From: Ronald Raygun 
Subject: Re: tennants rightswith kids?
Newsgroups: uk.finance
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 16:26:32 GMT

Adrian Smith wrote:

> My ex partner and kids have been living in a rented house for 3 years on a
> 12 month renewable lease.
> 
> She is in the process of purchasing a house which was supposed to coincide
> with the termination of her lease on 1st Feb.
> 
> However the house she is buying is in a chain and there are delays, as a
> result she cannot move on the 1st Feb.
> 
> The landlord insists that she is out on the 1st of Feb.
> 
> What are her legal rights and what additional costs do you think the
> landlord could legally end up attributing to her if she refuses to leave
> until she is able?

If she has given the landlord notice of her intention to move out by
that day, then she must do so or else will be liable to compensate
the landlord for any loss arising from her delay.  If there is a new
tenant scheduled to move in that day, the landlord will be liable to
that new tenant for the cost of temporary accommodation, and if they
have their own furniture, storage.  The landlord will be entiled to
have these outlays reimbursed by the outgoing tenant.

It may be simpler if she simply moved into temp accom herself.

On the other hand, it would be a foolish landlord who'd have
arranged such a quick back-to-back turnround.  More likely he will
have planned for some redocorating work.  It may be possible to
salvage the situation if the outgoing tenant and the decorators
can co-exist for as long as it takes, but time may be limited in
any case.

It was utterly daft to have relied on a chain not getting stuck.
Never give your landlord notice until your purchase has reached
the stage of irrevocability - i.e. exchange.  It may be that this
was the case, and the delays are only to completion.  There will
be clauses in the purchase contract to cover this, and will make
the seller liable for the buyer's temporary accommodation costs.