One rent void that landlords want to avoid is that between putting a property on the market and selling it. During this period, usually after some negotiation with the tenants, you can have buyers viewing your rented property. Obviously the tenants will have to move out before the sale completes, but many tenants are happy to oblige if it means putting off moving for a few more months.
But are your tenants definitely batting for you? One former tenant we spoke to (who’s staying anonymous, you’ll find out why in a moment) confessed to being a spanner in the works. “I liked the flat I rented,” he said, “but the landlord put it on the market. We agreed that I would stay, allow viewings during the week but not on Saturdays and I’d still get two months notice to quit.” As it turned out, the tenant stayed in the flat for seven more months.
“As time dragged on,” he says “I started to get increasingly annoyed with the arrangement. The selling agents weren’t always giving me the 24 hour notice I requested and regular viewings were often disruptive. In retrospect I should have moved out.”
But, our anonymous tenant admits, he did his best to scupper, or at least delay, the sale. “Nothing wicked, just silly little things to set alarm bells ringing.” Here are some of those things:
- When you entered the flat, there were three internal doors. If you closed all the doors you walked into a pitch dark hallway. It was a very misleading thing to do in what was otherwise a very light flat. I’d also draw the curtains in the bedroom.
- Put a few mousetraps by the skirting boards.
- Not always leaving the place spangly clean. It’s amazing how a few empty beer cans and an overflowing ashtray from the night before can drag down the tone of a place!
- Rearranged the furniture in the living room to make it seem much smaller than it actually was.
- Leave a plunger on the closed lid of the toilet. 
