Selling property to a tenant

[justgeton]

Not sure if this should be here or in legal matters but...

If you were to sell a property to tenants who have been there many years does the letting agent/estate agent have a right to charge fees?

What would the letting agent have to do with this? You serve notice to end your contract with them and arrange the sale between solicitors. Unless you're still under contract with the letting agent somehow and need to pay to break that then they should not get anything if you sell

Depends on the contract between you and your agent - does it state there will be a charge?

Underhand if it charges a fee, but I have sadly seen it before :(

They have stated their fees to sell. I was really shocked and have no intention of paying them. They will need to negotiate a price (it's fully managed and I have no contact details for the tenants) but even so.

I'll check the contract

Our contract says we have to pay just over a grand.

If you have a property managed by an agent it will be in your contract with the agency that you have to pay a fee if a tenant they found buy's the house. The only thing you might be able to do is negotiate the fee down.

I guess it would be no different from how a recruitment agency works... They essentially want a finders fee

www.gov.uk/cma-cases/foxtons-hidden-fees-in-lettings-agreements-with-consumer-landlords

I'm not a legal person but I researched this some time ago. If it wasn't made obvious to you and is hidden in an old contract, I don't think you have to pay it.

I always cross the sales clause out in rental agreements - most letting agents still slip it into letting agreements but they never bat an eyelid when I strike it through before signing.

Thank you all