Our landlord wants us to leave during the viewings

[olyaro]

Our landlord has put the flat up for sale and viewings are due to start soon. Yesterday we were told that we’re expected to leave the property during the viewings.

This would be quite difficult for us. I work from home in the mornings, and in the afternoons my child is back from nursery, so leaving the flat so regularly would be a big problem for me. This is in addition to getting the place ready for each viewing, which already takes quite a bit of time and effort. And to be honest, I’m also not comfortable with people coming into our home while we’re not there.

We’re happy to cooperate with viewings at reasonable times, but we’d prefer to stay in the flat while they take place. What do you think?

So you're gonna make it impossible for your landlord to sell their own house? You are being really selfish

Why is OP obliged to be "kind" to her landlord, who is certainly not being kind to her? It's a business transaction, not an interpersonal relationship. Unless landlord has been phenomenal (no rent increases, all repairs carried out promptly) I really wouldn't worry too much about the landlord's wants and needs.

the Landlord is being the bad guy in this instance, the tenant is the one whose legal rights are being breached and he is the one leaning on her to relinquish a legal protection she has for his own convenience.

She‘s paying for a certain set of criteria and if she does not receive them, she is entitled to exercise the legal rights provided to her in her part of this business arrangement. You can’t deal in homes as a business and then get shady when the rules aren’t in your favour. It’s grim to demand something that you know is prohibited when you’re already being allowed to do viewings before the tenant moves out.

I I don't think OP is really being obstructive - I think doing viewings on a flat that's still tenanted is weird, grabby, and hasty. I've viewed loads of properties for sale recently and viewing a run-down rental at an inconvenient time stipulated by an (understandably moody and obstructive) tenant is actually really offputting and tells me that the seller is going to be grabby.

I get my tenants into the cellar for viewings.

Why on earth should tenants worry about whether the landlord is hard up? Has your landlord ever said, "look, I know you've had a hard time lately - let's just forget the rent for this month, eh?"? If so, fab landlord - would bend over backwards for them. Otherwise, their business is their problem.

AFAIK this is not unusual, when we were looking to buy those flats/houses that were rented out, were shown to potential buyers in groups and the tenants were expected to be out. You could try just telling them that its not feasible but I doubt it would be for very long, just take your kid to the park for half an hour.

Please, could you at least research the law of landlord and tenant? The landlord is conducting a business arrangement, he allows a person the right to live in a property in exchange for rent.
As such he has to behave according to that legislation.
The tenant has to pay rent, keep to the tenancy agreement.
The property belongs to the landlord, but is the tenants home. They are entitled to quiet enjoyment.
He needs vacant possession to sell his property. The tenants don't have to leave unless the landlord has served correct notice and obtained a possession order. That's the law.
If the landlord does not obey the law, he could be in trouble legally.

You also don't need to make the place "viewer ready", you're not trying to sell, your landlord is. If a viewer can't imagine the place without your washing up in the sink or toys strewn across the floor, then they're a moron.

this is why no one wants to rent to you guys anymore you are so entitled. that's literally not your home

Don’t be difficult for the sake of it - compromise is key here - agreement on a set time for viewing were you can be out the house - better for both parties. That being said it was a whole lot easier showing our property once the tenants had left as they were incredibly messy !
I don’t really understand the level of difficulty some tenants like to impose , they’re probably selling up because they have to why make it more difficult - the inevitable will happen regardless so better to stay on good terms

Of course it's the tenant's home! What else would they possibly be paying for?

this is so grabby and entitled. I bet if your dad lent you his car its then 'your car'

It's entitled to expect to be able to live in a property you're paying rent for? I'm genuinely confused. What, in your opinion, are tenants paying for, if not a home?

None of that is the problem of the tenant.

Let us have an open invitation to theft. Or have someone urgently need the toilet and not make any effort to reduce the smell or any mess.

No is a complete sentence here.

That logic doesn't apply to anything - if you paid for a hotel room you'd expect to be able to stay there. If you hired a car you'd expect to be able to drive it. If you bought a ticket for the cinema you'd expect to be allowed in to sit down and watch the movie. Why is renting a home the one area in which exercising one's contractual rights is "grabby"?

For info I was a homeless officer for donkeys' years. I got fed up with telling landlords that they had to obey legislation. That not doing so could mean prosecution and that they could not just tell a tenant to leave. And that carrying out repairs wasn't an optional extra, but part of being a landlord. Your argument is exactly what unscrupulous landlords said, ' but I own it'. They were thoroughly unprofessional and hadn't bothered to even skim read the legislation. I truly hope you aren't a landlord.

Tell your landlord to sod off.

The landlord is not loaning the tenant the flat.

The landlord is being paid for the use of the property and must abide by the law pertaining to being a landlord.

my guess is former - and rogue - landlord

Sounds like a lot of tenants aren’t aware of their own rights and have unscrupulous landlords.

Don’t let anyone view your house without you present! I’ve had loads of stuff stolen from people viewing my houses over the years and won’t let anyone do viewings unattended now and if im renting there is no viewings as per the law!

It literally is the tenant's home.

It's not a storage unit or a PO Box.

WhT do you think the tenant is paying for every month?

Fuck that! The landlord is being a cunt and deserves nothing but contempt.
OP, be in and don’t forget to complain about the noisy neighbour/crack den next door/ poltergeist