Property viewing while on holiday

megadishu

Wrong legally any proper tenancy gives the owner rights. Don't get stroppy but act responsibly. It is your rental home. If you own a home you can prevent people from entering. You have an agreement and your contract should state that with reasonable notice the vendor is allowed to market the property within the last 2 months of the tenancy.
Not all landlords are monsters, nor are all tenants. Remember next time you want to find somewhere and went to view having driven somewhere, taken time off work and the agent could not show you around. Try to see a situation from2 sides.

I would be concerned as a landlord if a tenant tried to deny access and would be concerned about what damage has been done. I have seen plenty of trashed rented flats.

Move anything precious out and be reasonable.

florence4

I'm house buying at the moment, and have had two booked viewings cancelled this week because the (two separate) owners had forgotten their (two separate) tenants were on holiday. As a potential buyer, it doesn't seem at all unreasonable that a tenant would not want viewings while they were away... I just said "No problem", and I'll wait a few days.

bebewoo

I would tell them no.
I allowed letting agents to show people round the property while I was out at work and the muppets forgot to lock the back door twice, the second time they even left it wide open! Both times I was so angry when I got home, and the second time I told them no more viewings when I'm not in.
Imagine if I'd been away on holiday that week.
You gotta remember they're not that bright, most letting agents only fall into that career because they discover that most other office jobs need qualifications.

olly300

Letting agents aren't legally regulated so can decide to let people in to view if you aren't there.

The advice to stop them doing this is the best one i.e. change the alarm code and one of the locks.

That way if the landlord decides to ignore your wishes and the agent is also unscrupulous you are protected.

moreofthegoodstuff

I have bought a house and haven't given official notice to leave (one month) but just let them know I will be going in the next two months so working with them to help them out as we have been living here a while.

I am not wanting to obstruct viewings - most of the time we are at work any way, I just like being able to come home in the evening to check things are ok. I wouldn't like to go on holiday on the Monday, have someone view the house, leave lights, heating on and no alarm and then it's like that for the week. Unlikely I know, however some people don't take as much care as we would.

moreofthegoodstuff

thesaint wrote: »

What does your tenancy agreement state about access for viewings?

I have no idea, we have been here for years so don't know the rulings. They are welcome to come and view while I'm out, I just want to be able to check everything is ok when I'm home a couple hours later.

ValHaller

megadishu wrote: »

Wrong legally any proper tenancy gives the owner rights. Don't get stroppy but act responsibly. It is your rental home. If you own a home you can prevent people from entering. You have an agreement and your contract should state that with reasonable notice the vendor is allowed to market the property within the last 2 months of the tenancy.

This is likely to be unenforceable over the right of quiet enjoyment. Tenants are not an underclass who must touch their forelock while people trample through their home for the sake of some financial transaction which is of no benefit to the Tenant.

Lifeforms

Think also on contents insurance. Should you come back to find you were burgled and doors and alarms left open/off/unlocked you'll probably find that does not bode well with claims.

moreofthegoodstuff

Lifeforms wrote: »

Think also on contents insurance. Should you come back to find you were burgled and doors and alarms left open/off/unlocked you'll probably find that does not bode well with claims.

This is a good point and also any damage to carpet etc, if I come home in the evening and there is damage I can make the LL aware, if it happens during a week away it's harder to pinpoint. None of these things are likely to happen but I'd rather not put myself in that position. It seemed like a reasonable request but thought I would just check but now I'm more concerned!

grifferz

megadishu wrote: »

It is unreasonable that the property owner is not able to market the property as you are on holiday.

It's not at all unreasonable for a tenant to want to set an alarm and not have agents showing people around having to unset and reset the alarm while they are away for one week.

In my view the tenant is being quite reasonable allowing the agent to show people around while they are at work.

When you allow someone to make your property their home you accept that in the worst case you may have to have them out before you can properly market it again. Anything you can get agreement to that makes your life easier than that is quite frankly a bonus.