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> If you complain about something being broken, they might fix it or just evict you with 2 months notice. This is why you shouldn't agree to a rolling tenancy.
by Veen 7y ago
> If you complain about something being broken, they might fix it or just evict you with 2 months notice.
This is why you shouldn't agree to a rolling tenancy. When the initial tenancy period is over, negotiate for a year or two. Most landlords, in my experience, don't want their houses sitting empty so they're happy to have you on the hook for a year. Although, it depends where you live: I work remotely so I tend to rent in less expensive parts of the country like Devon where there isn't so much volatility in the market.
- gtsteve 7y agoYes but often you have no choice but to agree. When I've tried to negotiate in the past the response was for them to say "thanks but no thanks" and wait for someone else. Given this is London it moves very quickly and another tenant will be along soon.
- Veen 7y agoYes, that's why I was enthusiastic about the Government's plans to introduce three-year minimum tenancies, but the idea was unfortunately scrapped. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/longer-tenancy-plans-to-give-renters-more-security https://www.gov.uk/government/news/longer-tenancy-plans-to-g...
- crdoconnor 7y agoUnless rents are going up (and in London they are not) I don't see how longer tenancies help you. It certainly doesn't give the landlord an incentive to fix.
- Veen 7y agoThey already have an incentive to fix. In the UK they're legally obligated to and tenants can take them to Small Claims Court if they don't. Periodic (rolling) tenancies can be ended with two-month's notice, so the landlord might decide to evict rather than repair. With longer tenancy agreements, the landlord can't evict until the tenancy expires, and so tenants can use their legal rights to compel the landlord to make repairs. In short, the landlord can't kick people out as an alternative to spending money on repairs.
- suff 7y ago... in theory
- crdoconnor 7y ago>They already have an incentive to fix. In the UK they're legally obligated to and tenants can take them to Small Claims Court if they don't. Yes, they're technically "obligated" but only real recourse is to pay somebody to fix it yourself and deduct that from the rent. While doing that you have to be 100% reasonable though (no overcharging, get multiple quotes and landlord must be kept informed). If you stop paying rent because repairs aren't made you can be evicted.
- openoi 7y agoTo spell it out, places a large burden on you. And then you get evicted after the negotiated period ends anyway.
- Veen 7y agoYes, ultimately you don’t own the property you rent. The landlord has rights over the property too, and you have to factor that in when choosing whether to rent or buy.