanted to sell quickly.

The landlord may not be some Russian oligarch turfing tenants out on the street.

The landlord may be trying to sell the property to raise funds for an elderly parent’s care home fees, they may need the funds as they have been made redundant. The OP might not be the only one with a sob story in this case.

I have been on the other side of this - trying to sell a rental property (for 157k so not megabucks) to allow me to buy a bigger property. Had IVF, ended up pregnant with twins so needed another bedroom, only way I could afford a bigger house was to sell my first flat that I bought after uni which I had rented out after meeting my DH, as I couldn’t sell it during the recession. Anyway the tenants wouldn’t let any viewings commence and caused unmeasurable stress and over a year of delays.

I just think if you can help someone out and get things moving doesn’t it make life easier than being so obstructive.

I don't think this is unreasonable. You still live there, you pay to live there, and have no obligation to let random people into your home.

You are wrong in law

It’s a business contract. The end

I assume all the people telling OP to be kind would be okay with groups of random strangers tramping through their house on a Saturday afternoon?

As you know, they cannot force viewings.

I would recommend changing the locks, it’s quite simple to do and there will be many YouTube videos showing you how. You can then change the locks back when you are leaving.

I very much regret being pushed around by a bully landlord and allowing viewings.

Your personal problems are of no matter in a business relationship. Honestly people should not be landlords if they don't understand this.

They weren't though. They were an older couple who had originally been cash buyers when they bought the property with me as a tenant in situ.

They had decided as they were getting older the didn't want the responsibility anymore (or the new legislation coming in around LLs, as they frequently told me) so were selling up the 3 flats they owned outright, or transfering them to their DC. During covid.

I'd lived there 15 years, 8 with them as LLs. They owned a big house they lived in and 3 flats, all outright.

It really wouldn't have been skin off their nose to have a void month, they were greedy.

I COULD have been obstructive and just stayed put till they evicted me as that was unlawful for a period during covid and then there was a huge backlog.

That's what the housing department of my council told me to do. Keep paying rent but make them evict you and take you to court then don't leave till the bailiffs come. I was told it would be approx 2 years.

I didn't do that. I was nice. They were greedy and didn't have a sob story.

@LimpysGotCancer if you are selling a house/or viewing a potential rental that is what you do. If OP wasn't going to a house that hadn't previously had tenants in, she too might have wanted to do viewings when other people's personal things were in view. Maybe she viewed the current house they were in when other people's property was in it.

I understand it has to be at a mutually agreed time, but not having people traipse through a property is not how viewings work.

I'm obviously very naive because my default is to be helpful and unobstructive where possible. When you rent, it's not your house. When you move out it doesn't kill you to behave reasonably - if you've had a decent experience and your landlord has been fair - why wouldn't you be cooperative?
And yes of course that means people looking round!