Section 21 notice after 8 years tenancy

[Deleted User]

And whatever you do don't write on the wall with arrows, damp here, mouse hole, draughty window, unrepaired leak, etc etc

Smodlet

Or give the fence that needs repair any help at all in its downward motion... We have had some fairly strong winds recently, after all, have we not?

pinkshoes

1. Change then locks. Keep the old one to change back when you leave.

2. Write to the letting agent saying that you appreciate the house is being sold, but it is also your home, so to be reasonable you will allow viewings on a Wednesday 6 to 7pm and Saturday 9 - 10am providing 24 hours notice is given. No viewings are to take place outside of these time periods.

3. Find somewhere else to live. You can also counter serve your 1 months notice if you find somewhere.

AnotherJoe

JuneBug78 wrote: »

I do understand that the house belongs to the landlord, and so he has a right to sell. I just find it pretty disgusting that after over 7 years of regularly paying the rent and living there quietly they think they can chuck us out on 2 months notice.

They can't. Thats just when the process starts. You dont have to leave after 2 months. If they had said (say) 6 months then there would be another 4 or 5 months to tack on that, eg better part of a year.
Plus the reality is that a house thats tenanted in this slow market could take absolutely ages to sell anyway so may as well get started now, why wait 6 months it might take them that long just to find a buyer?

csgohan4

JuneBug78 wrote: »

Yes, of course, I realise he is the owner and has the right to sell, but it is very inconsiderate to give so little notice after we have lived there so long, always paying the rent on time.

Define what 'little notice' is? 2 months should be more than enough to look for somewhere else. As mentioned before you do not have to leave after 2 months.

It is the LL's property and if they want to sell they have to get you out. You have to be reasonable as well. You can of course not agree to viewings for selling a house and dig in and refuse to leave unless the bailiffs come with a high court order, but is it worth the stress?

If you need to rent somewhere else, and you play hard ball, don't expect a glowing reference

It's one of the pitfalls of renting I'm afraid. Just because you lived there for years doesn't entitle you to anything special, it's nothing personal but business.

JuneBug78

Of course it's very little notice. Yes I know it's legal. But many other people are of the opinion that it's minimal. Our circumstances mean it may take us longer to find somewhere. Even if that weren't the case, it would still be pretty tight on time.

This is why as I understand it the section 21 'no fault' eviction is being reviewed, either within Parliament or the Labour Party. And I understand it cannot be done in Scotland.

JuneBug78

As for 'no glowing reference' how is that going to help them get us out, realistically, if it makes it harder for us to rent elsewhere?

He must have had an idea he was planning to sell so he could have given us a heads up earlier than this. The start of the summer holidays is also not great timing. I am guessing he wanted to have his cake and eat it.

I assume you're a landlord.

need_an_answer

I can hear the frustration in your posts as I read them but in reality would it really have helped to have been given 4 or even 6 months warning that you were going to need tp leave?


Most properties are only really advertised around a month before occupation on rightmove etc so even if you had been given more warning its unlikely that you would have moved any quicker than now in this 2 month time frame.


If I'm honest,as a LL IF I were looking to sell I probably wouldn't give anymore notice than the 2 months in the same way I don't expect more than the 1 month if its the tenants choice to leave.

I've had tenants who have quite openly said they have no intention of moving and are settled and happy only to hand their notice in 5 days later...its the way people go about things if they don't want to face a situation sometimes

Sadly in your situation the LL is the one whos made a decision that ultimately you would rather they had not made....I would have liked my tenants to have stayed an extra month over Christmas and new year rather than them move out on the 20th DEC one year but that's what suited them so we had to roll with it.

JuneBug78

Well actually if he had told us earlier in the year it would have helped us considerably as my husband would still have been in place in his long term job. We could have started looking right away and would probably have found a new rental much more easily. As he is now 'between jobs' that's what might make it difficult to get a new rental. If it wasn't for my husband's job situation it wouldn't be so much of a problem, although still an absolute pain at the start of the summer holidays. He must have known and chose not to tell us so he could keep getting the rent as long as possible.

need_an_answer

Lots of what if's and with hindsights but again if you had been able to secure a new tenancy a few months ago whilst your husband was still in work,I would have thought that the uncertainty would still have surfaced when he left on how you would afford the rental payments going forward for the remainder of the AST.


at least at this point you know what the situation is and your husband can still look for new employment with a view to a new rental as well.


Have you actually spoken with the LL or agent to see if they are willing to allow you to stay a little beyond the 2 months notice? It usually takes around 4 or 5 months for a sale to go through and whilst the property would need to be sold with vacant possession there could be a little give and take on both sides if you are both willing to move at the right point.

Sadly theres never a good time to tell anyone something they don't want to hear.