Do I have to let Landlord show prospective purchasers round the apartment | ExpatWoman.com
 

Do I have to let Landlord show prospective purchasers round the apartment

22
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 07:29

Our landlord has told us today he wants to sell the home we live in and gave us 2 months notice to vacate.

We pointed out to him the RERA laws on this and advised him that in line with the law, he has to give us 12mths notice of his intention to sell. He in turn has now given that 12 month notice which is fair enough!

However as he has actually put the property on the market today he wants to show prospective purchasers around as and when the need arises. Do we have to agree to this?

After all we've got 12 months left on the tenancy agreement and so it could potentially be a lengthy run of viewings and could prove to be rather intrusive. I know there is some type of law herein Dubai that says the landlord must let you live without intrusion from them forthe duration of the tenancy agreement but I don't know where we stand on it for viewings.

So in summary, if the landlord is selling the property we rent, do we as the tenant have to allow access to the apartment for viewings or can we say no for the remaining term of our contract.?
<em>edited by monkeyface on 02/05/2013</em>

2725
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 17:54
I was told by an agent that we should allow viewing, but LL has to give us 48 hours notice. I remember on Xmas day the agent wanted to come with clients, I said NO, he asked why not, best thing is he was from Scotland, thought he may have took the hint, it was Xmas Day after all. My LL gained access to my apartment without permission, no one was going to be home and he was adamant to gain access, I told him he will have to wait, so he gained access with his key. I only found out afterwards, when we had a row on the phone. He was a nasty piece of....... <em>edited by salsB on 02/05/2013</em>
51
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 17:34
It IS like a family outing - wot is up with that? We (foolishly) let our previous LL have people round for viewings - mostly creepy weirdos with horrendous personal hygiene. Shouldn't have bothered as DH asked him for an extension on our lease as I was in hospital having had an op - told him we'd pay him in cash to rent it for an extra month and he told DH he'd rather have it empty. Wot a swine! We'd lived there for 2 years and left the apartment as we would expect to find it. Grrrr.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 15:31
Yes I am also SICK of viewings - it's like a family outing and what is it with this treatment of things as people have mentioned? Sitting on furniture - get out of here! :-( <em>edited by spongemonkey on 02/05/2013</em>
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 12:05
I went through it as well. It started with a potential buyer coming the first week, and then the next week we had 4 agents turning up at the same time with different people. They opened the windows, wardrobes, plus sand and dust everywhere (and as SEY has mentioned below, I'd clean up the house before each visit) After all this we'd set one evening every two weeks for 1-2hrs only. I would then follow them room to room not allowing to open the wardrobes (my stuff in it!) Thinking back when I was renting in London, I'd never ever even thought of opening anyone's wardrobes or cupboards when viewing the place for let, so why do people here think they can do whatever they want to? My understanding is that you don't need to move out if the LL is selling the place (hence shouldn't the new LL give you 12months notice to vacate the place if they want it for themselves?) The apartment gets sold with the tenants. Also, they would need to prove they'd live there themselves (notarised letter). Please can someone correct me if I'm wrong?
993
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 11:56
As for the viewings, we're going through this now and the agents really are a bunch of p*ss takers. I've gone out of my way and arranged for them to come round at certain times and had two no shows now without any warning. That's the end of it for me. LL has now been given a set 30-min slot each month when we will allow people in. I've saved all the agents' numbers (including the b*tch who didn't turn up twice) and now simply ignore their calls (I get at least 2-3 a day!!). edited by HereComesTheSun on 02/05/2013 Might be worthwhile getting a 2nd number to hand out to agents :)
299
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 11:53
As Landlords, we arranged a time- once a month at the convenience of our tenant to offer viewings for agents. Only serious buyers, and we made sure to ask all agents and prospective buyers to remove their shoes. Any discussions would be done in the main lobby of the building or anywhere else apart from our tenants home. It had to be a quick viewing 'ln - look- out'. We've been tenants as well, and know what it feels like to have landlords take advantage of you, and we were determined not to be nasty to anyone else.
2192
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 11:42
I went through the same thing and had enough of it .. people sitting on my sofa having a discusion. walking on my rug with dusty sandy feet and opening my cupboards to have a look at the space including my knicker drawer ! not to mention turning up on a friday and also during meal times ! I also put my foot down and allowed 1 viewing per month but for the whole day. I would take my son to Kidzania for the day and the maid would stay at home. I also removed the rugs and put bed sheets on the sofas so people wouldnt sit. ! Not being awkward but the stuff in the apartment is mine and im not letting any random walk in and make themselves at home !
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 11:31
He managed to sell the property anyways, and five months after moving in we have been asked to vacate and have been given 12 months notice :( I just want to check that you know your rights here: it's not 12 months' notice from 5 months' after you moved in (i.e. for a total tenancy period of 17 months), it should be 12 months from the end of your original 12 months (i.e. for a total tenancy period of 24 months). Yes this is what we are contesting now. We are waiting to receive the official notarised document to say that we have to vacate and then we're going to the rent committee. We spoke to them without this and they said that we should win the case as whether the new owner wants it for personal use or not, we're allowed to two full years. Fingers crossed it goes well because I HATE moving :(
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 10:40
Having been in apartment that was sold while we were living there. I would suggest being somewhat accommodating. Like some of the others have said tell them you won’t be providing an open house. Set certain days and times. We only had three viewings and the place was sold to somene that didn’t even view it as he lived in the exact same apartment 5 floors down, so you might get lucky. Also we only agreed to deal with one agent, who had to be present at all viewings. I would advise being careful re your deposit, as our previous landlord tried to deny he has received it, ridiculous claim! I had a receipt from the agent, the LL tried to tell me I should be getting it back from the agent from two years ago, honestly as if he would have let me move in without a security deposit. Anyway, the new landlord who is moving into the apartment agreed to pay it. It’s just something to be wary of.
544
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 10:38
As for the viewings, we're going through this now and the agents really are a bunch of p*ss takers. I've gone out of my way and arranged for them to come round at certain times and had two no shows now without any warning. That's the end of it for me. LL has now been given a set 30-min slot each month when we will allow people in. I've saved all the agents' numbers (including the b*tch who didn't turn up twice) and now simply ignore their calls (I get at least 2-3 a day!!). <em>edited by HereComesTheSun on 02/05/2013</em>
544
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 10:31
He managed to sell the property anyways, and five months after moving in we have been asked to vacate and have been given 12 months notice :( I just want to check that you know your rights here: it's not 12 months' notice from 5 months' after you moved in (i.e. for a total tenancy period of 17 months), it should be 12 months from the end of your original 12 months (i.e. for a total tenancy period of 24 months).
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 09:56
Our LL decided to sell last October. We didn't want to hinder him so were accomodating to viewings. However, six months on he still hasn't sold, and we were being 2/3 times a week to show people around. We would be told it is just one person, to then open the door to 3 or 4 different agents each with groups of people. It became very unreasonable, sometimes as many as 20 people wandering through the place. Agents knocking on the door unannounced with client in tow expecting to be let in. Telling me that they had spoken to my husband and arranged it, just lies.. So in the end we said enough, gave the LL a day and time period and made it perfectly clear that this would be the only time acceptable. Be accomodating but stand your ground and don't let them take over.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 09:11
I think you could arrange a schedule, say 2 time per month on x day between x and y time. Closer to the time you are moving out, if he hasn't sold it, you could maybe increase the schedule a bit. You don't want life to be totally disrupted, as SEY83 says, people just wander around your home and you really need to be there when they are viewing, so you are giving up your time too.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 08:54
You don't have to let anybody into the house, even the landlord. I let my previous landlord show people around the house. Honestly we were getting frequent calls from the agent so we had to arrange the viewing times and quite frankly I'm not convinced that any of them were serious buyers (although we were told that they all were before they came...). Then people show up, walk around your house (which you feel obliged to make spotless before they arrive), open cupboards, sit on your couches, have discussions, etc. Honestly if it was just two or three times then fine, but I have found if you are too lenient then people take advantage. After we moved the house got sold. We then moved into our new property and within two months the landlord put it on the market. We told him outright that we're not going through what we did last time and we won't allow viewings (he had told us that the property would not be sold for at least two years). He managed to sell the property anyways, and five months after moving in we have been asked to vacate and have been given 12 months notice :( My suggestion is two tell your landlord that you will allow two or three serious buyers to view the property but you won't entertain people showing up every week.
1120
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 08:25
No use in being a "difficult" tenant now...he's given you the 12 months notice so why not met him halfway? Tell him that you prefer X days/times as they're most convenient for you, and also tell him that you require X days/hours advance notice before a showing.
141
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 08:21
Why not set a time and a day when he can show potential buyers....
4747
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 08:07
no you are not obliged to show anyone around, when is your contract up, as the 12 months notice should start at the end of your contract
 
 

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