Difficulty arranging viewing

Rooney1b

I'm a first time buyer and would be interested to get viewpoints on this situation:

I have had a viewing cancelled with a few hours notice because the tenants would not allow access (I think that's what the estate agent said - I didn't press them for details).

Now we are trying to set up another viewing and they are being difficult about times. I'm quite keen to see the flat, so I suppose it's best for me to fit in with the tenants no matter how inconvenient.

But what do you think?
Difficult tenants could cause problems at various stages.

If it is difficult for me to get a viewing there may not be many other potential buyers, and so I may get a better price.

Even with difficult tenants it may be a smoother transaction than buying a flat that is part of a chain.

Any other thoughts or anyone had any similar experiences?

pinkshoes

It's the tenants home, and legally they don't have to allow ANY viewings - they're entitled to quiet enjoyment of the property!!

I wouldn't even consider exchanging contracts until the tenants had been evicted and had moved out!

Rooney1b

Great! Oh well, I suppose he may never sell it then!

I was under the impression though that the landlord could see his property if he gave 24 hours notice. Is that a completely different situation, or couldn't the landlord give 24 hours notice and then show a potential buyer around?

pinkshoes

Rooney1b wrote: »

Great! Oh well, I suppose he may never sell it then!

I was under the impression though that the landlord could see his property if he gave 24 hours notice. Is that a completely different situation, or couldn't the landlord give 24 hours notice and then show a potential buyer around?

The landlord owns the property, but it's the tenants HOME, therefore the LL has no right to enter, but can give 24 hours notice to access the property if emergency access is required.

Showing a buyer round is NOT an emergency!

Tenants are advised to change the locks to stop (naughty) landlords entering without the right to.

Are you wanting to buy it to live in?

Lifeforms

Perhaps you could just drop in when they're there. Seek out whether the split has animosity or not. ie they've been told to get out in 2 months time, or if the LL has not been very good with them. You could perhaps find out how they feel the property is, without actually doing a visit, and seeing if you could arrange a time (to then be confirmed with estate agents) to view suitable to them. Basically their home, LL's house, they trump the LL and perhaps the LL is bugging them. Suck up to them and see where it gets you. But trying to buy a tenanted house (even with the outright lies from LL and estate agent of They'll be out on this date) can be time consuming, and you need to decide if this is the start of something not worth the hassle.

BitterAndTwisted

Landlords who try to sell their properties without having got rid of their tenants first are fools.

££sc££

i'd steer clear, might take landlord months to get tenants out and you'll just be waiting and waiting

Yorkie1

The LL is wanting to have his cake and eat it, in the sense that he is aiming to avoid a void period. That works fine if the tenants are willing to co-operate with viewings, surveys, etc. If the tenants are not willing, for whatever reason (and as already pointed out, they have no duty to co-operate), then things will be difficult for you.

Even assuming you manage to view as many times as you need, and the surveyor(s) gain access, there is no guarantee that the tenants will leave at the expiry of a LL's s.21 notice (which gives the Ts 2 months' notice of the LL's intention to seek repossession through the courts). They do not have to leave at that point, but many will do so.

If they do leave, sometimes they may not leave the property in a decent state.

Your solicitor will not let you exchange until the property is vacant, and you must inspect it before exchange to check its condition.

It may be that the proposed time simply wasn't convenient to the Ts on this occasion. See what reaction you get if you try to rearrange the viewing. However, if it continues to prove problematic, I'd look elsewhere. It's probably not worth the effort, all to let the LL have his cake and eat it.

ajayre

pinkshoes wrote: »

Tenants are advised to change the locks to stop (naughty) landlords entering without the right to.

My AST has a paragraph that states if we change the locks we have to get keys made for the LA and LL. Is that not legally enforceable?

Andy

mrginge

ajayre wrote: »

My AST has a paragraph that states if we change the locks we have to get keys made for the LA and LL. Is that not legally enforceable?

Andy

No it isn't.

tim123456789

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Landlords who try to sell their properties without having got rid of their tenants first are fools.

That rather depends upon the nature of the relationship between the LL and T.

But I can see that it applies in this case.

tim