Landlord has sold our rented property - advice cancelling contracts before min term

TheGnome_2

Hello,

I am new to this forum, so apologies if this isn't in the correct place!

I would like some advice. I live in rented (for the past 3 years) accommodation and approximately 6 months ago our BT line was accidently cut off when the couple who live in the flat below requested with BT that their line was stopped for them to have Sky.

As a result of our BT line being cut off we went through endless weeks of trying to explain to BT that we were a seperate flat and we did not request for our line to be cut off. This was a truly complicated and frustrating experience with no one able to help and our calls getting cut off rather than getting help! :mad:

To cut a long story short - it was easier for us to rejoin BT as new customers. In the meantime our internet service with UK Online was cut off because we had a dead line. I phoned them to explain and ended up taking a new contract as it was cheaper each month.

This all happened in October 2009. We found out last month that our landlord is selling the house and as such we have been given two months notice. This means that for both our BT and UK Online contracts we are only 6 months into the minimum terms (of 12 months).

What I am hoping to find out is whether we now have to continue to pay these bills on this property even once we have moved out? Or are the new owners going to have to be informed and then they will cut them off resulting in us having to pay the early cancel fees?

I hope all this has made sense. All help greatly appriciated

honeyD

Im interested in an answer to this kind of thing also.
Signed a contract with Virgin Media in October but moving soon so will need to cancel. Does anyone know if they charge for this kind of thing? The area I will be moving to isnt covered by VM so not like I can jus take it with me kind of thing.

adg1

It does make sense and yes you are liable for the contracts you take out even if you move out of the property as they are in your name, for you to use. You could try to sign them over to any new tenants/owners but I'd guess they look at their own suppliers.

If you had offered notice to leave the property you'd have to cancel them too and be liable for the charges.

Can you not port your account accross to another property when you do move?

honeyD wrote: »

Signed a contract with Virgin Media in October but moving soon so will need to cancel. Does anyone know if they charge for this kind of thing? The area I will be moving to isnt covered by VM so not like I can jus take it with me kind of thing.

Yep you are responsible too for the duration of your contract.

They will probably charge you until the end of the contract.

I don't get why people don't consider the length of their tenancy when taking out new contracts for utilities and media suppliers.

Surely someone on a 6 month fixed term would cinsider the possibility of them having to move in 6 months time!?

RedSoleShoes

Unfortunately, like has been mentioned, you are responsible for the whole contract. It doesn't help you much now but I would not have taken a new contract when BT messed up the first time. That is probably your only negotiation with them, worth a try.

TheGnome_2

adg1 and LilyDeTilly - Thank you very much for your responces. They have been helpful and confirmed what I sort of suspected deep down.

I understand what you are saying that someone on a 6 month fixed term would consider the possibility of them having to move in 6 months time,
however we have lived there for nearly 4 years and naively thought that it would be fine again (turns out that landlord is getting divorced and needs money from property hence unforeseen end of tenancy).

There is no way any of us could have gone with past 6 months without the internet as some of my flatemates need it for studies and work, so there wasn't that much of a option really. We had to get some services reconnected.

pimento

Has your landlord actually sold, or has he just put it on the market?

It might take months to sell and exchange contracts.

TheGnome_2

Hello Pimento,

This is what we were hoping for! But our two months notice were given as soon as an offer was accepted - which was less than one month after it went on the market.
Anything could happen in terms of the offer not completing, but our exit date will still stand.

poppysarah

You should speak to CAB or shelter for advice. If you have a 12 month rental contract then the LL will have to buy you out of it if he wants you gone.
Make sure he's given you proper notice...

Ask to port the phone line across to where you move, plus broadband. Speak to them now about whether this is a possibility.