Advice required!!! Pretty please ☺️

Its_not_only_a_house

Hi, I live in Northern Ireland in a house in which we have been tenants for almost 18years {in may}, and with the landlord for 4-5years before that in another house. Just today she arrived at our home to inform us she is putting the house up for sale as she wants out of the renting business. We have never had a written tenancy agreement with her, and money was only paid into a bank account for a number of years, she actually gets cash, �� When we moved into this house it was bare!! Minimal kitchen with a cooker and oven, and basic bathroom suites, all of which have been replaced over the years. We put every bit of paint on the walls, flooring, blinds, you name it and it is most probable that we as tenants have done it as this isn’t our home and we made it so. Over the 18 years we have NEVER asked for anything to be fixed or replaced, we have done everything ourselves. I know this was probably an error on our behalf. We hav had rent increases over the years. Our landlord isn’t a logical woman, and I don’t say it disrespectfully, for example,; when telling us she’s was selling, she suggested we buy it, which ideally we would love to do and will look into it, the amount she wants is, I think, over market value, and she told not to look into what neighbouring property is selling for as private rental is valued differently. The house would need work like new windows, doors and definitely re-insulated. Advice on the best place to start would be greatly appreciated, and if we were to make an offer to buy, at a recommended discounted value for being long term tenants, does she have any obligation to accept.???

Apologies for being long winded

Sibz

There is no obligation on her to accept any offer if the property is hers to sell.

If you've bought a lot of the furniture and fittings I expect those are yours to take with you and not hers to sell as part of the property (if you aren't buying). Might be an idea to look out receipts

G_M

Has she complied with ANY of her legal obligations? Start reading here........

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/landlord-and-tenant-obligations


What type of tenancy is it? There are 3. See


http://www.cfrlaw.co.uk/article/types-of-private-tenancy-in-ni/


or


https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/private-rent-and-tenancies

Comms69

Ultimately you have no 'right' to buy the property; you're the same as any other buyer

ACG

House prices are valued the same whether it is a normal purchase or a rental. I have been involved in buying and selling houses for customers and my own BTLs for 10 years (7 years as a broker).

She can put it up for whatever she likes, it does not mean it will sell.
It would be better if she sells it to you - no estate agents to pay and less likely to have a void period with an empty property and a mortgage to pay, but that assumes she is not knocking a load off the price because you are tenants, although I as a landlord would be happy to knock a few grand off for long term tenants for an easy life (ie no tenant evictions, no void period, no estate agents)... but I quite like an easy life.

As for the renovating the property etc - thats your choice. It is great that you have made it your home which is probably partially why you have stayed so long. But you can not hold that against the landlord.

AdrianC

Its_not_only_a_house wrote: »

Hi, I live in Northern Ireland

OK, that may mean many of the answers you get are not particularly relevant, because the laws there are different to England/Wales and to Scotland. There aren't many here who are very familiar with NI law, I don't think.

in a house in which we have been tenants for almost 18years {in may}, and with the landlord for 4-5years before that in another house.

So you are currently on an AST (or NI equivalent).

Just today she arrived at our home to inform us she is putting the house up for sale as she wants out of the renting business.

Such is her right. Assuming you're on the equivalent of a periodic tenancy, then she would need to issue what in England/Wales would be s21 notice. It's only valid if ALL the paperwork is bang up to date. If that's not valid, she's not getting you out easily. If it is valid, then once the notice expires, she can apply to the court to regain possession.

We have never had a written tenancy agreement with her

Doesn't matter.

When we moved into this house it was bare!! Minimal kitchen with a cooker and oven, and basic bathroom suites, all of which have been replaced over the years. We put every bit of paint on the walls, flooring, blinds, you name it and it is most probable that we as tenants have done it as this isn’t our home and we made it so. Over the 18 years we have NEVER asked for anything to be fixed or replaced, we have done everything ourselves. I know this was probably an error on our behalf. We hav had rent increases over the years.

None of which matters.

when telling us she’s was selling, she suggested we buy it, which ideally we would love to do and will look into it, the amount she wants is, I think, over market value

Then make her an offer you think fair. If you can agree, great. If you can't agree on a price, then you're not buying it.

and she told not to look into what neighbouring property is selling for as private rental is valued differently.

Cobblers. The only time an previously rented property would have a different value to a previously owner-occupied one is if it's being sold with the tenants in situ - and then it'd be priced lower.

The house would need work like new windows, doors and definitely re-insulated. Advice on the best place to start would be greatly appreciated, and if we were to make an offer to buy, at a recommended discounted value for being long term tenants, does she have any obligation to accept.???

None whatsoever. Nor do you have any "right" to any kind of discount.

It's for sale, just as any other house may be. Do you want to buy it?
This is how much she's asking. Do you think it's worth it?
This is how much you want to offer. Does she want to accept it?

tori.k

Take a look at Protected tenancy | Housing Advice NI
https://www.housingadviceni.org/advice-private-tenants/protected-tenancy
be worth investigating

Its_not_only_a_house

Thank you for all the replie, I’m just very green with regards to all this, and feeling very stupid as we never thought this day wud come.. as a landlord she has never ever done any maintance to the property, or done checks, we’ve always just been left to our own devices, heartbreaking as we will struggle to get the deposit together and probably have already paid her mortgage in full already, and as she said to us yesterda, mortgage payments would b less than rent��

tacpot12

It sounds like your landlord has been lax, but there isn't anything you can do about the past. You could start to expect her to do repairs on the property, and get the council to take enforcement actions against her if she doesn't, which would result in the value of the property going up so you can't afford it and ruin the relationship you have with the landlord.

I think your best option would be to investigate how much deposit you can get together and how much you can borrow on a mortgage. Then workout what you think the house is worth, taking into account all the things you know are wrong with it (you have a distinct advantage over any other purchaser as a result of having lived in the property for 18 years, but I would still have a full survey done if you want to purchase the property just to have an expert's eye over the place).

Then if you want to, make an offer to the landlord, making sure you emphasis the advantages of selling to a sitting tenant. If she won't accept your offer and you can't offer more, because you can't borrow more, then it is time to start looking for a new home to rent. You might ask your landlord to write you a glowing reference. If you do move to another rented property, please don't make the mistakes you have in this property - find out what your landlord is responsible for and try to get them to perform their responsibilities.

Good luck