Landlord selling property can’t afford to move

TheJP

diystarter7 said:

theoretica said:

I fear what comes next is a lot of bureaucracy and you having to be the bad guy to your landlord.  Is section 21, when it comes, absolutely in order?  Have you been given all the paperwork needed for your landlord to issue a valid section 21?  The council will expect you to sit tight until the courts actually evict you.  This is why many landlords realise the way forward is to offer to pay tenants to leave, offer them a discount to buy the property themselves or try to sell to another landlord.

Hi

Not if the LL is on the ball and has legal cover.  I've promised myself I would never pay a T to leave as it is not right especially when a LL has been a good LL. Hoepfully, any eviction is processed quickly and the OP can get another decent LL/place

Thnaks

I guess what @theoretica is suggesting is that you may have to play the bad guy if the S21 is not valid. I note the OP references energy performance as a reason to sell. Is there an EPC or is the EPC below legal requirements and the LL cant afford to update. The OP is within their right to challenge the S21 if they have not been met. Regardless not a great position for both the LL and the OP. Take care in whatever you do.

xxChellexx

@bunnygo thank you for the information that’s really helpful.
so I will be expected to cover court costs too… as if things aren’t hard enough and if that’s the route I have to go down it will be forced as I don’t want that for either myself and family or the landlord.

@Martico I am in south bristol even Hartcliffe is crazily expensive!! No matter what area I look for they are all too high and just not affordable especially when you take into account all the other costs of living. 

The ECP was done recently about 3 weeks ago, the landlord arranged a valuation for a remortgage to try get cheaper rates with that they done an EPC which I’m guessing came back below what is required (to be expected, no cavity walls so not insulated sufficiently, doesn’t hold heat, windows are double glazed but old) I honestly thought this house would have been paid off? Purchased in 2005 for £100k I have been here for 14 years, I’m guessing somewhere along the line he remortgaged as I do recall a fair few years ago someone coming in to do a valuation. 

It’s hard because he always promised me he wouldn’t sell anytime soon as it was a retirement pot for him, so I have made improvements to the house and garden  

Martico

That's really tough already being in one of the cheaper areas close to the city. Further out you get to posh Somerset, further in the prices just rise. Without researching, places like Kingswood may be cheaper, but then that's probably a stupid distance from schools

steve866

Have you asked the landlord directly if they'd consider giving you a few more months?

[Deleted User]

steve866 said:

Have you asked the landlord directly if they'd consider giving you a few more months?

And also if they would consider selling to you at a discount, or to another landlord so you can stay. They might not have thought of all the options.

xxChellexx

steve866 said:

Have you asked the landlord directly if they'd consider giving you a few more months?

A few more months isn’t going to change the current rental prices, if anything they are only going to get worse. Council won’t house me until I am actually homeless and by the sounds of things if I leave here before bailiffs come they will class me as intentionally homeless which is just crazy. 

xxChellexx

Martico said:

That's really tough already being in one of the cheaper areas close to the city. Further out you get to posh Somerset, further in the prices just rise. Without researching, places like Kingswood may be cheaper, but then that's probably a stupid distance from schools

I’ve looked at all areas, they are all the same. Cheapest I have found is round the corner from me in Whitchurch £1300 which is just not achievable - nearly £500 more than what I currently pay. Also have the issue with the education council currently trying to place my daughter in a school, don’t want her to be unsettled again by the time we are evicted, she will be in exam year then 😩

Martico

It's insane. When I came back to in Bristol in 2016, while looking for a place to buy I rented a 2-bed house in (expensive) Southville at £850. When I moved out end-2016 having found a place to buy, the rent for that place shot up to around 1,200. That kind of property is now rented for 2,000 or more. 
I know this doesn't help your cause, it just shows that things have been bonkers here. I've got friends that have moved to Newport, others that have moved to van-living. Neither are options for you I suspect, I feel for you

silvercar

If your rent increased, would your housing benefit also increase?

xxChellexx

@martico rental prices have certainly increased rapidly and are unaffordable for many in my situation. You’re lucky you got out and managed to buy when you did. Unfortunately not, I’ll get somewhere, somehow. Just dreading what’s to come, temp accommodation?? I just don’t know. Thank you for showing such compassion

@silvercar maybe a little?? LHA 3 bed rate is £950, I currently pay £850 here so I’m assuming the max amount extra I would get would be £100 extra per month which really isn’t going to help a massive amount. April soon- every single bill has increased too, every time I do a food shop things have gone up. I do feel like my only option is to sit it out and go down the route of social housing which isn’t great and can be one hell of a long stressful process by the sounds of it.