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?

Because it's not for the tenant's benefit?? The tenant had to accept a stranger shitting in her toilet and leaving it shitty and stinking for the benefit of the landlord who wanted to sell the place. What a pisstake.

No it really doesn't.

I hope you ignore all the antagonistic responses here. You should choose the path of reason for a smooth exit with good reference and no hassle over deposit. The suggestions regarding negotiating a limit to viewings is the best one. Outright refusal is a mugs game causing unnecessary stress all round. Tucking valuables away for the duration is sensible. Agents wint let viewers wander unsupervised.

Ffs how many times. No it doesn’t.

Because it’s your asset to sell and presumably you are making a profit on it so any damage can be absorbed. Also they could pay for storage etc etc. surely you can see that a homeowner selling and facilitating viewings is different to a tenant who just wants to live their life without constantly living in a show home, hiding everything, packing stuff away, getting storage or having to leave their own home at random times?
We are selling our owner occupied house and we have broken our backs ensuring everything is perfect before a viewing, the clutter is gone, stuff is in storage and I ram the car with dog beds, toasters, other clutter and precious things before a viewing. It’s exhausting but it’s our house. I would not expect that of a tenant ever.

When we sold out last home we ended up doing a viewing day one Saturday. DH had to take the pets and the kids out. I hid loads of stuff in the neighbours garage (they were amazing) and I did all the showing round which was exhausting. Expecting this of a tenant on the whims of the landlord is unreasonable. If it's just one day like I did, I would be more inclined to accommodate viewings but would insist I was in the property.

You don't have to leave or tidy up! My son's flat share is up for sale and they are often in during viewings (and aren't bothered about clearing up specially!).

You have no way of knowing whether the agent will let viewers wander unsupervised if not.

YY - I think agents would quite often say - you go and have a look at those rooms. I'll wait here - rather than squeeze three people into the smallest bedroom or whatever.

Nah, absolutely not. If the viewings aren't at a time that suits you, he'll have to wait until you move out at the end of your notice period.

Exactly my point, she is being selfish. There is no need for that.

congratulations on bringing up your son with such good manners and instilling the importance of respect in him

Err, what?

she shouldn’t do something that’s not for her benefit = selfish. Lack of respect for others.

others being landlord and potential buyers.

Big assumption that the potential buyers would benefit from this. Odds are they'd prefer to wait until OP has left and buy with vacant possession!

Selfish for objecting to a stranger leaving shit in your toilet? Weird take

But the landlord is being more selfish and more lacking in respect, in wanting OP to vacate the home she is paying for, with her child and partner, just for the LL's convenience.

Agree with this.
When my flat was on the market, the estate agent expressed a preference that I wasn't present.
Also, I think that it's reasonable that the property is reasonably tidy for viewings. I have seen some terrible photos of tenanted properties on rightmove where no apparent effort has been made to make the place look reasonable and Imo, this can be disadvantageous. I am not in any way suggesting that this applies to OP.
I think you need to meet the landlord half way

Unless the landlord is giving you an incentive to prepare the home for viewings, you shouldn’t be using your personal time for the landlord’s benefit.

When I was renting in between house moves I remember feeling annoyed that out of the blue I was asked to host a viewing for prospective buyers. The flat wasn't officially on the market. It didn't happen again but I now know I'd have been quite in order to refuse.

No she doesn't 'need' to do anything of the sort. You know your agent was out of order to ask you to leave the house for viewings, right? When we had similar, the agents didn't even ask. Either they knew the law better than yours did , or they knew they would have got short shrift from us so was pointless to ask.

We remained in the house for viewings (a couple of block bookings) and an agent showed the place. They still sold in a reasonable amount of time.

Bang on!

You're missing the point.
I want to sell the flat. I can't afford to keep it empty while I do this because I don't have £700+ a month for the service charges.
If they don't agree to allow viewings I would have to evict them. Then I'd have to relet the flat and evict them if they won't show prospective buyers the flat. And so on endlessly.
I think what you are advocating is completely callous

Anyone who lets a property should be entering into it knowing that the property will be empty at times. Whether it's between tenants or when they want to sell. It should factor into the rent asked for, and how the landlord accounts for it. It would be silly not to put some of the rent aside every month for this eventuality. I don't understand how you could assume that you would never not have the rent coming in.

Not at all. What you are suggesting that you would do is extremely callous. You are proposing treating tenants terribly because of your poor financial planning as a landlord. The tenants pay for quiet enjoyment of their home. As a LL, you need to understand the legal position, never mind the moral position that this is your tenant's home and that they are not just there to pay your bills.