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I rent a house that the landlord is trying to sell, and the landlord said I have 3 months to leave from when he has found a buyer.

The estate agents have found a buyer, but they have not yet informed me.

I only know the house is sold because they put a 'sold' sign up outside the house

Does that mean I have 3 months from now? or 3 months from whenever they contact me?

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  • Do you have a lease? Jul 22, 2016 at 17:27
  • I don't know if it's a lease or not. I signed a year long contract, which changed to a rolling monthly one after the year was up. Pretty standard I think Jul 22, 2016 at 17:55

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There's good information at https://www.gov.uk/private-renting-tenancy-agreements/your-landlord-wants-to-end-your-tenancy.

There are several types of tenancy with different rules, but in all of them, the landlord has to give you a certain amount of notice to move out, and it has to give a specific date. "Three months from when a buyer is found" doesn't seem to fit that, so I would say you have not yet received formal notice to move out. This statement may have just been a courtesy to give you more advance warning. So for instance, if you are in a tenancy that requires two months notice, the landlord may have intended this to mean "I plan to send you formal notice about one month after a buyer is found." Of course, this is not binding; he could send you formal notice tomorrow if he changes his mind.

As far as I know, the sale of the house is really irrelevant in all of this. You don't automatically have to move out just because the house is sold; if you're not explicitly told to leave (with appropriate notice) then you don't have to, and you'll just start paying your rent to the new landlord. If you have a fixed-term tenancy, then the sale of the house doesn't shorten it.

I am not sure what the point is of getting angry at the estate agents. Your tenancy is a matter between you and your landlord, and the estate agents have nothing to do with it. They work for your landlord, not for you.

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  • I thought the estate agents were responsible for making us aware. As you have pointed out, that is the responsibility of the landlord. Thanks for your advice, it has greatly helped Jul 22, 2016 at 16:11

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