Messy tenants impacting sale

[catwithwhiskers]

We own a property and are letting it out as we are working in another city due to DH work. We are set to return in September and are wanting to sell our property (2 bed apartment) to a family starter home. We have tenants currently living in the apartment (a couple) and they are due to vacate at the end of August. Of course sale would need to go through after the tenants have vacated.

A letting agent has been to the property to do a valuation and they have said that the property is very very untidy and there are some small maintenance issues which should be addressed before going to market (no problem getting these fixed). We haven't been informed of the maintenance issues by the tenant or agent and it looks like it's been an ongoing issue for a while. I realised that I missed an inspection report from October last year (went into spam) where they said everything was fine but you can see in the photos that the property is not kept very clean or tidy (crumbs and bits on the side, unmade beds etc).

My concern is that our messy tenant could impact our sale. The type of buyer we would have is most likely a first time buyer and some may not be able to see past this mess. What do I do? I don't want marketing photos being taken where the property isn't well presented and it puts people off or people come and view and it's a mess too.

Would appreciate any advice! TIA

You could incentivise the tenants to keep it better - or pay for a cleaner or the such like - may be more willing to let viewings happen if that's the case. Just make sure you do issue the section 21 - hopefully they will go quietly.

This^
First time buyers wouldn’t like buying with tenants still living. It sounds too risky.

If you want them out in August issue notice now - that gives them until June, then time to go to court and then time to go back to court again before August (just).

Also offer to allow them out of their contract before August if they are able to find a property earlier.
August is one of the worst times of the year to look for accommodation especially if you live in a busy city.

They have a better probability of finding somewhere without too much hassle from now to June.

July - October becomes really competitive to rent and that’s when it can then become a problem for them leaving as they could come back and say they haven’t been able to find anything.

But definitely serve your notice regardless.

You definitely have to issue a formal notice that the tenancy is ending. You can issue it whenever you are ready, but the move out date can’t be before the end of the lease.

The tenants don’t have to do anything to facilitate the sale. You can however offer incentives for their cooperation. You could pay them to leave early. You could pay them to clean and cooperate with viewings. Really though, until the lease ends, it is their home and they have the right to use it as they wish.

I probably have been naive about this. We never intended to rent it out but DH job demanded we move and so we had to quickly rent it out and it is fully managed by an estate agent. We are very early stages in this process and I wanted some advice as I don't know any landlords and a lot of the information online is from the perspective of a tenant.

Isn't that the great thing about forums like Mumsnet, that we can gather information from people who do have experience and knowledge.

I appreciate the helpful posts and insights from sellers and potential buyers.

No. If you're a landlord you should make it your business to be aware of the laws and requirements upon you, not need to ask on Mumsnet.

If you have a friendly relationship with your tenants, have you thought about talking to them about this? Explain that you're looking to sell (as you have), ask if they would be happy for viewings near the end of their tenancy with decent notice.

Wait till they vacate and then advertise the property.

I had to leave a previous rental because the landlords were selling and honestly, I wish I'd asserted my rights as a tenant a bit more.

I didn't and was massively inconvenienced with estate agents coming in, then viewings etc that I felt I had to be out for.

And I am obsessively clean and tidy, always have been so the landlord had no concerns there but when I looked at the advertisement of the flat on the sites, it was so jarring as it was all MY stuff. My pictures, my furniture etc and even though I'd consented, I was scared to assert myself and say no to things and it weirdly felt like a violation. I'd lived there for 14 years, it was my home that I didn't want to leave but didn't own it so had to.

And of course I know the landlord owned the property etc etc but really, so much stress and distress for me as a human being who'd always been a great tenant could have been avoided if the landlord hadn't been money-grabbing and not willing to have e.g a month empty where they weren't receiving income.

This was all during covid too.

Well if you know of any resources please do share. As I said, it's early stages. I'm in the process of making it my business and understanding what the process is.

I'm in the process of buying a house at the moment, just waiting for it to go through. I looked at 9 houses and probably 100 on line.

Tenants would put me off regardless of what I'm told about them moving out

Mess wouldn't bother me. I can see past that just like I can see past the current furniture etc

Thanks for your insight here and I can completely understand where you are coming from.

I know it's a huge inconvenience having viewings and you should also be able to live your life without having lots of viewings and feeling like you can't be in your own home. Also about the pictures having your belongings in.

Based on everyone's feedback I think we will just wait until the property is vacant, and then go from there. The maintenance issues will resolve them beforehand.

I viewed lots of properties with my sibling who was looking to buy a flat. Most of them were tenanted and we accepted that meant a degree of messiness. We were courteous to tenants, knocking on internal doors before entering etc.
I'd offer to pay for a cleaner to come and clean and tidy the house before photos to help make it look a bit better. If there are things that need doing you can tell the estate agent that xxx will be fixed prior to sale and they can inform buyers.
I don't think it was too much of an issue IMHO. If you wait for vacant possession then your property will be empty for potentially a long time and that can put people off too especially without furniture it can be hard for some people to visualise

That sounds like a good plan.

Thanks for reading my post and others and taking it on board. 🥰

That's a good idea. I would worry that they felt pressure to look and find somewhere earlier than planned, especially if it's a busy time for them in their own lives. I wouldn't want them to feel pushed out. I could float the idea but let them know it's no problem if not.

This is a very reasonable approach, but OP should not assume that currently friendly tenants will stay that way - obviously, many will, but best to treat them professionally and nicely, but not to assume they are friends.

OP, if you have no urgent need to sell the house straight from them vacating it, I imagine it would be much less stressful to wait until you know they property is empty and move back in temporarily yourselves. Any required maintenance can be done, it can be kept tidy with just the right amount of furniture and belongings (with anything else in storage) and you can ensure the house is up to scratch for viewings, with no alarm bell of sitting tenants for prospective buyers.

OP, you are showing a worrying lack of understanding about how tenancy agreements work. An AST does not end just because the fixed period has ended!

Give them first refusal?

I'm always amazed there are so many scruffy tenants out there, although clearly there are, we rent a beautiful unfurnished family home and keep it in really nice order- an agent could put it on the market tommorrow with photos- my 25 year old son and his GF and a friend rent a2 bedder , 2 bath in London and it always looks lovely - it annoys me when the implication is all tenants live like pigs-we did used to own and viewed many 'owned' houses that were a right state too

You lost me at unmade beds .... it's their HOME. How dare you judge.

This. My bed is unmade today. I wasn't aware that it was so much of an issue.

I did do some really valuable work today though, which was much more important than making the bed.

If you're looking at serving a S21 notice I hope you've got evidence of gas safety certificate, EPC and how to rent guide being sent to the tenants and you've properly protected any deposit ......

Don't forget the crumbs and bits on the side... who lives like that???

(oh yes, me)

We recently were shown round a house on the maket by an agent and opened one of the doors to look in a bedroom where there was a half naked tenant passed out in a bed.

The tennants do not have to get out of their beds, make their beds, or wipe up their crumbs, and as friendly as you feel you are they're not going to go out of their way for you to sell the roof that's over their heads.

Get vacant posession and then do what you need to do.