Can Agents/Landlord force tenants to sign new fixed term licence agreement?

SadieO

MultiFuelBurner said:

I think it's nice they are only offering a 6 month not a 12 month which could restrict you further.

They are not being nice at all. Either they are ignorant of the regulations around renting (shameful - it's not exactly arcane knowledge you have to go to university to acquire. It's widely available and plenty of us lay folks know it. If you're gonna take rent from people you ought to take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the relevant regs, when it literally impacts your tenants' lives) or they do know the regs and are hoping that the tenant doesn't, so they can lock them into a longer contract than necessary. Disgusting either way. 

MultiFuelBurner

I think it's a complete over reaction to be honest a 6 month contract gives security both ways to renters and landlord over and above a rolling contract.

Forget the letting agents everyone is fixated on them. Behind the agents might be a landlord wanting to plan for the next 6 months. 

In the current market with lots of landlords retiring and considering selling rentals on because of all the hype of the not yet signed 2025 EPC regulations who knows what might happen on a rolling contract. 2 months notice springs to mind. So this is down to the OP should you receive 2 months notice on your rolling one month contract is that enough time for you to get settled somewhere else and is their local rentals available.

In answer to the OP question no you can't be forced to sign another fixed term but consider all consequences and benefits it brings.

macman

It doesn't 'renew every 6 months'. You are simply being given the option to extend the contractual tenancy if you wish to. If you don't. decline it and go onto a periodic tenancy. Many people prefer to security of a 6m or longer fixed term. The downside is that you could get an S21 with 2 months notice, if the LL is foolish enough to try to remove good tenants. 

MultiFuelBurner

macman said:

It doesn't 'renew every 6 months'. You are simply being given the option to extend the contractual tenancy if you wish to. If you don't. decline it and go onto a periodic tenancy. Many people prefer to security of a 6m or longer fixed term. The downside is that you could get an S21 with 2 months notice, if the LL is foolish enough to try to remove good tenants. 

Or decides now is a good time to leave the market.

Something we have considered looking at how much it may be to move properties from EPC D to C and we have had a nice long run of 20+ years.

I always see a 6 or 12 month AST as a benefit to both sides as you have pointed out as well as myself previously.

We will likely wait to see any regulation changes become official then the fine print and the dates before making our decision but a lot of landlords on the fence and of a certain age have decided to just pack it in. Evident in the location we rent out more than 30 applicants per flat when they become available. 

It will be an interesting next few years in the rental market. However potentially a good time to bag an EPC band D/E flat/property cheap.

theartfullodger

Nope, landlords and/or agents may not require tenants to sign a new agreement.  Indeed Thatcher's (I'm not a fan Iron handbag of the 1988 Housing Act says so  


No more than a tenant may require a landlord or agent to sign one tenant produced.

Nothing to prevent tenant from proposing changes to existing tenancy eg lower rent.

elsien

MultiFuelBurner said:

I think it's a complete over reaction to be honest a 6 month contract gives security both ways to renters and landlord over and above a rolling contract.

Forget the letting agents everyone is fixated on them. Behind the agents might be a landlord wanting to plan for the next 6 months. 

In the current market with lots of landlords retiring and considering selling rentals on because of all the hype of the not yet signed 2025 EPC regulations who knows what might happen on a rolling contract. 2 months notice springs to mind. So this is down to the OP should you receive 2 months notice on your rolling one month contract is that enough time for you to get settled somewhere else and is their local rentals available.

In answer to the OP question no you can't be forced to sign another fixed term but consider all consequences and benefits it brings.

The issue here wasn't whether a 6 month rolling contract is a good idea or not. It's about the agent telling porkies about moving to a rolling contract having to have the landlords agreement. 

MultiFuelBurner

elsien said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

I think it's a complete over reaction to be honest a 6 month contract gives security both ways to renters and landlord over and above a rolling contract.

Forget the letting agents everyone is fixated on them. Behind the agents might be a landlord wanting to plan for the next 6 months. 

In the current market with lots of landlords retiring and considering selling rentals on because of all the hype of the not yet signed 2025 EPC regulations who knows what might happen on a rolling contract. 2 months notice springs to mind. So this is down to the OP should you receive 2 months notice on your rolling one month contract is that enough time for you to get settled somewhere else and is their local rentals available.

In answer to the OP question no you can't be forced to sign another fixed term but consider all consequences and benefits it brings.

The issue here wasn't whether a 6 month rolling contract is a good idea or not. It's about the agent telling porkies about moving to a rolling contract having to have the landlords agreement. 

Which led on to me saying though there are benefits to be considered for the tenant of a 6 month contract that shouldn't be overlooked however it has come about.