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Hi all,
We are vacating an apartment that is under a periodic agreement (i.e. the fixed term has expired) and have given notice to the real estate agent managing the property.
We wanted to do the right thing and gave 4 weeks notice even though we are only required to give. Now the real estate agent is pressuring us to allow prospective tenants in to inspect the apartment as they have “heaps of people to show”.
I'm not not really comfortable with masses of people coming through the apartment, and would prefer this be done after we have vacated. Are we under any obligation to allow prospective tenants to view the apartment before we have vacated?
Cheers,
S.
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renting a property is a business arrangement, not a social service. arrange viewings only on terms and times you want. Make sure you pre-arrange well in advance with the agent, set times, and ensure that you are there (I have known people lose items during viewings -if you are there you can keep an eye open). I have, before, proposed terms such as 'one hour, saturday week'. If they want more, ask whether they will reward you for the inconvenience – for example, one week rent free.
LL's should build in void periods (and indeed use the time between viewings to update/clean the property)
That said, do not obstruct unless the LL/agent have been unreasonable themselves…..
Poor advice from propertyBOOMCRASH.
The landlord's agent may enter the premises to show the premises to prospective tenants a reasonable number of times during the period of 14 days preceding the termination of the agreement if the tenant is given reasonable notice each time.
Provided reasonable notice is given, it would be unreasonable of a tenant to try to limit access.
aussiepiper
If i can just jump in here, I've been to inspections here the place was a tip and the tenants were just getting out of bed. I thought they were protesting about having to move out – turned out they were trying to limit the number of offers so that they could put in a low bifd for the property.
Lesson: If at all possible, try to stay on good terms with your tenants. The landlord has rights – as Aussiepiper correctly points out – but the tenant has the ability to unpick your best laid plans if they so desire.
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Thanks for the replies.
We ended up negotiating a time with the agent that was suitable for us, and the agent, to their credit, waited for all the prospective tenants to arrive and then showed them through the apartment at the same time – it was over in about 5 minutes.
We keep the place pretty clean & tidy, and one of the prospective tenants has already put an application in, so thankfully we won't have to do it again!
Now its onto the fun part – moving into a place that we own (a town house in a complex of 7)- or rather will own once the mortgage is paid off.
Cheers,
S.