FTB sale problems, tenants holding our sale up!

natashalewis1

So we are buying a house from a vendor who is unfortunately terminally I’ll, under the impression he wanted a quick sale to get the money as it’s a 2nd property he owns and rents out. We were told the tenants are also purchasing but they will be out and we could complete within 8weeks as the only person in the chain. 8 weeks has been and gone and we have been waiting for the tenants sale to go through (waiting for probate!!). They sprung on us a couple weeks ago that the tenants wanted to stay in the property a extra week or two after their completion to Reno their house as it’s not the best condition! Very cheeky if you ask me. Now the probate is through and they are looking to have their sale completed within 2.5weeks but are saying due to work commitments are saying they can’t then Reno to live for a extra 2weeks after that!! Pushing our sale even more, as we will be unable to even exchange contracts until they vacate! I have informed  the estate agents and solicitors many times that from the 9th May I most likely will have nowhere to live and they don’t seem to care!
so we are unlikely to now complete until at least 27th May!! 

Am I the only one who thinks it’s ridiculous that the tenants are basically controlling our sale??  

Sorry if some mistakes in the text! Writing this very angrily!

elsien

It’s not that the vendor etc don’t care, although they possibly don’t. It’s that the only way to legally get the tenants out if they don’t go voluntarily is to serve the correct notice then go to court. Which would take a heck of a sight longer than the extra couple of weeks they want. 

Putting an offer on a property that doesn’t have vacant possession always runs this risk. 

Slithery

You should never have even started the purchasing process until the tenants were already out. If they change their minds again it could take well over a year for them to be legally evicted.
Why will you have nowhere to live? I really hope for your sake that you haven't given notice on your current rental before exchanging contracts for your purchase...

newsgroupmonkey_

On this forum, people always warn about buying a place with tenants.

You should never exchange whilst they're there. In fact, I'd not be spending any money with solicitors either.

If their place falls through, they could easily stay there for 6-12 months (someone mentioned that they've been trying since 2020 to get their tenants out).

Gycraig

Risk you take buying a house with tenants in, there is literally nothing the current owner or estate agent can do to force the tenants to leave sadly, even trying would take 6 months plus, the tenants are being dicks but there’s nothing anyone else in the process can do about it. 

They could turn round tomorrow and say “nah we don’t fancy moving”. 

elsien

In your previous thread, you were living with family so waiting wasn’t an issue? 

Doozergirl

The legalities of evicting tenants aside, you are effectively in a chain and that is what happens.  No one moves until everyone in the chain is ready. It's very rare that everyone gets their own way, especially when one party is being demanding.   It's arguable that you are the demanding party. 

You're quite lucky that they look to be moving out roughly on time.  Probate sales can take many months in themselves and as everyone above has said, a tenancy can only be ended by the tenant or a court, not the landlord.    

Why are you going to be homeless?   Let's address whether that needs to happen, because the tenants don't need to go anywhere.  This is not a negotiation that you can make, they have every right to stay and are not being unreasonable.  

You won't be the first FTB to stamp their feet, nor will you be the last.  When you find yourself as the middle link of a chain, you suddenly appreciate why people need to be understanding.  No one has control in the process and FTBs are often the ones that can be most flexible but they just aren't.  

canaldumidi

What a nerve!

You mean these tenants seem to think the propert ythy are living in is their home? And they can just stay there till they are ready to move, at their own convenience, without a thought for how their remaining in their home affects you?

If I would were you I'd go round and let them know exactly what's what.....