When to tell tenant contract won't be renewed?

[WhenToTell]

Just looking for perspectives from both sides. We rent out a flat above our business premises. Current tenant has been there 8 years and has a 7 Yr old child. On the whole she's been ok, although we often have to chase her for the rent and she has small pets for her child when contract states no pets. She's also had boyfriends over the years who have smoked (tobacco and weed) in the flat, when contract states no smoking.

Things have been a bit strained since last year when DH spoke to her about the smell of weed seeping into the business premises.

The current contract ends in August next year and we won't be renewing as we're retiring and the site is being redeveloped. We had planned to tell her this August, to give her 12 months to get used to the idea and prepare. Her little boy is lovely and I'd hate for things to be difficult for them.

We've just found out she's now pregnant, due in September. Telling a pregnant single parent that her tenancy is ending next August seems so cold, but then when's a good time? If we leave it until 6 months before the contract ends she'll have an 8 Yr old and a 5 month old. Rental prices have increased substantially here, as everywhere, and the rent she pays us for a large 2 bed flat is now what a room in a house share with shared kitchen would cost.

Husband thinks we tell her in August as planned, but I think she has enough on her plate and we should wait until later in the year. Although she has a decent job and income, I have a feeling she won't be able to afford to rent a similar property and she'll be advised to refuse to leave until evicted so the local HA has a duty to rehome, which could take months. Having said that, we have no idea what relationship she has with the father of the new baby (nobody lives with her) and maybe they have their own plans, who knows!?

Just interested in the views of others from either side of the situation. When's the best time to put the wheels in motion to be fair to her and reduce the chance of complications for us?

Tell her sooner rather than later; I don't think it's any worse telling a pregnant woman she's being evicted than a new mother.

Would you be willing to let her move out earlier if she found somewhere sooner?

I agree with your husband - tell her in August as planned. She’s a grown woman, it’s not for you to manage her emotions or reactions. She’ll live, I’m sure 🙂

So she has 15 or so months left to run on the tenancy? Do either side have any break clauses?

I think it’s worth anticipating that the tenancy May over run by 2/3 months with a drawn out eviction process.

I wouldn’t feel that the pregnancy particularly swayed me in any direction.

Tell her sooner rather than later so she has ample time to look as the rental market is few and far between. Let her go early if she finds somewhere and try and have an honest conversation about the potential for bailiffs and council housing as that takes a long time. it may be that if that’s the route she’s going down she may prefer you to start that process sooner as it’s shit for everyone and drags on.

Tell her sooner rathet than later. You're making it harder, not easier, if you give her less notice.

Tell her sooner than later. You know moving is likely going to be difficult, so give her as much time as possible to make arrangements.

to be really fair, you could consider telling her now. She might decide to move out rather than renew for another year, but it would give you a clean exit and give her the opportunity to move while pregnant instead of with a baby.

Of course sooner rather than later. It’s not going to be any less stressful for her if she has less time to prepare.

Tell her sooner rather than later. You're making it harder for her by waiting. Infact I would probably tell her now.

I’d tell her now too. It’s easier to move when pregnant, than it is with a new born!

Yes, there's a 2 month break clause on either side.

Tell them now. They need as much notice as possible

I would tell her now or as soon as possible.
If she found somewhere sooner I would waiver the notice period - to ensure a smooth exit if possible.

Tell her now so she has as much time as possible to find somewhere else.

Tell her now and actually if you can give her formal notice so you can start the eviction process if needed so she can be rehomed.

Tell her now and open a dialogue so that if she requires a court order and beliefs you can prepare as well.

Exactly this.

Maybe she will have to move in with family. The longer she has to come terms with the financial reality, the better.

Yes, there's a break clause in the contract so she could give us 2 months' notice, but having read various posts on here about the state of the private rental sector I'm concerned she may be advised to sit tight and go through the legal eviction process.

Could you try selling with a sitting tenant? It's an income stream for whoever takes over the business premises?

If she ended up moving out early, could you cover the cost of the flat without a tenant?

I would tell her as early as possible. It will be easier for her to look for a new place if she hasn’t got to take a baby with her everywhere.

The sire is being redeveloped so I don’t think the flat will be available

Yes that's right, the whole place will be a building site an uninhabitable.

We'd miss the additional income but the mortgage is paid off so we'd manage. We could probably get a short term tenant for a year as we're very close to a major hospital and university.

Ah, that could work really well then.

Hi OP, in your shoes I'd tell her now and set an end date for the tenancy which is the earliest possible - perhaps earlier than you had planned - so that you factor in time for a lengthy eviction process just in case that's the way it goes. You are right that the HA may advise her to force you to make her homeless if she wishes to into a HA place.

I would tell her sooner and give shorter notice. Realistically, time to go through the eviction process to get her a LA / HA place and still sell on your timescale. If you live in an area where people do actually get social housing places.

Otherwise, tell her asap and give the longest possible notice so that she has time to save, consider her work options etc.