Cash gift offer to vacate rented property early

Gavin83

Slithery said:

[Deleted User] said:

theartfullodger said:

I'd want £5k minimum.  And if the greedy landlord argued, I'd bump the price up £1k each time he argued.

Thatcher's 1988 Housing Act Section 5(1) makes clear landlord can only evict you by...
a) Validly (how served..) serving a valid s21 notice (many are invalid - see....
https://nearlylegal.co.uk/section-21-flowchart/
b) s21 expires..
c) Landlord applies to court..
d) Court review (you get to put forward your argument e.g. the notice if rubbish..)
e) Court decision & issuing of possession order (if all steps jumped successfully)
f) PO expires..
g) Landlord requests bailiffs or HCEOs...
h) You are notified of bailiffs or HCEOs..
i) Bailiffs/HCEO turn up & evict.

(Did I forget anything people, please???)


Probably 6-9 months, and tenant may appeal up until bailiffs walk up garden path. Quite right too.

Artful: Evil capitalist landlord (apologies..)

NB Will you need a reference??

And I would tell you that you have overplayed your hand, proceed with the section 21, and refuse a reference.

And risk your current buyers pulling out as well as not being able to get vacant possesion for another year?

Well… yes.

They’ll always be people on this forum suggesting you should ask for huge sums of money to leave early but ultimately there comes a point where the landlord will go “screw it”, wait and go down the eviction route. Like most things it’s about negotiation but the landlord will have a maximum amount they’ll be willing to pay and the tenant will have a minimum they want to leave early.  

It’s rarely a good idea to act like a knobhead or get too greedy when it comes to negotiations regardless of what side you’re on. It just gets peoples backs up and they’ll just take the stubborn route.

We’ve no idea what the landlord has offered the OP. It’s up to them to decide whether it’s worth it for their personal circumstances.

[Deleted User]

Slithery said:

[Deleted User] said:

theartfullodger said:

I'd want £5k minimum.  And if the greedy landlord argued, I'd bump the price up £1k each time he argued.

Thatcher's 1988 Housing Act Section 5(1) makes clear landlord can only evict you by...
a) Validly (how served..) serving a valid s21 notice (many are invalid - see....
https://nearlylegal.co.uk/section-21-flowchart/
b) s21 expires..
c) Landlord applies to court..
d) Court review (you get to put forward your argument e.g. the notice if rubbish..)
e) Court decision & issuing of possession order (if all steps jumped successfully)
f) PO expires..
g) Landlord requests bailiffs or HCEOs...
h) You are notified of bailiffs or HCEOs..
i) Bailiffs/HCEO turn up & evict.

(Did I forget anything people, please???)


Probably 6-9 months, and tenant may appeal up until bailiffs walk up garden path. Quite right too.

Artful: Evil capitalist landlord (apologies..)

NB Will you need a reference??

And I would tell you that you have overplayed your hand, proceed with the section 21, and refuse a reference.

And risk your current buyers pulling out as well as not being able to get vacant possesion for another year?

I am well aware of the parameters. 

Such outcomes are part of being a landlord.

If I make a decent 4 figure offer and get a crazy reply,  no problem,  I know where I stand. Revert back to contract.

House13

theartfullodger said:

I'd want £5k minimum.  And if the greedy landlord argued, I'd bump the price up £1k each time he argued.

Yeah the landlord would be the greedy one here. 

GFBunn

Thanks everyone for the very thorough replies.

I was thinking of buying originally and avoided tenanted properties due to potential hassles, never looked at it from the landlord’s pov though.

The offer is £500 which is less than 3 weeks rent and feels less tidy after the above feedback. I will ask for it to be doubled and for everything to be put in writing, as I would need a reference. I get the impression the landlords are selling purely because so many things have gone wrong with the property recently, and they’d be prepared to wait it out were I to ask for more. Plus, if it’s difficult to enforce afterwards it’s probably best to stay reasonable – though I’m not sure I understand what the issue would be if the agent put the offer in writing?

GFBunn

GFBunn said:

Thanks everyone for the very thorough replies.

I was thinking of buying originally and avoided tenanted properties due to potential hassles, never looked at it from the landlord’s pov though.

The offer is £500 which is less than 3 weeks rent and feels less tidy after the above feedback. I will ask for it to be doubled and for everything to be put in writing, as I would need a reference. I get the impression the landlords are selling purely because so many things have gone wrong with the property recently, and they’d be prepared to wait it out were I to ask for more. Plus, if it’s difficult to enforce afterwards it’s probably best to stay reasonable – though I’m not sure I understand what the issue would be if the agent put the offer in writing?

Ok I'd missed the point about what is enforceable and what isn't. And the agent was clear in saying they'd offer to 'gift' me the money. I said I'd do it for £1,000 and they said no and they'd withdraw the offer after 48 hours. They're beginning to sound like cheap salesmen.

dimbo61

So sit right and wait to see what happens next.
PS ask for £2,000 next time

GFBunn

For the sake of anyone in the same boat who arrives at this topic, I'll provide the conclusion I should've really added 2 years ago 

The agent had told me about the landlords' offer to 'gift me' the £500 over the phone, and in none of our previous conversations had he emphasised or enunciated anything so clearly. It really did sound like he was making the "double quotes" gesture with his fingers as he said those two words. With the advice above and some further research I realised I wasn't up for the possible uncertainty of enforcing the offer, and that I simply didn't trust him. Adding extra stress to the typical pain of moving house, plus the pressure to find somewhere acceptable at short notice, for just £500 which couldn't even be relied on, made no sense.

I was lucky to find a place I was happier with, at less rent. I accept that being a long term renter has left me frustrated and cynical when it comes to the disingenuous nature of some estate agents. But that doesn't mean that this guy was on the level   

Anyway thanks to all who offered their time and advice and happy Moneysaving. 

NameUnavailable

GFBunn said:

For the sake of anyone in the same boat who arrives at this topic, I'll provide the conclusion I should've really added 2 years ago 

The agent had told me about the landlords' offer to 'gift me' the £500 over the phone, and in none of our previous conversations had he emphasised or enunciated anything so clearly. It really did sound like he was making the "double quotes" gesture with his fingers as he said those two words. With the advice above and some further research I realised I wasn't up for the possible uncertainty of enforcing the offer, and that I simply didn't trust him. Adding extra stress to the typical pain of moving house, plus the pressure to find somewhere acceptable at short notice, for just £500 which couldn't even be relied on, made no sense.

I was lucky to find a place I was happier with, at less rent. I accept that being a long term renter has left me frustrated and cynical when it comes to the disingenuous nature of some estate agents. But that doesn't mean that this guy was on the level   

Anyway thanks to all who offered their time and advice and happy Moneysaving. 

Hi, just to clarify, are you saying you left without agreeing any payment for moving out to their timescale? Or did you get the cash?