No Quality Living when Renting a House for Sale

By Tenant

Okay. You might say that this really one of the worst decisions ever but 6 months ago, we signed a lease agreement with a real estate company. We were told that there will be showings but they will be very minimal so as not to disrupt with our living. We were okay with it since the house fit our requirements at the time – 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and just a 10-minute drive from my husband’s office.



But little did we know that our desire for peace and quiet living would turn into a nightmare. There are showings every day, from morning to after 6pm. We have young children at home and God know what kind of people those agents bring in. This was not part of our initial discussions with the management company. Is it too late for us to break the lease agreement?

So to get answers, I did my own research and also consulted with a few friends in the legal practice. Here’s what I found out:

Technically, the brokers are doing things right because they need to sell the house, they also need to consider my private space. As I’ve said, we have kids – small children – and all these people in the house may scare or influence them. We should have considered this before signing the lease agreement and not just trust on what the agent had to say. They had motives so we should have known better.

To make the long story short, we had to stay until the end of the lease. Things got better after we filed a complaint with the RPA and the management company had to schedule their showings to just a few days in a week and these would be in bulk. This way, we would not be frequently interrupted every day.

Now if you’re planning on renting a home that is for sale, here are some tips that I would like to share based on my experience.

  1. Know how long the house has been in the market. This will give you crucial information on the volume of showings that you will be expecting per day. A house that’s been there for quite some time may not attract much attention compared to a newer listing.
  2. Know the price of the home. This will help you determine the kind of people that will be coming in and interacting with you and your family.
  3. Get a written agreement that says the showings are locked to only specific days and times of the week. The property management company should sign such document.
  4. Instead of a year lease, maybe you can convince your property management company to settle for a month to month renewal. This way, if the intrusions are just too much, you can just move out. But if a month to month renewal is not possible, then look at the specific clause in the lease agreement about an early termination of lease. You need to make sure that you understand that part because that might come in handy later  on.
  5. Again, if parts of the lease agreement were not fulfilled, you can file a complaint against the property management. I filed a complaint with the RPA and I received a resolution to my problem. I recommend that you do the same. Here’s the link to get you started: http://www.rentalprotectionagency.com/complaint_center.php

Edited on: Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 1:36 am

10 Responses to “No Quality Living when Renting a House for Sale”

My response: (We welcome stories, examples, explanations, answers and a touch of your personality)
 

Anonymous

February 6th, 2013 1:40 am

I had the same problem once. I had to move out because prospect buyers walked in on me in my underwear. I was in my room when they walked in and gosh, that was really embarrassing. So I talked to the property manager and moved out. Yes, I was still in a lease agreement so I had to pay some fees for moving out early.


Anonymous

February 6th, 2013 1:00 pm

Lesson learned: never rent a home that is for sale. You’ll never know when you might need to pack up and go.


Anonymous

February 7th, 2013 12:20 am

Talk to your property manager if you’ve already signed the lease agreement. Calmly tell them that this wasn’t what you were promised when you decided to rent. And since you have kids in the home, then they should also consider their safety.


Anonymous

February 7th, 2013 11:40 am

When you’re home, I think it would be best if you don’t leave the lock box outside.


Anonymous

February 8th, 2013 2:00 am

If you cannot move out yet because of the lease, then maybe you can ask your landlord about the possibility of a rent deduction. This is because you are getting the best of living in that house that is being sold on the market. You would also need to ask the agent to include in the MLS listing that the house is currently occupied so that house showings can be scheduled per group.


Anonymous

February 8th, 2013 1:20 pm

That’s a tough lesson learned but at least you know better now. Next time, you wouldn’t even consider the thought of renting a house for sale even if it’s conveniently located between your husband’s office and your kids’ schools. Sometimes, living in apartment complexes have perks – and this is just one of them.


Anonymous

February 9th, 2013 12:40 am

This may be a funny idea but maybe you can have a huge dog. That way, no one can just barge in to see the house. They would need your consent first or fear being attacked by your pet. 😀


Anonymous

February 9th, 2013 12:00 pm

This is why you should not just think of the location and cost when renting a home. You also need to take into consideration how long you intend to stay and will the circumstnaces surrounding the rental allow you to stay that long.


Anonymous

February 9th, 2013 11:20 pm

If you really love the place, can’t you just buy it? I don’t know? but something like a rent to own agreement. I got my home that way.


Anonymous

February 10th, 2013 10:40 am

If nothing works, pack up and leave. Clean the house as much as you can to get most of your security deposit back. Pay some fees for early termination of lease and just get out. If you’re concerned about your kids, this is te best road to take.


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