Landlord selling my rented house to his friend and I think they're going to move refugees into it.

[Mammabear8120]

Is this legal? My landlord has suddenly decided to sell the house I've rented for 6 years to his friend. It was meant to be sold as an investment property with me as a sitting tenant. I had one couple view the property - and was told I had to be out by 20th May as he's selling it to his friend who came to view it. They've told me that the buyer is moving from down south to the north and wants to live in it himself. When he viewed it he walked through it like it was beneath him, barely looked at anything than a quick cursory glance across the rooms and didn't even go in the garden, look at the garden, didn't look or go in any of the bathrooms and just stuck his head in the 3 bedrooms. The buyer has lied to my landlord saying I'm running a business from ghe house which I've not been doing (just because I had a high chair in the kitchen which is for my granddaughter). He's booked a surveyor 2x to do a survey and the first time it was cancelled due to the surveyor having car trouble and the 2nd time the buyer cancelled it. The letting agency know nothing about what is happening and its been 2 weeks without hearing anything. I've no where to go and no money to even move. I've got on to the council but there's literally nothing to rent at all. My boss has slashed my hours at work so I'm going to be on half the hours I was on which means no private landlord will rent to me and I don't have a guarantor. I think the buyer wants me to move out so he can house refugees and have heard of people doing this recently in the UK. If I'm turfed out for refugees to then live innthe house where would I stand legally? I'm a full British citizen and have paid my full rent on time for 6 years, kept the house nice and improved on it with minor things. Can anyone advise me?

@2bazookas do you work in housing?

If you have dependant children, you need to contact the council, ask them what to do with regard to rehousing/eviction and follow it to the letter.

I have every sympathy for people who lose their homes in these circumstances and the rental market in this country is appalling, but going on about refugees and full British citizenship achieves nothing other than you coming across as a racist.

My landlord is putting the rent up to extortionate amount. We are shipping all of us back to our mums tiny 2bed flat. Kids in one small room and us in living room. We are saving for shared ownership however due to bad credit scores it will probably be a while. We just want enough for a deposit then will look at short term renting again until we have a decent credit score. It’s shit but it’s the way it is. Get to the council and make sure you call shelter for advice they are great.

I'm just pointing out I've lived in the UK all my life and if I was in a position to home some refugees I would - free of charge, but I can't - especially now. I'm a single parent with young children and nowhere to go. I'm battling all sorts right now and it's other people who have suggested the buyer wants to rent it to refugees and its made my head spin. I'm not racist in the slightest and I'm sad it's come across that way. All I was trying to ask is if this happened to be the case what grounds would I have going forward? As I've been a great tenant, always paid on time my full rent and just feel it would be callus to take away my home to give it to someone from another country as that leave me homeless and lines the landlords pockets either way. I'm asking for help and not to be torn down. I can't take much more - my life isn't worth living right now with all I'm dealing with

OP what does your contract say about notice periods and when did they notify you?

OP, contact the council. Also see if your letting agency can help, if you have a good record with them they may be able to speak to landlords about eg waiving the restrictions on benefit claimants. Do all this ASAP.

Surely you’ve always known the precarious nature of renting though. You can always be asked to leave & the landlord has done nothing wrong.

Also, so what if he wants to house refugees. Good for him.

Your story is strange.

High chair problem.....apparantly for grandchildren.

Yet you are a single parent with young children. Wouldn't that be the most logical reason to have a high chair?

I'm just pointing out I've lived in the UK all my life and if I was in a position to home some refugees I would - free of charge, but I can't - especially now. I'm a single parent with young children and nowhere to go. I'm battling all sorts right now and it's other people who have suggested the buyer wants to rent it to refugees and its made my head spin. I'm not racist in the slightest and I'm sad it's come across that way. All I was trying to ask is if this happened to be the case what grounds would I have going forward? As I've been a great tenant, always paid on time my full rent and just feel it would be callus to take away my home to give it to someone from another country as that leave me homeless and lines the landlords pockets either way. I'm asking for help and not to be torn down. I can't take much more - my life isn't worth living right now with all I'm dealing with.
Honestly I'm so upset right now. I came on here to ask for some support and advise and I'm being called racist for asking a question about what I can do. Think about if this was you and you've got young children. I've nowhere to go at all - no family, no friends that could put us up, no savings, no money. I'm scared, alone and going out of my mind with worry! I just wanted help and advise and now I feel worse than I did before. I give up! What is the point in this life anymore when I get shot down all the time.

My children are 4 and 7 and my eldest is 22 with her own baby who has her own house

Theresa May mentioned getting rid of 'no fault' evictions in the private sector but Johnson seems to have conveniently forgotten this.
It doesn't sound like he has given you the right notice.
Speak to shelter.
And don't vote Tory.

You have young children- that is a good thing. They will not leave you out on the streets.
You must stay put until bailiffs remove you, not when the notice expires or you are intentionally homeless.
The council will, on the day, send you to emergency accommodation until you get a council flat / house.

When you are given notice, go to the council again, fill out the form and state you have been given notice and at risk of homelessness.

Do you have young children living with you, or just visiting grandchildren?

OP, it doesn't matter where the suggestion of refugees has come from. You have no evidence that it's true, and in any case, it's irrelevant.

Blaming refugees for the difficult situation you're in won't solve anything and it just makes you look racist. The reality is, it won't make a blind bit of difference who your landlord moves in, or what nationality they are, if you are no longer entitled to live there.

If you had posted without the racist comments, you would have got support and empathy as you're undoubtedly in a difficult position. By seeking to scapegoat refugees, you will have lost a lot of good will. Refugees are not your problem here.

Go and seek some advice from your local CAB. Hopefully they will be able to help you explore your options.

@Mammabear8120

I'm just pointing out I've lived in the UK all my life and if I was in a position to home some refugees I would - free of charge, but I can't - especially now. I'm a single parent with young children and nowhere to go. I'm battling all sorts right now and it's other people who have suggested the buyer wants to rent it to refugees and its made my head spin. I'm not racist in the slightest and I'm sad it's come across that way. All I was trying to ask is if this happened to be the case what grounds would I have going forward? As I've been a great tenant, always paid on time my full rent and just feel it would be callus to take away my home to give it to someone from another country as that leave me homeless and lines the landlords pockets either way. I'm asking for help and not to be torn down. I can't take much more - my life isn't worth living right now with all I'm dealing with. Honestly I'm so upset right now. I came on here to ask for some support and advise and I'm being called racist for asking a question about what I can do. Think about if this was you and you've got young children. I've nowhere to go at all - no family, no friends that could put us up, no savings, no money. I'm scared, alone and going out of my mind with worry! I just wanted help and advise and now I feel worse than I did before. I give up! What is the point in this life anymore when I get shot down all the time.

Things will be okay. You've got this. Contact your local council ASAP by phone/email. Get their advice on what steps you need to take. They usually have a homeless prevention officer who maybe able to liaise with your landlord on your behalf and get you more time/prevent you being homeless.

@ThisUserIsNamed

You have young children- that is a good thing. They will not leave you out on the streets. You must stay put until bailiffs remove you, not when the notice expires or you are intentionally homeless. The council will, on the day, send you to emergency accommodation until you get a council flat / house.

When you are given notice, go to the council again, fill out the form and state you have been given notice and at risk of homelessness.

Exactly this.

It does not matter who it is being sold to or for what purpose. Your issue is with your ll and whether the correct legal process is being followed. CAB or Shelter can advise and if you have nowhere/means to move ask your council for help. They may advise you to stay beyond the expiry of notice to be declared homeless and rehoused. Obviously with young children if you can avoid this by renting privately all the better.

What do refugees have to do with it?

The landlord can do what he likes with his own property whether that's rent it out or sell it on. It sucks for you and your circumstances but he isn't breaking the law. What kind of tenancy agreement do you have?

He will have laws to follow to evict you/ end your agreement but that's as far as it goes.

Good luck, hope you find something quickly

yes but for those of us who cannot afford to own their own house what else can we do. I fled a domestic violent relationship with my kids and had to start again from scratch with nothing. I'm so scared of losing the roof over my head. People are attacking me on here but do they even know what the housing crisis is in this country! There are no homes to rent. They're building homes as fast as they can but there's still way too many people lined up waiting for a home that they can't build them quick enough. There's nothing to rent at all where I live right now and that's no exaggeration

@AlexaShutUp

OP, it doesn't matter where the suggestion of refugees has come from. You have no evidence that it's true, and in any case, it's irrelevant.

Blaming refugees for the difficult situation you're in won't solve anything and it just makes you look racist. The reality is, it won't make a blind bit of difference who your landlord moves in, or what nationality they are, if you are no longer entitled to live there.

If you had posted without the racist comments, you would have got support and empathy as you're undoubtedly in a difficult position. By seeking to scapegoat refugees, you will have lost a lot of good will. Refugees are not your problem here.

Go and seek some advice from your local CAB. Hopefully they will be able to help you explore your options.

Stop going on at her. She has young children and is about to me made homeless. She is upset and stressed enough as it is.

Sorry you are potentially being evicted from your home, OP. This must be very difficult for you.

Your landlord has the right to sell the property to whoever he wants for whatever reason. But he has to follow the correct legal processes if he wants to evict you.

He can not just “tell” you that you have to be out by the 20 May. He has to serve you written notice on the correct day and give you at least 2 months to leave the property. If he has not done this, do not say anything to him. It is in your interests if he fails to follow due process. It means the start of the process is delayed. Even when he has served you correct notice you do not actually have to leave on the leaving date. You can stay put and he will have to go to the courts to evict you. This will take time. When he gets the court order, which he will if he has followed the correct process, you can still refuse to leave. He then has to go back to the courts for a second order which will be enforced. At very best, the process will take six months. Possibly longer given Covid delays. Shelter can advise you on the details.

In the interim you do not have to allow potential buyers or surveyors in to the property unless this is specified in your letting agreement.

It might help to start looking for somewhere to go. Depending on your age, your Council may be able to help you but as a single person you are unlikely to be a high priority. Get yourself on the Council waiting list and bid for anything that comes up. Contact local housing associations. Ask family and friends if they could accommodate you. There are a lot of people facing higher bills at the moment and they might want/be forced to rent out a room or rooms to a lodger - and an older, single, female lodger can be a good bet.

Can you look around for extra work? Some families with older relatives look for sleep in night carers for example - one month on one month off or similar. Could you do paid babysitting?

I think being proactive and having a list of things to do may help with the stress you are facing. I am sorry you find yourself in this position.

@Edmontosaurus

Sorry you are potentially being evicted from your home, OP. This must be very difficult for you.

Your landlord has the right to sell the property to whoever he wants for whatever reason. But he has to follow the correct legal processes if he wants to evict you.

He can not just “tell” you that you have to be out by the 20 May. He has to serve you written notice on the correct day and give you at least 2 months to leave the property. If he has not done this, do not say anything to him. It is in your interests if he fails to follow due process. It means the start of the process is delayed. Even when he has served you correct notice you do not actually have to leave on the leaving date. You can stay put and he will have to go to the courts to evict you. This will take time. When he gets the court order, which he will if he has followed the correct process, you can still refuse to leave. He then has to go back to the courts for a second order which will be enforced. At very best, the process will take six months. Possibly longer given Covid delays. Shelter can advise you on the details.

In the interim you do not have to allow potential buyers or surveyors in to the property unless this is specified in your letting agreement.

It might help to start looking for somewhere to go. Depending on your age, your Council may be able to help you but as a single person you are unlikely to be a high priority. Get yourself on the Council waiting list and bid for anything that comes up. Contact local housing associations. Ask family and friends if they could accommodate you. There are a lot of people facing higher bills at the moment and they might want/be forced to rent out a room or rooms to a lodger - and an older, single, female lodger can be a good bet.

Can you look around for extra work? Some families with older relatives look for sleep in night carers for example - one month on one month off or similar. Could you do paid babysitting?

I think being proactive and having a list of things to do may help with the stress you are facing. I am sorry you find yourself in this position.

She is not single. She has young children and lives in a 3 bed house.

Think about if you were living in a country, with young children and one day a neighbouring country decided to invade. You flee the country with your young children, leaving behind a husband and other family not knowing if you will ever see them alive again. You dont know if you will be able to return home, if your house will still be standing.

You have to rebuild your entire life in a country where you know no one, or hardly anyone, dont necessarily understand the lenguage well and have nothing. But so e woman decides she is more worthy of somewhere to live just because she had the good fortune to be born into a country that isnt currently being invaded.

If you want compassion it goes both ways. You would have had nicer replies if you hadnt come across as rasist.

Speak to shelter.

@ThreeFeetTall

Theresa May mentioned getting rid of 'no fault' evictions in the private sector but Johnson seems to have conveniently forgotten this. It doesn't sound like he has given you the right notice. Speak to shelter. And don't vote Tory.

yes because it would close down the rental market

I'm only asking for egal reasons! Maybe I've wrote this thread out wrong- I want to know legacy as a British citizen if I can be made homeless so someone else who is homeless can be moved in. Surely this is against human rights to do this to someone especially when they have kids