Landlord selling my home, advice needed please.

elsien

poppy12345 said:

pinkshoes said:

poppy12345 said:

I also spoke to the LL’s maintenance guy this morning and told him what it’s advertised as and he’s confirmed to me that it should not be advertised as anything other than an investment property, with sitting tenants. He’s going to contact the LL on my behalf. 

This is incorrect.

They can advertise it as whatever they like. There is no obligation to sell homes with tenants as an investment - this can often limit the price they achieve. 

I don't think i explained myself properly here. The maintenance guy i spoke to knows the LL well and she has told him that the properties she's currently selling are to be put up for sale as investment properties, with sitting tenants only.

elsien said:

GDB2222 said:

I suggest getting in touch with the local authority, and explaining the situation. They will eventually have the obligation to provide you with accommodation, so you won’t end up on the street. However, given the shortage of public housing they will probably tell you to hang on until the court orders you to leave.  They may help you find another place to live within the private sector.


How does your current rent compare with the local reference rent?

However I do think it’s a good idea to contact the local authority now to see what they can offer now in terms of advice, and in the future if the worst comes to the worst. 

Ive contacted my OT who came and did a needs assessment on me a few months ago. Adaptions were planned for my home but of course now this can't go ahead because of the house sale. Therefore she's going to contact the HA on my behalf and send them all the reports she's done. Hopefully, this will help me. She told me she'll will be intouch as soon as she's contacted them.

Are you registered with them and on the waiting list? If not, and even if you think a private rental may come up sooner, it doesn't hurt to start the process off as a back up. 

MultiFuelBurner

poppy12345 said:

I often read the threads on here and i know there are some very knowledgable people here. I'm hoping some of you can advise me please because i'm in complete panic mode.

I've lived in my house for 3.5 years and i'm a housing benefit claimant. My landlord has a chain of properties that they rent out but has decided to put several up for sale, my home being one of them. It's currently managed by a letting agency. When i was first told about this a couple of months ago i was informed that it wouldn't be advertised on the open market and it would be sent to people on their contact list as an investment property only.

There's been 1 viewing but that possible investment buyer didn't offer on this property but instead offered on another close to where i live. Fast forward to last Friday and i was contacted to tell me that another possible buyer would be coming today to view. When i asked if it was an investment buyer i was told no, it's a buyer hoping to live here their self.

As a benefits tenant, you'll all know how extremely difficult it is to rent anywhere because mostly LL's do not accept DSS tenants. I've never been in any arrears with my rent, i keep my home clean and tidy. I've had many compliments from the letting agency about how immaculate my home is. I can get a home owner guarantor too but even with that, it's very difficult.

My question is, if this person does make an offer and it's accepted what will happen? I have no where else to live and with a health condition being homeless is the last thing i need. I was told by the agency that they will give me 2 months notice, which isn't long to battle to find another home. Can they really evict me that quickly? Please help.

Hi Poppy you say the LL has a chain of properties he rents out.

Have you reached out to the LL through the letting agents to ask if any are soon to become vacant,.explain the difficulty you are having, explain you don't want to cause issues and start that conversation.

Apologies if you have already done this but the post started going badly off track.so I didn't read all the rubbish.

Divorcing_Dad

MultiFuelBurner said:

poppy12345 said:

I often read the threads on here and i know there are some very knowledgable people here. I'm hoping some of you can advise me please because i'm in complete panic mode.

I've lived in my house for 3.5 years and i'm a housing benefit claimant. My landlord has a chain of properties that they rent out but has decided to put several up for sale, my home being one of them. It's currently managed by a letting agency. When i was first told about this a couple of months ago i was informed that it wouldn't be advertised on the open market and it would be sent to people on their contact list as an investment property only.

There's been 1 viewing but that possible investment buyer didn't offer on this property but instead offered on another close to where i live. Fast forward to last Friday and i was contacted to tell me that another possible buyer would be coming today to view. When i asked if it was an investment buyer i was told no, it's a buyer hoping to live here their self.

As a benefits tenant, you'll all know how extremely difficult it is to rent anywhere because mostly LL's do not accept DSS tenants. I've never been in any arrears with my rent, i keep my home clean and tidy. I've had many compliments from the letting agency about how immaculate my home is. I can get a home owner guarantor too but even with that, it's very difficult.

My question is, if this person does make an offer and it's accepted what will happen? I have no where else to live and with a health condition being homeless is the last thing i need. I was told by the agency that they will give me 2 months notice, which isn't long to battle to find another home. Can they really evict me that quickly? Please help.

Hi Poppy you say the LL has a chain of properties he rents out.

Have you reached out to the LL through the letting agents to ask if any are soon to become vacant,.explain the difficulty you are having, explain you don't want to cause issues and start that conversation.

Apologies if you have already done this but the post started going badly off track.so I didn't read all the rubbish.

I was thinking this.

Not all Landlords are heartless money makers. Maybe by reaching out with your concerns, pointing out that you have additional needs but you're great at paying, maybe they'll consider taking your property off the list of those that they're looking to ditch.

Whilst clearly, the Landlord will have come to some reasoning on the list that they're selling, it could be that yours was a borderline case.

poppy12345

elsien said:

Are you registered with them and on the waiting list? If not, and even if you think a private rental may come up sooner, it doesn't hurt to start the process off as a back up. 

Yes, my name is on the list. Thank you for the help! Thank you to everyone else that has also offered their advice, it's much appreciated.

My LL has more than 40 properties, that she rents out and is selling several of them. Despite living here for 3.5 years, i've never had any personal contact from her. It's managed by the agency but mostly contact has been through her maintenance guy directly but that's only because i was asked to do that rather than through the agency. This was because they've never been the most reliable. (agency)

They do know that myself and my daughter (we live together) both have multiple health conditions.

deannagone

Hi Poppy, I'd like to thank you for what you do for others on this forum too.

I have actually been in this position.  Private LL (who wasn't a brilliant LL) wanted to sell the property I was renting.  It turned out to be very difficult to find another property to rent as a benefits tenant, not a single LA in the area would put me on their books ( also tried another area with 'low rents' and even there I couldn't get on a LA's books somehow, although I'd never missed a rent payment and had a reasonable credit rating).  I looked exhaustively for alternative rentals.  I did have to apply for social housing, endured a very stressful time not knowing where/what I would be moved to or even if, until the afternoon after the morning the bailiffs came round.  Because of disabilities in the family (and with myself) I was able to avoid single room accommodation for us (submitted medical evidence to a medical panel through housing who said single room accommodation wasn't a safe option for us), and we were lucky enough to move into cockroach infested (thousands of carcases in every cupboard, I'm not joking and there were still live ones).  But it was a roof.  Huge problems getting electricity and gas connected, property was filthy.  But it was a roof.  After about 18 months we were informed a permanent property had been found for us..,  it turned out to be an unofficial swap with a family that did not want to move out of their property so all sorts of nightmares there.  But we have been in this property for four years, and the rent is affordable.  

As an aside, DON'T have any grant funded changes made to a private rental without checking whether this can be done again if you move.  I discovered the day before contractors were due to start that it could only be done once in my lifetime.  Which means if I need more supported accommodation, I lose what has been done to this place. Its quite likely that you will have to move if in private rental.

My LL also assured me that he'd sell the property to another LL.  One LL came round to view, the rest were all people wanting to buy a place to live in.  I wasn't surprised though, my LL wasn't the sort with any morals whatsoever lol. 

And yes, as I had no alternative but social housing, my council wouldn't help until the bailiffs came round.  Not when I was served a S21, not when the possession order was granted, not when the bailiffs warrant was granted.  Boroughs do differ though with their attitudes to this, but as far as I am aware most will wait until you are actually physically evicted.  And of course, I had to pay the £500 court costs.  People need to realise no sane person would put themselves through the eviction process unless there was no choice.  Its the most stressed I have ever been and it lasted months.  Even continued whilst we were in emergency accommodation because you didn't know if you'd be moved, or just found 'not homeless'.  I saw it happen to others.

GDB2222

Any sensible landlord will try to sell the property as a going concern, without disturbing the tenants. However, in practice, that’s a very limited number of potential buyers. I’m sorry the op is going through such a difficult time.