Urgent: Need advice with extremely rare and frustrating situation

kentrel

Recently my landlord decided to sell the flat that i was renting for 7 years, and gave me 2 months notice.

I found a new one bedroom that was just in the right location for a reasonable rent. Now, today, not 10 days after I signed a lease the lady at the letting agency called me, very apologetically to explain that my NEW landlord needed to sell the flat urgently, and wanted me out as soon as possible!! I am an excellent tenant with excellent references, and better finances than many people who rent these properties have, so if you have any idea what I might have done to deserve being kicked out of two places in two months, please let me know!

She gave me the three options that the landlord had proposed.

1) Do nothing and stay for 6 months, as I am protected by my 6 month lease
2) Take a lump sum payment to break the lease and move out immediately
3) Take a "reduction" in rent. During that time the house would be on the market, and if an offer was made I have a minimum of 6 weeks notice to move out.

As you would expect he didn't give any indication of how much money was involved, so the ball is in my court for negototiation.

However, this isn't a simple financial calculation for me, for the following reasons.

- I work full time, and though I'm not in full time college education I am studying and preparing with the aim to start serious formal study shortly.

- Just in the past three months:
1. My father passed away, at huge emotional and financial cost.
2. I split up with a long term partner
3. I was served notice in my old flat and forced to move
4. I am served notice in my new flat after only 10 days!!
5. I made a decision to work full time while in full time education in the coming months.

So the piece of mind of not having to worry about where I'm going to be living in a few months is worth far more to me than I'm betting he's willing to pay.

I don't understand how someone's finances can be so messed up that 10 days after letting a property they decide they suddenly need to sell it again. For all I know the landlord may have known all along he was going to sell, and neglected to inform the agency because he thought that after committing me to a lease he could then string me along with a "rent reduction", and make some money out of the place while it was on the market, thereby reducing the financial risk to him if the market proved bad. The fact that this happened so quickly after I signed the lease makes me suspect some kind of intentional bait and switch trick. I grew up in the property business and have seen far dirtier tricks just to save a few thousand.

I WOULD NOT have signed this lease if I knew this would happen, since I rented this with the expectation to rent long term should I still be happy there after 4 or 5 months. Right now I'm not sure what to do. I know I want to complain somewhere, but I don't know where I should complain to.

None of the options given appeal to me, as I wanted the rest of the year to recover, and focus on my other projects, not go flat hunting again. I'm quite angry that I've been put in this situation.

property.advert

Renting on short leases will throw this up in your face from time to time.

With exemplary finances why didn't you just buy the flat in which you had lived happily for 7 years ? I am sure the landlord would have happily sold to you.

ruggedtoast

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to complain and no one to complain to. The LL can serve you notice to be out at 6 months and pester you sure viewings in the interim.

I would take the lump sum and go, get it over with now. Option 3 will set people traipsing around your home for months.

Old_Git

option 1 it looks like you can stay for a maximum 6 months .
option 2 If you took the lump sum have you somewhere to move to .

option 3 reduced rent .how long in todays market would it take to sell .

your landlord is looking at this as a financial transaction
you are looking at this as a emotional and financial transaction .

silvercar

option 3 isn't legal. Some would say take the rent reduction then refuse to move )

Look around and see if there is anything you fancy, then if there is you can decide what it is worth. If there is nothing suitable on the market pick option 1. At least the LL seems to be aware of your legal rights.

As for you having to move, that is the risk/ joy of renting.

kentrel

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to complain and no one to complain to. The LL can serve you notice to be out at 6 months and pester you sure viewings in the interim.

That's true about the notice apart, but my lease forbids any viewings until my final month. If I stick to the current lease that is.

kentrel

silvercar wrote: »

option 3 isn't legal. Some would say take the rent reduction then refuse to move )

Can you clarify under which law? I'm in Scotland so different laws may apply.

cjmumto2

You can refuse viewings, you dont have to let people in. So stay for 6 months and dont let any viewings go on then find yourself a nice new place and say you want a minimum one year contract. It does sound like the owner did as you thought ie needed to sell but wanted to cover the mortgage whilst doing viewings. He really should have informed you.

pinkshoes

Is there anything else you'd like to rent?

If you find something else that is say £50/month more expensive, then ask for a lump sum of £600 to cover the extra cost over 1 year.

ruggedtoast

He wants her out now and is willing to pay her to leave. Find somewhere else, he may be about to be repossessed anyway.

aliasojo

This would be my worst nightmare so I feel for you OP. I'm also in Scotland and have been looking for a family home to rent for a while now. Whilst searching on the net, we discovered that many of the properties that are up for rent are also up for sale. The owner uses two different agencies, one to handle the let and a different one for the sale. If we hadn't have come across this accidentally, we'd have been none the wiser.

I've been shocked to find out how often this is the case and only one letting agent has been upfront about it and warned us we could be out again in a few months. The rest have conveniently neglected to tell us the property is also up for sale (either that or they don't know, I'm not sure?)

Now, if there is a property we are considering looking at to rent, I will search all the sale ads too just in case it appears in a listing there also.