Do you own an buy-to-let property in Sunderland that you’d like to sell? When tenants or lodgers are living in your property, the selling process can become a bit more complicated. In our latest blog, learn more about how to sell your house with tenants in Sunderland, North East!
As a landlord, there may come a day when you wish to sell your Sunderland house. Even if you have tenants, it is your property and you may sell it if you wish. In some cases, you’ll be able to let your tenants know, and it won’t be an issue. However, you also don’t want to risk losing your tenants and being stuck with a vacant house while your house is on the market. That said, the tenants have rights, and you want to make sure you aren’t violating them. Below, we discuss several things that arise when you decide to sell your house with tenants in situ in Sunderland.
The Contract Situation
What does your contract situation look like? If you have a month to month contract, ending it shouldn’t be too difficult. If you have a standard Assured Shorthand Tenancy contract, aka AST, then you will only be able to provide 2 months notice once the first 6 months of the contract are up. This would be done by providing a Section 21 notice.
However, If you want to sell mid-contract, you’ll either need to sell the property to an investor who will honor the lease, or give your tenant some sort of incentive to move out. Some leases contain early-termination clauses that would allow you to end the lease early in certain situations. Remember, the tenant has rights too under the fair housing act, and if you violate those rights, you could find yourself penalised.
If You Have Difficult Tenants
If your tenant has violated their contract, you should be able to evict them using a Section 8 or 21 order. That said, if your tenant is refusing to leave, the eviction process can become long and arduous. Most landlords try to avoid dealing with evictions at all costs. By selling your house with tenants directly, you’ll be able to avoid the eviction process yourself and be able to move on from the property with cash in hand. Many direct buyers will simply take over the contract and business will go on as usual. This is cause they will be able to make money from Day 1. If the tenants are in violation of their contract, the buyer will go through the eviction process as necessary. Plus, a direct sale will help you avoid having to put the property on the market and show the property which would likely cause even more tension between you and your difficult tenants.
Sell To Another Investor or Landlord
There are many reasons why a direct sale is beneficial for people who need to sell their house fast with tenants in Sunderland. Investors are happy to take over a property that already has a tenant in place, especially when they are in good standing. It saves them time and money advertising, marketing, and showing the property. They won’t have to bother screening tenants or running the background checks because those things have already been done. Even if there is a difficult tenant living in the home, an experienced investor won’t have trouble pursuing the eviction process if the tenant is in violation. They have likely had to do it before, and won’t be bothered by the process.
If you want to sell a house with tenants in Sunderland, there are certain ways to go about doing it. Always make sure you are being fair to your tenants, and giving the proper amount of notice. Not only is it the law, but it is the right thing to do…