I don't know the actual law or your tenancy agreement of course. But a request to allow a potential purchaser access the the property for viewing, with several days notice, seems entirely reasonable to me. I'm with the "why be a nob?" brigade. Unless relationships are already strained or there will be an absolute flood of people then I don't see the point of denying a reasonable request.
Rules for Landlords requesting access to a property
- Thread starter Skeeter
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Its the flood of people that is my main concern. I get the feeling the actual sale is a bit of a fishing mission. It sniffs a bit of just testing the waters, with the potential for some mates rates deal or something.
Basically, if I'm going to open my door to anyone who wants to come in, and be turfed out in 2 months, I want to know that now.
Put simply, a stranger wants to come into my house, and as a result of letting them I could be kicked out in 2 months. I don't think its unreasonable to want a bit more confidence in the situation.
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It's not your house.
Personally I would allow the first visit and maybe a few more. If it turns into a flood I'd then put my foot down and decline it as unreasonable unless he arranged them all in one session (e.g. a couple of open days).
Unfortunately it's not your property and you have no ability to stop the owner wanting to sell it. It really depends on what your tenancy agreement says. If it is for a minimum period of 12 months then you will be a sitting tenant. But if notice can be served then being awkward will simply make it more likely the owner will want you out.
EDIT: Again if it were me I'd be having a polite conversation with the landlord and asking what his plans were and offering to co-operate wherever possible and reasonable. For all you know he may be wanting to sell it as a let property to the new owner and keeping a good relationship with him may work in your favour. Admittedly it still may result in you having to find a new place, as per your tenancy, but I don't see much of a downside in being cooperative at this point.
Unfortunately it's not your property and you have no ability to stop the owner wanting to sell it. It really depends on what your tenancy agreement says. If it is for a minimum period of 12 months then you will be a sitting tenant. But if notice can be served then being awkward will simply make it more likely the owner will want you out.
EDIT: Again if it were me I'd be having a polite conversation with the landlord and asking what his plans were and offering to co-operate wherever possible and reasonable. For all you know he may be wanting to sell it as a let property to the new owner and keeping a good relationship with him may work in your favour. Admittedly it still may result in you having to find a new place, as per your tenancy, but I don't see much of a downside in being cooperative at this point.
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No, but its my home, somewhere I am legally allowed to reside without unreasonable hassle from my landlord.
I'm not trying to stop the owner selling it, I'm trying to force him to decide that is what he wants to do. He hasn't decided to sell the house, he's got in a conversation with his mate and his mum looking for a place has come up and he suggested having a look to see if she likes it. Its all very theoretical so has the potential to mean people in and out and all sorts of unknowns and uncertainty that could come to nothing.
2 years ago I spent the whole of the Christmas period trying to get hold of solicitors as a letter arrived Christmas Eve saying the house would be reposessed in January as the landlord hadn't paid the mortgage. It ruined Christmas. Being left uncertain about your living situation is a right ball ache and stress that I really don't want again.
And plus, we quite like the house, and if the price is right would be interested in buying it. So its within our interest for the landlord to decide what he wants to do rather than sit on the fence.
Edit: regarding the new owner looking for tenants, its for his mates mum to live in, they aren't looking for a buy to let.
Im trying to get my head round part of the op. Your landlord is possibly selling a house that you are renting to a friends mother? That to me sounds like you're subletting the property? When I rented places when I was at uni there was normally a clause with didn't allow subletting. Is this the case with your rental agreement?
I think we can, as allowing people in to view it requires him serving us notice, which would require him making the decision to sell, or at least get us out.
Its the difference between 'I want to sell/I don't want to sell' and 'I might think about selling, there will be a bunch of people coming in and out, you won't know where you stand, um, iff, uhh, hmmmm, maybe'.
The landlord is thinking of selling it to one of his friends mum.
Ok, from Google-Fu, the contract, here, and speaking to a couple of landlords at work I think I'm well within my rights to say no to letting them in.
However, I don't think it makes any difference if I do or don't. If I say yes, and he wants to sell it, we get 2 months notice. If we say no, and he wants to sell it, we still get 2 months notice. If we say yes or no and he doesn't want to sell it, we carry on as we are.
I am still going to say no to Monday, but now because we are both off work and planning a day at home. They can come later in the week or something. I am also going to ask for far more commitment than we have on weather this is serious or just a passing thought.
Hopefully the cat will drop a right stinker when they come visit and put her off
However, I don't think it makes any difference if I do or don't. If I say yes, and he wants to sell it, we get 2 months notice. If we say no, and he wants to sell it, we still get 2 months notice. If we say yes or no and he doesn't want to sell it, we carry on as we are.
I am still going to say no to Monday, but now because we are both off work and planning a day at home. They can come later in the week or something. I am also going to ask for far more commitment than we have on weather this is serious or just a passing thought.
Hopefully the cat will drop a right stinker when they come visit and put her off
Caporegime
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Essentially when you rent a place it's your home and you have an expectation of privacy and to not be hassled. AFAIK contracts are generally along the lines of 24 hours notice to come in unless there is a known emergency, things like neighbours smelling a gas leak. Once you're within either 1 or 2 months of the contract expiry date they should contact you to find out if you're planning to continue staying or even signing a new lease(as opposed to moving to month by month). Only when you signal your intention to leave is it deemed reasonable to show people around and while there will be times the place isn't available, you have to be reasonable in allowing this. But before you signal your intention to leave I don't think there is any legal basis or requirement to allow people to view, for selling may be different rules though as houses can be sold with the tenants and contracts in place.
Could you not just ask him if he intends to sell. He may have, like many landlords, a bunch of places and has no need or requirement to sell but his friends mum happens to be in a situation and he can help out a friend. So she may be the sole person he intends to show the place to, in which case I'd allow it. He may say he hadn't thought about selling but as his friend asked about the place for his mum he's realised now is a good time to sell, but at least you know one way or the other.
This is the first real place I've moved into that wasn't student accommodation, even then the first place was a refurb so no existing tennants when we viewed, the second place I knew the guys. The idea that for a couple months after I give notice here random people can and will be viewing my place is, creepy, irritating, I understand it but I wouldn't want it to be going on for months with no idea when they want me out at all.
Better to be open, honest, ask the guy and save the stress of wondering.
Could you not just ask him if he intends to sell. He may have, like many landlords, a bunch of places and has no need or requirement to sell but his friends mum happens to be in a situation and he can help out a friend. So she may be the sole person he intends to show the place to, in which case I'd allow it. He may say he hadn't thought about selling but as his friend asked about the place for his mum he's realised now is a good time to sell, but at least you know one way or the other.
This is the first real place I've moved into that wasn't student accommodation, even then the first place was a refurb so no existing tennants when we viewed, the second place I knew the guys. The idea that for a couple months after I give notice here random people can and will be viewing my place is, creepy, irritating, I understand it but I wouldn't want it to be going on for months with no idea when they want me out at all.
Better to be open, honest, ask the guy and save the stress of wondering.
I believe this is correct, 24hrs is the notice I have in mind.
If you don't cooperate in allowing visits within the required notice period (24/48hrs) then that could be reason enough to evict you.
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If the landlord treats the tenant like scum he could easily discover a trashed property or a few kilos of prawns hidden under the floorboards.
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I wouldnt want to mess with a man who has your deposit...
he's a landlord, he'll do that anyway. scum, all of them. yes, every last one of 'em.
Sorry but from what I read in the OP you have been informed of his intention to sell, so are therefore now in your 2 month notice period and ergo he is allowed to show people around.
You can insist on getting written notice, but its not going to stop you having to move if he wants to sell, he just gives you the written notice and then presto you are in the notice period and he can show people round as per your agreement.
I dont get your logic that if you allow them to view you are somehow bringing about your own kicking out in 2 months, if you make trouble for your landlord he's more likely to want you gone anyway, you might like living there and not want to move but its his property and if he's keeping to your agreement then he can do what he likes
You can insist on getting written notice, but its not going to stop you having to move if he wants to sell, he just gives you the written notice and then presto you are in the notice period and he can show people round as per your agreement.
I dont get your logic that if you allow them to view you are somehow bringing about your own kicking out in 2 months, if you make trouble for your landlord he's more likely to want you gone anyway, you might like living there and not want to move but its his property and if he's keeping to your agreement then he can do what he likes
And the OP might need a reference for renting somewhere else, if the landlord reports that he vandalised the place in some way then its not going to make for a good reference and leaving something thats going to cause a smell would mean the cleanup comes out of his deposit
dont be spiteful, dont be a nob, just accept that its life and move on, sounds like you have no idea of your landlords situation, if he were in a good position letting it to you he probably wouldn't be trying to sell it
I myself have a property that I left more than 6 years ago but because of the wonders of the housing market crash I couldn't sell even listing it nearly 20k under my purchase price, I get £300 each month in rent towards the £410 mortgage so even when let out it still burdens my budget and I cant make a commitment to buy somewhere else because if the tenant moves out I have to cover the whole mortgage, its literally caused me no end of stress and costs in those 6 years, it has at times been empty for long periods and left me with absolutely no room to breathe financially and not being able to buy a home where I live now means I really do feel like I've had to put my life on hold for 6 years and tread water because of things out of my control, if someone came along today and wanted to buy it id jump on it as fast as I could
Your landlord might not be in as bad a position as me but if he actually NEEDS to sell and you are going to cause him all sorts of trouble for the sake of it, its not going to help you it just makes you a nob