Landlord puts house up for sale - Utility bills

evans439

Hi all,

Our landlord has put the house we rent up for sale, he informed us that he was ideally looking for another landlord and asked the estate agents to bear in mind that we are long term tenants. It is looking increasingly likely we will be evicted and the buyer will be a private owner. I am of course aware he is well within his rights to sell as we are outside the minimum term on a rolling contract so that is not my question.

We were planning to stay in this house for the next year and then look to buy our own place which makes the timing of our eviction unfortunate. Our options are to move in with my parents for the next year or rent somewhere else, which brings me to my question.

If we were to move back in with my parents, where would we stand with utility and broadband providers / Sky for contract cancellation. If we were cancelling of our own choice we have exit fees etc. Do the same rules apply when being evicted from a rented property as there is really nothing we can do?

This scenario only applies if we decide not to rent somewhere else for the next year but I am hoping someone out there has an answer for this.

Thanks in advance.

Cakeguts

Can you buy the property that you currently live in?

theartfullodger

Landlord selling the place does not end tenancy nor require you to leave: New owner simply becomes your new landlord, yes even if sitting outside with huge removals van & screaming hubbie.


Unless and until landlord (current or new) serves YOU a valid order, takes to court, gets court order, gets bailiffs - then you are the tenant, it's your place. Takes months.


Highly unlikely you have to permit viewings or valuations or surveys. You may be able to persuade landlord to drop rent to permit viewings....

FBaby

Yes, be a crap tenant that will end up having to go to court and the stress on not knowing when the bailiff might wake you up to tell you you have one hour to vacate. That's bound to be a much better option for you, especially if you still have to consider renting for whatever reason and they won't give a contract without a reference from your current landlord...

Re. the utilities, best thing to do is ring then and ask.

evans439

Hi, we do not want to buy the house. As first time buyers we will be taking advantage of the various Government schemes to buy a new build and the plot we want is ready in May '19.

As for being an awful tenant, that is not a solution to my problem nor a decent thing to do to a landlord we have had a good relationship with over the years.

Owain_Moneysaver

evans439 wrote: »

... we are outside the minimum term on a rolling contract

Do the same rules apply when being evicted from a rented property as there is really nothing we can do?

Yes.

You've agreed to take a utility supply on a fixed / minimum term contract even though you don't have a corresponding minimum term in your tenancy.

If the landlord was evicting you for no fault of your own during the fixed term then you could claim against him for your costs (except that the landlord wouldn't be able to get a repossession order during the minimum term without statutory grounds).

Sky TV is the easiest as you can probably take your box with you to wherever you go and continue the contract.

Not all exit fees/conditions will be legally enforceable, though.

And as your landlord is likely to want to be able to have viewings in the property and may end up needing to sell with vacant possession (if a BTL won't take on a tenanted property) there may be some room for negotiation.

G_M

evans439 wrote: »

Hi all,

Our landlord has put the house we rent up for sale, he informed us that he was ideally looking for another landlord and asked the estate agents to bear in mind that we are long term tenants. It is looking increasingly likely we will be evicted and the buyer will be a private owner. I am of course aware he is well within his rights to sell as we are outside the minimum term on a rolling contract so that is not my question.

We were planning to stay in this house for the next year and then look to buy our own place which makes the timing of our eviction unfortunate. Our options are to move in with my parents for the next year or rent somewhere else, which brings me to my question.

If we were to move back in with my parents, where would we stand with utility and broadband providers / Sky for contract cancellation. If we were cancelling of our own choice we have exit fees etc. Do the same rules apply when being evicted from a rented property as there is really nothing we can do?

This scenario only applies if we decide not to rent somewhere else for the next year but I am hoping someone out there has an answer for this.

Thanks in advance.

Ignoring for now the issues around notice and your rights as a tenant (as commented on by others), this is a wierd question!


Your contracts with the various utility companies are between you and those companies. They are nothing to do with your tenancy, it's start/end, or the reasons behind its start or end.


If the contracts have cancelation charges and/or minimum periods, then you are bound by those terms.