First time buyer, current lease due to end in August

[Chkchk]

We were due to start looking a few weeks ago but of course everything has now changed.

By what point do we need to start panicking about our current lease? If, say, lockdown hasn't been lifted by mid-may, do we need to think about trying to find a way to stay here?

Ideally we'd renew on a periodic tenancy but I think our landlord will be very difficult about it. He's difficult about most things and I'm sure will see that we're in a vulnerable position and take the opportunity to screw us over with another year-long contract. Is there anything we can do to increase our chances of him agreeing a periodic tenancy after this one is up?

Should we just start looking now given the pressures on our current tenancy? Or is that totally foolish given what may happen to house prices after this and the fact we can't go see anywhere in person?

Assuming you mean AST / fixed term tenancy rather than lease then you don;t have to do anything. The term will end and it automatically becomes a periodic tenancy if you don't sign any other renewal doc.

But I think if we don't sign another AST he will just ask us to leave..

Watching with interest.

England? Read your how to rent guide or get it from gov.uk if you weren't given one. (and if you weren't, you can't be evicted) Your use of 'ask to leave' indicates that you don't know that it doesn't work like that. Please get clued up, bad landlords prey on ill-informed tenants.

if you are still there when the fixed term ends you create a periodic tenancy. The landlord can do nothing to stop that.

He cannot force you to sign another fixed term. He can ask you to leave but he can't end the tenancy, he can only go through the appropriate process and eventually get the bailiffs to end the tenancy.

Surely he is in the same boat? He is unable to get anyone in to view it in the current circumstances. I wouldn't jump just yet.

It will legally become a periodic tenancyautomatically and he would need to give the correct notification to leave.

I would not look to panic buy right now , as it is so uncertain as what the damage to the economy and housing market will be.

I would wait until he approaches you.

Obviously you don't wish to be locked in for 12 months, but even if you found the perfect house now it would be 3 to 4 months before completion. That's on normal times, not taking into consideration all the people who have had there existing sales put on hold who will need to complete etc which might delay it further.

If he approaches you I would try and negotiate six months.

He won’t ask you to leave if you’re a good paying tenant. Landlords up and down the country would kill to have a reliable paying tenant in this current situation.

He will be delighted you are staying. Month by month will be perfect for you.
Look online at anything that comes up and make contact with agents for when viewings can take place again.

@mencken can an estate agent make you sign a new contract though? Will they also someone to roll onto an AST?

*allow, not also.

please do not swallow the propaganda from the Guardian, Shelter and on here. The only person in this situation who can make you do anything is the bailiff, who can evict you after proper and lengthy process. You have no contractual relationship with the agent anyway.

evictions take at least six months from the arrival of the section 21 - which is a possible if you go on to a rolling tenancy. At the moment ALL evictions are stalled (tough if you live next to a drug den) and it will be at least a year.

again - read that how to rent if this is England. If not, look up your country's tenancy laws.