Trying to sell a "let out" Flat - viewings with tenants in place

waterwatereverywhere

Hi,

We have a flat which we have let out for a couple of years. We've had it on the market for sale in the last few months, but with no real interest. The current tenants agreed to viewings but they are now leaving.

We are looking for new tenants and would like to continue trying to sell at the same time.

What is the best way to approach this/agree terms with new tenants as to viewings?

We know it is unusual and might be a nuisance to new tenants who probably won't want the nuisance of people viewing (not that we expect there to be tons of viewings!!), but we can't afford to leave the flat empty whilst we continue to try to sell.

What's the best way to agree something like this with new tenants and put it into the new tenancy agreement?

Many thanks.

googler

No tenant will want to move in if there's a possibility of you selling within, say, 2-3 months and them having to move out......

I'd say forego one or the other - try and rent it, try and sell it - not both.

Debt_Free_Chick

It's not just the inconvenience of viewings, it's the fact that the new tenants will have no security. You'd have to be very, very lucky to find tenants who only want to rent for 6 months AND live in a show-home putting up with viewings. If you're that lucky, you might as well buy a lottery ticket :-)

googler

googler wrote: »

No tenant will want to move in if there's a possibility of you selling within, say, 2-3 months and them having to move out......

I'd say forego one or the other - try and rent it, try and sell it - not both.

...and buyers will be less inclined to buy if there's sitting tenants (unless they're buying it specifically to rent out, in which case it's an advantage)

Benji

It is worth bearing in mind that no matter what the contract says, the only way you can make tenants allow you to show the property is with a court order. No court order is going to make them keep it clean or tidy.

Buyers would not be granted a residential tenancy on a property that is let out at the time of completion.

Jamman960

The place I'm in now was up for sale just before we moved in... we told them it had to be off the market before we moved in and wanted a 12month contract or we wouldn't go for it.

I guess there may be a market for short term lets for those who are moving but waiting for the chain above them to sort itself out

sequence

Could it be that there's no interest because of the tenants there ?

DannyboyMidlands

As has been said above, you need to do one or the other. Sell it or rent it out.

Otherwise tenants will hamper the sale and a potential sale will hamper the letting. You will end up with the worst of both worlds.

terryw

Look upon the tenants leaving as an opportunity to really clean the place, do any minor repairs and brighten it up with coats of paint and decoration. It might then sell, but at worse it is looking good to attract a good tenant.

Best of luck.

waterwatereverywhere

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the replies. I do agree, if I were a tenant I would be unnerved by the prospect of a short term let if that is not what I wanted, which is why we were proposing to discuss this with new tenants at the outset. It's a difficult situation. We hope we may find a tenant who, for whatever reason, wants a 6 month (or shorter) let and may be prepared to allow viewings during this time - in the hope that it would take a few months to find a buyer and then probably a couple of months before a sale actually goes through.

We will use the opportunity to clean and brighten the place up when the current tenants move out and hope that in the (hopefully small) window between tenants a miracle might happen .....

Turnbull2000

Ethics aside, your best bet may be to not disclose that the property is for sale, place a viewings clause in the contract for the last two months of the 6 month AST, and then hope your tenant is a pushover.