Tenancy Agreement fees - Selling house

Brendan42

We have been renting our home for the last 4 years. The owner has put the house on the market to sell (about 2 months ago). We are due to renew our tenancy agreement this month, but the agents want to charge us the normal fee for renewal (£80).

Is it unheard of that this fee is waived as the house could sell at any moment and we would have to move out.

Have spoken to the agents. They offered to draw up a 6-month contract for £40, but this raises more questions. What is the fee for? How can it be lowered to £40 for 6-months, when 2 contracts will be needed to cover our normal 12-month period, hence I would think it would cost £160. All this aside, does anybody know if we can insist on signing the contract, without paying the renewal fee. We've been more than willing to allow prospective buyers in to view, can we use this as a sweetener?

Thanks for teh help.

tbs624

Tell them that you'd be happy to continue under a Statutory Periodic Agreement - you have to give one month's notice and they have to give you two months. Contract continues under same terms except for duration - no work involved for them, so no "money for old rope" fee necessary. It's what would arise in law if you failed to move out at the end of the Fixed Term.

Doozergirl

Exactly. Just decline the offer of a new contract and just let the periodic tenancy roll in until the house sells.

The only reason for renewing a contract is security of tenure. Is the landlord trying to sell the house with you in situ? It's a bit odd for a landlord to want to tie you to a 12 month agreement when it's easier to sell a house with vacant possession.

Anyway, you don't have to sign any agreement, or pay anything. You can continue to live there on the same terms as your existing agreement, just that both landlord and tenant are able to give notice when it's convenient for them rather than at the end of a set period.

Premier_2

If you sign a new TA, you can't be thrown out at any time - you are guaranteed at least 6 months tenancy, or longer depending on the minimum term specified (assuming you abide by the terms of that tenancy agreement).

If you don't sign, you could be asked to leave in as little as 2 months.

It depends what you want. If you want to move, then don't agree to a new TA and start looking for somewhere else now. You could leave in as little as 1 month if you decide. If you want to stay another 12 months, £80 may be a small price to pay.

Planner

Brendan42 wrote: »

Is it unheard of that this fee is waived as the house could sell at any moment and we would have to move out.

No you wouldnt. The new owners of the house would have no option but to abide by the terms of the tenancy agreement you have signed. Its likley that your LL is either selling the property as a going concern with you as the tenant or the terms of the sale will be that contracts wont be exchanged until your landlord can offer the property vanact i.e. after your fixed term has expired.

I actually think going on to a periodic tenancy now, will give you less security to stay in the property than paying the fee and signing for another 6/12 months. One will offer you 6/12 months in the property and one could see you out with just 2 months notice.

Robert_Sterling_3

Perhaps you could have 6 months for £40 fee with a possibility of another 6 months for another £40 fee.

poppysarah

So are they expecting you to cough up AND keep the place lokoing spick and span for viewings?

socrates

This situation is probably more the LA looking to earn money for nothing rather than the LL who probably has no idea what is going on behind the scenes