Landlord trying to force me to sign new tenancy agreement

Dainty_Blue

I'd been working overseas and came back to UK earlier this year. Got a job straight away and found a flat to rent on a 6 months tenancy agreement. Landlord did ask for 12 months, but I said that as I was only just starting the job, I preferred a 6 month. Plan was to settle into job and then start house hunting to buy. Unfortunately, there has been nothing suitable and I assumed that after 6 months I would go onto a rolling tenancy. I have paid my rent on time and kept the flat immaculate. Landlord has done 2 inspections in this time. He has had problems with previous tenants. All my previous rentals have always moved onto rolling contract. Plus I refuse to pay anymore agency fees. I had to pay the lettings agency £250 for absolutely nothing when I moved in.

A few weeks ago I received an email from the lettings agency that the landlord uses, but they don't manage the property, asking if I want to sign a new tenancy and pay them £110, or move onto a rolling periodic tenancy. When I spoke to the landlord about it, I said I wanted rolling, but he told me that it wasn't possible and he wants me to sign a 6 month tenancy, or he will find someone else to sign a 12 month tenancy. He said that the agency shouldn't have sent that email. We had some discussion about this. I asked what I'd done wrong, I pointed out how clean and well looked after the place is, but he is not budging. He says that it is difficult to find tenants in the winter months. So I have to sign a 6 month now, and then I can roll after that until the winter again.

I don't want to be stuck in another 6 month tenancy, because if I find a house to buy then I will be wasting thousands on rent (775 a month). But I may also not find a house for ages. I just want the flexibility.

At the moment my tenancy expires mid September and I have received nothing in writing from the landlord. And I have sent nothing in writing to him. I understand that he would have to give me 2 months notice if he wants me to go. Hopefully I can stay until at least November and pray that I find a house.
Speaking to friends and other landlords, they can't believe that I could be evicted, despite being an excellent tenant, the risk of the property being empty, or another bad tenant etc. I would have tried to have given loads of notice if I'd found a house to buy. I would have actively helped with the letting process and shown people round. The flat looks really nice with my things in it. They wouldn't have a problem letting it.

At the moment I am just ignoring emails from the lettings agency, but I don't know how to respond when he contacts me, which could be any day.

I'm checking Rightmove every 5 minutes at the moment, but there is nothing even remotely suitable to view, let alone buy. It's all getting very upsetting.

Is it better to have a bad tenant locked into a tenancy agreement, or a good tenant or may or may not move out at some point?

SmashedAvacado

Do nothing other than string the landlord on for as long as possible
they can't raise your rent and they can't evict you
if they serve a s21 notice you get 2 months to leave
even once that expires you have time to negotiate because a court application and process is needed.
Sit tight but better still - string him along for a bit about what you might like to do as this will delay any sign of a notice coming your way

stator

It is 99% likely that you won't get evicted if you just remain where you are and ignore the renewal requests.
If your tenancy ends in September, then that's two months to evict you, they would be letting a property in November, he claims he doesn't want to do that. So why would he? The extra costs advertising the property, paying agency fees, not getting rent for a month or two. The risk of new tenants being bad. Why would have evict you?

Unless there is a genuine reason, he won't evict you. Some landlords who have border line mortgages require tenancies of a certain length to renew their mortgage. So sometimes there might be a valid reason. But he hasn't mentioned this, so I would assume it's not the case.

Just stick where you are.

Comms69

Worth noting on the other end of the spectrum that typical house buying period could easily fall with-in the 6 month duration.


So if you haven't even started the process it's unlikely to affect you.

Smi1er

SmashedAvacado wrote: »

they can't raise your rent and they can't evict you

They can and they can.

LL here and my advice would be open that you want a SPT. Only an idiot LL would evict a tenant paying rent.

Eviction is a long process (6 months +) and why do that if you're still paying rent and looking after the place?

Dainty_Blue

Ok well thanks for the very helpful responses. I do feel a bit better about it now. I know the house buying process can take some time. I have friends who moved in within 3 months of making an offer, but I'm aware that not everyone is so lucky.

Pixie5740

Read G_M's Ending/Renewing an AST: what happens when a fixed term ends? How can a LL or tenant end a tenancy? What is a periodic tenancy?

Pixie5740

SmashedAvacado wrote: »

Do nothing other than string the landlord on for as long as possible
they can't raise your rent and they can't evict you
if they serve a s21 notice you get 2 months to leave
even once that expires you have time to negotiate because a court application and process is needed.
Sit tight but better still - string him along for a bit about what you might like to do as this will delay any sign of a notice coming your way

A Section 21 doesn't give the tenant 2 months to leave it means the landlord can apply to court in 2 months times which isn't the same thing.

stator

But most tenants would leave after the S21 expires as you will have to pay the court fees if you don't.

Comms69

stator wrote: »

But most tenants would leave after the S21 expires as you will have to pay the court fees if you don't.

I know it’s pedantic but court fees aren’t guaranteed

Pixie5740

stator wrote: »

But most tenants would leave after the S21 expires as you will have to pay the court fees if you don't.

Not necessarily, there are plenty of things that can invalidate a Section 21. There's no guarantee the landlord would even take things as far as court in the first place especially if it's the letting agency who issue the Section 21 for no other reason than wanting to charge the tenant fees for changing a date and hitting Ctrl+P. (Cynical? Moi?)

Besides to end the tenancy the tenant should really serve their own notice.