Would you purchase a house with sitting tenants ?

[mumof2teentoddler]

Just that really - we have an open house with 8 viewings and we are the tenants… we do have a date for the section 21 where we need to be vacant by end of May but at the moment there’s no rentals we can find. so very worried. Just wondered if this would put potential buyers off, or not.

We are very sad but understand that this can happen and the landlord wants his house back of course. We tided the house as much as we can with 2 children !

Exactly, I'm a landlord, and fortunate to have long standing, superb tenants of over 20 years - If they left I would not be re-letting the property as a standard let - I'd be looking at holiday lettings as its in a suitable location.

I've always been a responsible landlord, and I do agree with the ending of S21, but a landlord is still permitted to evict to sell, or live in it themselves, and the fact that local authorities are advising tenants to stay put and be evicted is plain wrong, not only for the landlord but the tenant too, they will find it very difficult to get a private rental if evicted.

But surely your argument applied to a skint tenant who can't find somewhere else to live - a tenant with a decent job / income etc. should be pro actively looking for alternative accommodation from the date they are advised that their tenancy is ending, that could be temporary or permanent - but if they have the means they should be moving out.

I would advise you to meet with your current landlord and understand his objectives of selling and see if you can find a win/win. For example…,

• if you agree to leave with no quibble can you stay after may as it is unlikely that the house will have sold by that date (conveyancing is taking 4+ months), this would avoid any vacant periods for the landlord.
• could you buy? If the landlord has the property professionally valued (quantity surveyor) he could then gift you the saved estate agent fees and you could use this as a deposit, also he has no vacant period.
• it is possible a new landlord may buy it which means you could stay in place, however u should expect a rent increase.
• finally be prepared to leave, continue to look for rental options, be creative (park home, apartment?)

honestly I would be careful in forcing your landlords hand (unless u really have to) by staying put as things can get very stressful for all. Even if u have nowhere to go talk to your landlord to see if you can find a reasonable compromise. The landlord may well be selling to avoid the renters rights bill. If this is his concern can you offer reassurance around his concerns that shows you will always be a reasonable tenant regardless and won’t force him to jump through hoops at a later date to get his property back.

Great advice thank you, pretty much done it all and considered all!
we definitely won’t be going down the court route or letting it that far, with all things considered from everyone thank you to all.
we will just keep in communication with him and just hope we find something nice enough by May and go into some form of temporary move until we are mortgage ready, that’s the plan

Video your house carefully before allowing viewings.
My friend was furious to find expensive makeup gone from her bathroom cabinet after a two hour viewing window.

Many people would. My ex-landlord wanted to sell up in 2020 and I think it was the 2nd viewing that bought it.

I couldn't actual afford to move at that point and the council told me to wait till they took it to court and I had bailiffs at the door which would take over a year they said.

Luckily I was able to borrow some money and move out but it really was a risk for the new buyer that could have backfired.

Sigh.

• Any tenant should proactively look for a new home when given a S21. I have said this twice on this thread already.
• At the same time, any tenant, no matter how well-off or close to "mortgage-ready", may struggle to find a new home in time and so should not compromise their emergency housing safety net by becoming "intentionally homeless".

Both those things are true. My argument applies to any tenant.

The change to rental law is motivating many small-scale landlords to sell up. In the absence of sufficient social housing, this is reducing the supply of rented homes. Renters all over the country are getting S21s from their landlords who are selling up. This is increasing demand for rented homes. Under these circumstances of increased demand and decreased supply, even someone well-off may struggle to find another let. No renter, right now, can be sure that they won't end up having to be evicted by bailiffs and given emergency accommodation by the council.

I think many small landlords mis-understand the renters rights bill, they don't understand that there are still valid reasons for giving tenants notice (it they fail to pay rent, if you want to sell, if you are moving back in yourself).

No-fault eviction was always a bad idea, as it is abused by landlords, and given that there are rogue tenants as well as rogue landlords, many small landlords are selling up.

I'm not, I have great tenants, who have been with me over 20 years, if however they left, I would probably turn it into a holiday let. My hope is they won't, and may eventually buy it from me.

Nope.

I agree. The effect remains, though.

Yes but have you seen the standard of council 'temporary' accomodation.

I know someone that was housed in temp accommodation it was absolutely awful, was a client I was working with at the time. I doubt for us we will be going down that route,i mean I get it’s there if people are desperate/ street homeless but I don’t think that’s the answer for us…..there are rentals in different towns fairly far away which may have to come to it if by May if nothing comes up in the vicinity- or the next town along is doable for school bus and me driving my little one to the school we’ve chosen but there’s still no rentals there at the moment ….or we downsize to a 2 bed to get the town we want but again nothing here at the moment, we have a bit of time but not loads and it’s so worrying just sitting waiting for something to come up. Waiting and worrying and trying not to piss of the landlord balancing temp accommodation which will be awful and stressful

You seem to be looking at this with blinkers on. Forcing eviction proceedings is not my tenants only option. She can find a tenancy and we can communicate with each other about how the search is going and I can assist her with good references and extending the notice period/holding off advertising the property.

This is not Tenant v LL. Many of your/others posts make it sound that way. You create litigation where it is not required.

This is not about hurty feelings and that is condescending of you to suggest so. Do I want to be evicted for not paying my own mortgage? You seem to imply that that reality is a hurty feeling? Or is it only hurty feeling because I am a LL who wants to sell.

I kept rent extremely low to assit the current family and the two tenants before her. There was no significant gain. Id had a similar set up with my LL twenty years ago and I paid it forward. Not all LL are fleecing their tenants. My preference is to keep rent low so they can save for a deposit (which is what my LL did for me).

No but that doesn’t mean someone won’t in this case.

An inflatable liferaft is not a five-star stateroom cabin on a superyacht, but it's still better than drowning.

But why put yourself in that position. Keep on good terms with your landlord and get a reference. Leave in a timely manner.

Tenants playing awkward just to save a few quid on future rentals harms themselves. Thinking of short term only is foolish.

No landlord will rent to them again. They are at the mercy of the Council.

For the last fucking time, I am talking about the specific situation where the OP runs out of tenancy before she manages to find a place to live.

It's a safety net that hopefully she won't need, but she must not compromise it by making herself "intentionally homeless" because she might end up needing it.

Having my car's airbag go off in my face isn't my only option for surviving my commute. Yet I'd be an utter muppet if I disabled the airbags.

Start looking now and move to a different village. Definitely better than temporary housing. Why would anyone choose that. Self destruct option.

The tenant may not be able to find a replacement let in time.

SIgh.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/5490287-would-you-purchase-a-house-with-sitting-tenants?reply=150541741

Landlords are selling up. Rentals are really hard to find right now. OP might spend 24/7 looking and not find somewhere right now.

No one has told OP not to look for a replacement let.

It is a let not a purchase, so doesn't have to stay there long term. OP might not find her ideal property but she finds the best available. (There are still rentals available).

Then in time makes plans to relocate to somewhere that suits her needs.

She should do that and at the same time know that, if it all implodes and she runs out of time, she should stay put.

No one is suggesting that she puts her head in the sand and doesn't flathunt.

I wouldn’t, and IMO viewings should wait until you’ve actually left - and I say this as a LL myself. As a tenant you are legally entitled to ‘quiet enjoyment’ which does not include random strangers traipsing around your home!

Well the viewings we’ve had so far don’t seem to mind, it’s been very busy with a second viewing too…they sounded like they may be making an offer but yes I do find it hard but never the less we know we need to find somewhere so trying to be accommodating as possible. Just don’t feel the need to be obstructive. its a horrid situation to be in

In that case, I assume the owner is willing to sell below the comparable market rate. A potential owner occupier would not want the hassle.