Page 2 | Think I'm about to be homeless

lollipoprainbow · 2023-01-19T18:57:14+00:00

Urgh feel so sick and scared. Rental has been on market since October 2021 As landlord selling. Been here for ten years. Handful of viewings since then so I've sat tight as it's the perfect flat for us and in right area Been asked to fit a viewing in on Monday and it's a lady that viewed it last year. The other property she was buying has fallen through. I'm convinced she will put an offer in and I'll be asked to leave. Has anyone else been in this situation? How long does it take for a sale to go through ?

DeliberatelyObtuse · 22/01/2023 08:50

Treacletoots · 22/01/2023 08:35

@AfraidToRun you're not soft and if I thought a financial incentive could help a tenant move on I'd also consider the same.

However... the reason OP can't find a suitable onward rental home is because of a sharp decline in supply of rental properties, brought about by a large proportion of landlords leaving the sector, after continuing attacks from tax, regulation, pointless local authorities registration schemes and more.

If the proposed legislation to ban s21 come into force you can expect a further decimation of the sector which will only harm tenants since landlords will simply invest their money elsewhere, but people will always require homes to rent.

I absolutely agree with this

Tabasco007 · 22/01/2023 08:51

lollipoprainbow · 20/01/2023 07:44

@LoveCillian no but I'm expecting it next week if the viewer decides to buy.

I work in property, most estate agents won't serve notice until the buyer has done a survey and showed some sort of financial commitment and that notice when it comes will be two months. It might be worth looking for other properties to rent now, just to see what's out there. I'm my experience most sale take 3/4 months to go through. Some agents will give notice as soon as they get a buyer, but in my 27 years experience I have never encouraged this, as they could end up with an empty home. Have you looked around OP at other rentals, sorry you are in this position, I totally appreciate its a horrible place to be.

LumpyandBumps · 22/01/2023 08:58

I am a landlord and I think your landlord is trying to have his cake and eat it.

If he wants to sell he needs to follow the proper process and issue you with a Section 21 notice. When you eventually vacate ( voluntarily or via court order) he can then put the property on the market with vacant possession, and accept that he doesn’t get any more rent for it until it is sold.

It’s not even sensible to do what he is doing unless he is marketing solely to other landlords as he is likely to lose his buyer due to delays.

It is definitely in his interests to help with up front costs for a new tenancy
( presumably you will also get your initial deposit back when you leave).

Unless you want/ need to take the one way street to social housing it would be better for you to obtain other accommodation prior to court action. People who have been evicted from their previous home, normally with a CCJ for costs, are not high on a prospective landlord’s list of desirable applicants.

It must be horribly stressful for you. I hope things turn out ok in the end.

LumpyandBumps · 22/01/2023 09:05

Tabasco007 · 22/01/2023 08:51

I work in property, most estate agents won't serve notice until the buyer has done a survey and showed some sort of financial commitment and that notice when it comes will be two months. It might be worth looking for other properties to rent now, just to see what's out there. I'm my experience most sale take 3/4 months to go through. Some agents will give notice as soon as they get a buyer, but in my 27 years experience I have never encouraged this, as they could end up with an empty home. Have you looked around OP at other rentals, sorry you are in this position, I totally appreciate its a horrible place to be.

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Thank you for posting this. I found it very interesting.

I had no idea this was the normal process.

I think as a vendor I would be very nervous that the tenant didn’t vacate.

Are buyers not put off by this possibility?

Binfluencer · 22/01/2023 09:05

Is your current flat much cheaper than other rentals?

Get your landlord to write you a lovely reference and get looking for a new home. Very best of luck

Original poster

lollipoprainbow · 22/01/2023 12:04

@MyBabyLaura thank you for understanding x

OP posts:

Ember90 · 22/01/2023 12:15

Any possibility at all of you being able to buy the flat?

Original poster

lollipoprainbow · 22/01/2023 12:16

@Ember90 none at all

OP posts:

MNisMyGuiltyPleasure · 22/01/2023 12:18

LisaVanderpump1 · 20/01/2023 11:22

This. Instead of getting bogged down in who's buying the flat and how long it will take, put that energy towards finding somewhere else to live. If you have limited funds, you'll have to be realistic and open to moving to somewhere that's not so perfect for you. Take charge.

Lots of people will disagree, but I really don't support the idea of just sitting there and causing a headache for the landlord, the prospective buyer, and yourself. That situation will be really stressful for everyone and it just delays the inevitable. It's the kind of "solution" that gets thrown around a lot, but I have no doubt that if those posters that suggest it were the landlord and their tenant was stopping them from selling their property, they'd feel very differently...

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Well said

WyldeSwan · 22/01/2023 12:47

Florissant · 21/01/2023 23:28

It's the tenant's home until it is ended by either the tenant or the landlord. If the courts come into it the situation has gone too far.

It is not the landlord's responsibility to pay for a tenant's new housing.

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Nope. Only a tenant or a court can end a tenancy. A landlord cannot.

Ideally, and most often, the tenant finds somewhere to move and ends the tenancy before courts come into it.

MyBabyLaura · 22/01/2023 19:20

lollipoprainbow · 22/01/2023 12:04

@MyBabyLaura thank you for understanding x

No problem 🙂. Some people don't understand the realities of renting when you're broke. Talking of social housing as if it's always shit. Sure, you could end up in a damp hellhole with awful neighbors and a landlord that doesn't repair anything. But if you're broke this is often what private rental looks like anyway. Some social housing is fine and some housing association landlords are fine, doing repairs etc ok. Plus it's a permanent solution to a repeating problem of having to move on every time a landlord wants to sell or puts up the rent beyond what you can afford. The social housing landlord doesn't judge you for being on benefits, doesn't need a guarantor or for you to earn X times the rent to pass the financial assessment and can often accommodate pets too. It's not fun being homeless and you could lose pets and furniture being moved into temporary accommodation (because there's no room/against the rules) or be housed out of the local area and need to change jobs. But it's not the end of the world either, it'd give you some stability and the rent would forever be affordable.

Maybe when the government is faced with the housing crisis that's coming, or may already be here in some places, they'll get on and build the social housing that low income people need (and stop selling it off through Right To Buy!)

PettsWoodParadise · 22/01/2023 21:41

So many landlords are selling up for a variety of reasons. Some now making a loss due to tax changes or mortgage costs. Some as courts are so slow they can’t get possession of property ot is destabilising their agreement with a lender. Some due to requirements to improve energy performance, even when surveys show it is not possible to improve.

so sorry even OP if you start looking it is a horrible competitive market out there. Don’t saddle yourself with a CCJ but resisting any notice (of it comes) as that will put you at the bottom of the pile amd when there are 50 plus people chasing one property you need to keep in a good position. I hope it all works out for you.