Some advice on landlord rules/laws

[diamondsonthesolesofhershoes]

Our landlady has just sold up, and the new owners have big plans for completely renovating/extending the building.
The new owner came round today, we were out but he spoke to our neighbour who has just come round and relayed the conversation to me. They intend to ask us all to move to another of their properties nearby allowing them to do the work on our flat.
We signed our current contract with the old owner and it lasts until June.
Does anybody know exactly where we stand on this? Does our contract mean that they have to let us stay in this property or just that they provide a property?
Having looked up their other place online, it is to let for around £100 pcm more than we pay at the moment, and we simply could not manage it.

I think they would need to give you the standard notice period to 'quit' if they wanted to force you out, and not honour the full term of the existing contract. (Normally two months, on a shorthold tenancy, I think). If they have work planned they are perfectly entitled to serve notice in order to do so, but must stay within the law as to how they go about it. I don't think they are obliged to provide alternative accomodation, so I am guessing they are keen to keep tenants/cashflow in place and hence this offer of another place. Perhaps when you talk to them directly they will offer the alternative at the same price you are paying?

Renting is a pain sometimes, and has much less security than it should do

I'm just desperate to make sure no upheaval happens before June. I've got 3 months left of my final year at uni, and I'm fraught and very stressed as it is, really do not need to move again. After that I suppose we'll just have to suck it up.
Do you know if this is something Shelter can advise on?

I must add, I am absolutely no expert.

I would think that Shelter may be able to help, and possibly CAB, as well. If you only need 3 months, it could be well worth speaking to the new landlord directly and trying to come to an arrangement. Property overhauls take an age to set up , and rarely go ahead on time, in my experience. They may be happy for your guaranteed rent up to the three months, and then a mutual parting of ways with no fuss, rather than arguments and unpleasant eviction notices later down the line. Definitely speak to them before panicking

They have to give you whatever notice period is stated in your contract. These vary on fixed term contracts so you need to read yours to find out. They can't force you to move just because they want you to.

It's worth communicating with your LL as they may be completely reasonable and happy to discuss and negotiate. I doubt they want to evict you if you're a good tenant so may be prepared to give you a discount in your rent in exchange for your flexibility and cooperation.

Thanks very much for the advice, I'm hoping to speak to him at some point but as of yet we have no contact details for him so we'll just wait for him to get in touch.

My contract states that if work needs to be done on the building while we are living there than our landlord has to cover the cost of our accomoadation at the time. YOu shoudln't have to be paying anymore than you pay to live in your house now.

Are you in an annual (student-type) let? If so, not sure whether the two-month notice that is standard in the rest of the renting world applies.

Your students' union will be pretty clued up about accommodation problems - I'd go and have a chat with them too.

No, I live with dp in a privately rented property. All this is just making me wish we'd gone through a letting agent to be honest. Still haven't managed to get hold of the new owner's phone number but I'm going to ring Shelter tomorrow just so I know what our rights are before I speak to him.

Hope everything is going OK for you. I second Spindelina's advice - even if it is a private rent your Students' Union will have loads of experience helping students with similar problems, and can sometimes write on your behalf to the Landlord etc. Do give them a try.