As a tenant, how often to I need to agree to show a house?

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

We're currently renting a house. Our landlord told us he wanted to sell, so we've been doing our best to make time when his agent can show the house. It is, of course, very disruptive with a small child in the house to try to keep the place in order.

We've finally found a new place, and have been told we need to stay until the end of Feb. Fine. I am now not feeling as helpful as I did before. So, how often do we need to show this house for him? Would once a week be sufficiently accommodating?

Any advise would be appreciated, thanks!

I should add, I'm not feeling particularly spiteful, I just really don't need the stress of having to clean up here several times a week when I'm now trying to sort things in the new place. In addition to feeling mildly peeved at the moment.

You don't have to at all. LL has no right of access except in emergency. You certainly don't need to be tidying! It is your home as long as you are renting it.

Legally, you don't have to do anything at all. You do not have to allow the agent access at all. Even if it says you do in your tenancy agreement - that's not legal.

And you definitely don't need to do any tidying!

Decent landlords don't sell the place from under their tenants. They give the tenants notice to quit and then put it up for sale afterwards. If they do want to put it on the market while the tenants are there, they go and ask very very nicely and offer a rent reduction in return for the inconvenience.

If you've got a new place you could be moving into sooner, I'd be talking to your landlord - tell him you don't want to put up with the inconvenience any longer so you won't be accepting any more viewings, and would he perhaps prefer to let you off the end of your tenancy?

Bertha (great name!) yes, I've contacted the landlord via email and he responded that he thought, according to the contract, that I had to give two months' notice. He's thinking of the amount of notice he needs to give us, of course, but it's essentially telling me that he's going to go by the contract.

So I have contacted the letting agent to ask when is the soonest we can be out by. I suspect it will be the end of Feb, because I think the month starts with the next time we're due to pay rent, which is the end of this month. (I could be more specific but I don't have the contract in my files, I think DH does in his)

I realise I'm being a bit petty, but as we were the ones running around over the holidays trying to sort a new place, and cleaning for viewings, etc because he wanted to sell, I thought he'd be nice and let us go once we found a place. Obviously I was wrong, so I'm just trying to find out what's expected of us.

It gives us some time to decorate, I suppose, but of course we'd rather not be paying yet another months rent. oh well. :(

and thank you for the responses, I think I will do that, Natasha.

And the letting agent has just now got back to me to tell me we actually need to give 2 months notice. FFS.

I don't suppose anyone knows what I should quote if I want to say this, regarding not wanting to show the property now? I don't know much about the law in this country (I'm from the US originally) but I know I've seen people mention the law in regard to this sort of situation. Am just drafting the response now.

Have you got your tenancy agreement? Check what it says about the notice period - if you have a standard assured shorthold tenancy then the landlord has to give you 2 months but you only have to give him 1 month. If you haven't got it, ask your agent for it.

Also check whether it says you have to let viewers round. If it doesn't, there is no argument.

If it does, they still have to give you 24 hours notice in writing, every single time. You can refuse viewings at any time that is not convenient to you (so maybe weekends and evenings are not convenient). You can refuse viewings if they are too often (1 a fortnight might be manageable). And you definitely don't have to clean or tidy first.

The relevant phrase for all this is "covenant of quiet enjoyment" - which basically means your landlord has to leave you in peace.

'I realise I'm being a bit petty, but as we were the ones running around over the holidays trying to sort a new place, and cleaning for viewings, etc because he wanted to sell, I thought he'd be nice and let us go once we found a place. Obviously I was wrong, so I'm just trying to find out what's expected of us.'

Petty? I wouldn't tidy up shit. And yy, check your contract, mostly you have to give 1 month notice.

STUFF HIM and trying to sell his house! That's not your problem. What Bertha said, if there's no clause about it, then I'd tell him to shove off with the viewings. And even if you have to have them, why bother tidying to sell his house for him?

Oh, I agree, expat. I did it because up until oh, today, he's been an entirely reasonable and nice landlord. We've been here for a few years. I just thought we'd be accommodating. Obviously I was being silly.

DH has to look for our agreement when he gets home. I usually have this sort of paperwork in my files but he's got it in his, I think.

I am so, so annoyed right now.

even if there is a clause about it in the contract, you don't have to allow anyone into your home if you don't want them there.