Help with Problem Landlord

DGibsonUK

Ok, wow, thanks for your comments everyone. I guess I didn't do a good job explaining everything properly. The agent is a friend, and the landlord is also a friend of the agent, therefore I was given verbal agreements and because it was a friend I acted upon them as if they were written binding agreements (which I never claimed was the right thing to do).

I accept this is their house and they have right to it, I merely wanted to be treated fairly. I am not seeking compensation for work carried out, just that they consider it when making a decision on us leaving our tenancy early. The guy who wants to move back in has a tenancy which ends on March 31st 2013, so there is really only one month the property will be unoccupied. I think one empty month wasn't asking too much.

I am a landlord myself and I wouldn't dream of treating them like this couple have treat us, but I guess that's not a problem in some of your eyes, which is a shame.

We did receive written permission for all the changes we made, but would quite happily (and probably will) put them back the way they were.

The offer of £150k was low for their valuation (by another friend in a different estate agency)... not a single house, even the much bigger ones have sold for more than 180k in this development. The same house type as this has sold for on average £162k in this development, so I think an offer of £150k for a quick painless sale was a good one, but appreciate it wasn't enough for them and it's fine, I wasn't bitter about it at all, again just pointing out that we have done as much as we can to offer them options.

Kynthia - borrowing a large sum of money from a parent isn't naive really is it.

Werdnal - I never asked him to roll over and accept our offer(s), they were options to him, options which we didn't have to give him but we tried.

Bob - the problem is that we were told that he wanted to move back in "ASAP", as the flat he is living in is a hole! His wife is living in a very nice 5 bed house and he feels hard done by (which I understand), therefore he wants to move back into the family home. We then found a solution which worked for all, cost us more money and then his wife steps in and says no, not happy to do it. Sorry, but I don't see how you can't see that as being a Problem Landlord! Just because I don't have piles of paperwork with said things written down doesn't mean it's not a problem when they change their mind.

We are already over 2k into the new build, therefore not an option to pull out.

I have kept all communication very friendly with the landlords, it's obviously not worked, therefore I came here to see where I stand... apparently I stand here as the one who is the problem

tbs624

As the others have already said, it's best not to

(a) spend your own money on doing up someone else's asset
(b) assume that your plan to buy said rental property 3 years down the line would come to fruition nor hold a grudge because your LL would not sell to you at 40-60k below the asking price
*c) take the verbals from an EA/LA as being worth anything

However, whilst agreeing with the respond posts so far, in this scenario I do think the LL would be foolish not to agree to the OP leaving a couple of months prior to FT expiry -it could save him from problems at the end of the FT

If the LL wishes to move back in to the property himself then he needs to bear in mind that the OP does not have to leave just because the FT expires - the LL would then have the hassle and delay of proceeding via the courts.

OP why not see if you can get the LL to perhaps meet you halfway by agreeing to you being released one month early. Sell it as saving both you and him time and money.

If he still says no, then you have to cough up for the full FT.

bob2

DGibsonUK wrote: »

Bob - the problem is that we were told that he wanted to move back in "ASAP", as the flat he is living in is a hole! His wife is living in a very nice 5 bed house and he feels hard done by (which I understand), therefore he wants to move back into the family home. We then found a solution which worked for all, cost us more money and then his wife steps in and says no, not happy to do it. Sorry, but I don't see how you can't see that as being a Problem Landlord! Just because I don't have piles of paperwork with said things written down doesn't mean it's not a problem when they change their mind.

If I understand what you've written correctly - you have a 6 month lease running until 20th April 2013. And the landlord simply wants you to remain until the end of this agreement and vacate at that time.

But perhaps I've misunderstood? If you were given the offer of a new 6 month lease "3 weeks before christmas" was this December 2011?

Surely a 6 month lease expiring in April 2013 must have been signed in October 2012?

keyser666

Cor I dont get all the posts digging at what they have done up until now, it is all immaterial the OP clearly wants advice regarding the verbal contract and leaving the contract early.

tbs624

keyser666 wrote: »

Cor I dont get all the posts digging at what they have done up until now, it is all immaterial the OP clearly wants advice regarding the verbal contract and leaving the contract early.

My bolding. Guidance and suggestions have been made on that exact point in several of the posts

thelem

DGibsonUK wrote: »

Ok, wow, thanks for your comments everyone. I guess I didn't do a good job explaining everything properly.

The advise you get on here will tend to be informing you of your legal rights. Unfortunately in your case it sounds like your landlord has done everything by the book which is all most posters will be looking at. You seem to be relying on people's word and good will, but unfortunately these are business transations.

One of the problems with verbal agreements is they can be very vague. For example your talk about buying the house after three years. If you just asked at the viewing if this would be an option then of course he is going to say yes - what landlord wouldn't be happy to sell a property if offered above market value, and he wasn't making any commitment to sell. You've offered well below market value, so why would he ever sell it at that price?

The guy who wants to move back in has a tenancy which ends on March 31st 2013, so there is really only one month the property will be unoccupied.

I thought you had a tenancy until April? Doesn't that mean your landlord will be briefly homeless, rather than have a one month void?

Kynthia - borrowing a large sum of money from a parent isn't naive really is it.

I think she meant you were naive to trust people's good will.

tbs624

thelem wrote: »

I thought you had a tenancy until April? Doesn't that mean your landlord will be briefly homeless, rather than have a one month void?
.

I think the OP means that the LL would only have one month's void if the LL agrees to the OP leaving in February rather than in April

thelem

tbs624 wrote: »

I think the OP means that the LL would only have one month's void if the LL agrees to the OP leaving in February rather than in April

Ah, OK. Still doesn't explain where the landlord is planning to live during April though.

chrism00

You seem to be asking for advice regarding a fairly complex issue (land law in this country is hideously twisted). I would recommend contacting your local CAB for personalised and professional advice.
Posting questions in the forum will only get you (1)opinion and (2)sympathy, and most of the responses so far seem a little short on (2)

franklee

thelem wrote: »

Ah, OK. Still doesn't explain where the landlord is planning to live during April though.

It may not be that logical as the two landlords disagree:

It seems the gentleman wasn't particularly happy with the quality of the flat he moved into and indicated to the estate agent we rent from that he wanted to move into the property we lived in.

The estate agency we rented via told us that he wasn't willing to take that price but wanted to be back in this property ASAP

So today, I get a call back from the estate agency who told me the lady landlord isn't happy with us leaving early and that they would pursue us legally if we left the tenancy early.

Perhaps that's why the OP's estate agent friend backtracked? I think that may make negotiating with the landlords tricky. Unless of course his agent friend will stand by what he said and take the hit himself over the landlords disagreeing? I doubt it.