Tenancy Renewal - Don't want to ruin landlord relationship

itchyfeet123

Guest101 wrote: »

Probably because, if you read the actual question the OP has been informed that the LL will insist on a 12 month renewal with no break clause. So clearly doesn't want to go monthly. Engaging with the agent will have no positive outcome.

But the insistence on a 12 month term is as opposed to a shorter, say 6 month, term. The agent/landlord indicated they will not renew for anything shorter than 12 months, which is their right. However, if they say 12 months or nothing, then they get a monthly tenancy, whether that's what they want or not.

As a practical matter, at the end of a fixed term, it makes sense to tell the agent/landlord if one is staying or not. If the agent assumes the tenant is leaving, they might try to schedule viewings and such, which could easily be avoided if they knew they didn't have a vacancy to fill.

By all means, the OP should definitely avoid getting drawn into a pointless argument with the agent about whether she can stay without renewing. I'm just saying that I don't see any downside in responding the first time the agent asks what the OP's plans are.

Guest101

itchyfeet123 wrote: »

But the insistence on a 12 month term is as opposed to a shorter, say 6 month, term. The agent/landlord indicated they will not renew for anything shorter than 12 months, which is their right. However, if they say 12 months or nothing, then they get a monthly tenancy, whether that's what they want or not.

As a practical matter, at the end of a fixed term, it makes sense to tell the agent/landlord if one is staying or not. If the agent assumes the tenant is leaving, they might try to schedule viewings and such, which could easily be avoided if they knew they didn't have a vacancy to fill.

By all means, the OP should definitely avoid getting drawn into a pointless argument with the agent about whether she can stay without renewing. I'm just saying that I don't see any downside in responding the first time the agent asks what the OP's plans are.

The s.21 notice is issued earlier than desired...

itchyfeet123

Guest101 wrote: »

The s.21 notice is issued earlier than desired...

I guess, and if the agent was asking now for a contract that doesn't end until March this would be a bigger worry. But at the moment it's just the OP pondering (her information about what options will be available to her don't seem to come from the agent starting a discussion about her plans).

FBaby

I think you are making the right move, only you know about your source, but even if they are a good friend who you trust, they could still have misunderstood your Landlord's intentions. They could have said that they wanted another AST and the source understood another 12 months AST.

I personally don't trust letting agents. They try very hard to remember all they read/are told, but they often suffer from memory confusion. What you've been told might have been correct, but might have not, so worth having the talk with your landlord directly.

[Deleted User]

I dealt directly with my LL (no LA) and he most definitely did want me to sign 2 x 12 month tenancies and one 24 month tenancy. I wasn't happy there but couldn't find another rental. All three times, he was threatening emphatically to evict me if I didn't sign. The local authority said that if I didn't sign a tenancy agreement and was evicted I'd be considered voluntarily homeless as 'every LL had a right to a signed tenancy agreement' so no help there. The only reason I stayed was because as a benefit tenant in a high demand area, I wanted to avoid having to find another tenancy.

So, I am afraid some LL's do like the security of having a signed TA.

As others say, if you go to a rolling tenancy by default and the LL decides to evict you, he will have to take you to court to evict you. This will cost YOU not the LL. £290 for the possession order, £110 for the bailiffs. I had to pay this when the LL decided finally to sell and I had to go for emergency housing. So if it goes that far while you are hanging on for more time, it will bear a cost to you, I'm afraid.