Rights as Tenants to Garages

[mindutopia]

We have been tenants renting a detached home with garage (detached from our house but on our property) for 3 years. Our home is part of a larger property of several rural cottages and was purchased by a new owner (who is now our new landlord) about a year ago. Our landlords are basically hoarders and they have recently notified us that they intend to claim back our garage as their own and use it for their own things. This means we won't have any sort of outside storage space for riding lawnmower (we have a really big garden and a lot of space that is ours to care for in our lease, so an absolute necessity). We also have a vehicle that needs to be stored indoors (vintage, also easy to steal). There have been a lot of vehicle thefts in our village in the past few months so the garage has been a godsend, otherwise our stuff would have been stolen. We also just need it for general storage of outdoor equipment, etc.

Our tenancy is a really basic one. It's literally a form the previous landlord basically printed off the internet that only lists the address on it, doesn't specify exactly what property is included in the tenancy. But the garages are obviously ours to use, by verbal agreement from the previous landlord, and they are on our property. But the tenancy itself doesn't really specify what it's for. I'm wondering what rights we have to make a claim that these garages are in fact ours and to fight our landlords claim to basically re-claim them for their own use? Would a verbal agreement with a previous landlord be enough? Is the fact that we've have exclusive use of them (our lock is on them and we are the only ones with the key) for three years, with this landlord and also with our previous landlord for 2 years without any questions asked be enough? Or do we have no rights because we have this really basic tenancy that doesn't actually say what is included in it? They've obviously been taking our money for them for the past year with no dispute!

We are going to see a solicitor and also CAB this week to get some advice, but wanted to perhaps know if anyone else has been in this situation? I have just started mat leave (with no contract to go back to after as my contract expired at start of mat leave) and our daughter has just started in the local village school. So to be forced to move now would be devastating, but we would have no choice as we need secure outdoor storage and would have to pack up and go elsewhere.

That's awful. I have no idea, but I'd assume if you are renting x address it automatically includes everything unless specified otherwise. I suspect they will need to amend the contract at the next renewal to do this. When is that due?

In my experience the tenant gets the whole property unless specified otherwise in a tenancy agreement.

So yes, they will need to amend the contract at next renewal. If you can't agree, they can give you notice.

Are all the other legals in place?

What is your position re insurance? Are you paying contents insurance which mentions the garage contents, might be additional proof that you have had exclusive use of the garage for the time of your tenancy.

You should at least get a decent reduction in rent or could the landlord build a large storage shed on the land so that you have another place to keep your stuff, at their expense of course?

I suspect you're right about the tenancy renewal. If I remember correctly, our tenancy was 6 months and then became month to month until one of us opted to terminate it. There's no way in hell they would ever reduce our rent or build a separate space for us. They're millionaires, but cheap as anything. They live in a 12 bedroom house and have about 10,000 sq ft of warehouse/storage space (on the same property as we live, it's really big with lots of cottages and agricultural land). It's taken them about 10 months to fill 12 bedrooms and 10,000 sq ft to the rafters with rubbish (literally, rubbish they've picked up from car boot sales). Any space they built for us would be claimed back and filled up with junk soon enough just like the garage would, I suspect.

Scary - and I also think that wrecking property (which hoarding does) is revolting.

So...legals? Are you aware you can refuse access?

Surely if you rent the property, it includes the gardens and driveway. Legally the landlord can't enter the property without express permission or giving you adequate notice for periodic inspections.

So how would the landlord get to have use of the garage?

That's grim and I sympathise. But I doubt you will have any right to continue using the garage if the new owner says it's not part of the property especially if it's a detached garage and you have nothing in writing re the previous arrangements as regards the use of the garage. But certainly seek legal advice.

OP I suggest you go back to them - in writing - and state you rent the whole property, i.e. the house and the garage. I would make it clear that you would never have rented just the house because of the need to store the equipment required to maintain the garden and to store a vehicle. Just leave it at that for now and see what they come back with. You have the right to quiet enjoyment of the place so how is that going to work if they come and access the garage and it's contents whenever they feel like it?

I'm in middle of a mutual exchange I have a linked garage not on house down the road in a block but when the last people withdrew I stupidly let them have garage to store boxes in but now they said I could shove garage but because he brought lock he's keeping keys how can i get in it

I have a linked garage to my council house tenacy was doing a mutual exchange and they withdrew but let them use garage to store boxes but now he said I can shove garage and he got lock so he's taken keys that was 5months ago that I've been locked out of garage shall I change lock

You need to start your own thread.

I ve tried I don't know how to

Go to the Property/DIY board. Don't open any thread. Click on "add thread" in the menu at the bottom of the page.