Daily Telegraph wants to speak to landlords about trying to sell a property with difficult tenants

Daily Telegraph wants to speak to landlords about trying to sell a property with difficult tenants

16:19 PM, 7th December 2023, About 5 months ago 4

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Are you a landlord who is trying to sell a property but having problems arranging viewings because of difficult tenants?

Then, Alexa Phillips, the property and money reporter for The Telegraph would like to speak with you.

Alexa would like to ask Property118 readers:

  • Do you have a tenant who is refusing access to the property so estate agents can show people around?
  • Your tenant is only offering very limited viewing times despite you offering plenty of notice.
  • Making it difficult for you to find a buyer?

If you think you can help please email alexa.phillips@telegraph.co.uk as soon as possible.


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Comments

Easy rider

17:53 PM, 7th December 2023, About 5 months ago

Tenants have a choice.

It is their home so they choose who is allowed inside (except in a genuine emergency).

If a landlord is trying to sell to another landlord, it is in the tenant’s best interest to be cooperative. They should tidy the house and be pleasant to those that view the property. One of them could be their next landlord.

If tenants made it difficult, I’d aim to gain possession by whatever legal means were available to me.

David

11:17 AM, 8th December 2023, About 5 months ago

This feels like the wrong issue for the paper to be highlighting.

Helen

20:21 PM, 8th December 2023, About 5 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Easy rider at 07/12/2023 - 17:53
I'm feeling a bit of an idiot for expecting a tenant to leave in order for me to sell the flat. I should know by now never to believe what tenants tell me.

Unless we are able to sell to an investor, and there are very few of those around now, it is a very bad idea to try to sell with a tenant in situ.

I tried exactly this. My mortgage tripled so I needed to sell. I told the tenant months ahead that this would be the case. I instructed an Estate Agent and the flat was sold on the first day of viewings. I issued a Section 21 and the tenant said he would leave at the end of it. He claimed never to have received it so I sent another one, so there was 3 months before the possession date. Meanwhile, it was the fastest conveyancing process I have ever known. They were ready to exchange after 3 months.

Nearing the possession date the tenant said he couldn’t find anywhere. It transpired that he has developed mental health conditions, has lost his job, and along with having a cat it is almost impossible for him to find a place. In addition to which the Local Authority told him not to become ‘voluntarily homeless’ so he won’t leave until bailiffs come, in perhaps 10 months time.

So I am paying the high interest rate which the rent no where near covers, around £2000 to the Eviction Agency for the process and I will lose the sale.

I am selling all my properties as I’ve had enough. I will be sending out Section 21’s well in advance of putting my properties on the market.

GlanACC

12:48 PM, 9th December 2023, About 5 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Helen at 08/12/2023 - 20:21
This might stick in the craw, but have you thought about offering the tenant money to move out. Say £10,000, payable when they leave on a specified date and you get the keys back. I did this with one of my tenants (£6,000) - they were actually model tenants, but I needed to sell the property otherwise it would have cost me £25k at least to have it rewired (kitchen out, lath and wattle plaster replaced). They were very happy to do this and I paid them as promised (we both had a very simple letter of 'understanding'). By the time you have got them out and the additional mortgage you are paying and the inevitable knock down of the price you expect for the property then £10k might actually be saving you money.. If you are really sneaky and they owe you anything you could deduct this quite legally from the £10k

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