Sell your tenanted property — tenants can stay

Why selling a tenanted property through an estate agent is so difficult

The majority of buyers on the open market — whether purchasing their first home or upgrading — need the property to be empty when they move in. That is a fundamental problem if your property has tenants in it. Estate agents will typically advise you to serve a Section 21 notice and wait for the tenancy to end before listing, which can take anywhere from two months to well over a year if your tenant challenges the notice or the property ends up at court.

Even if you do market it tenanted, the pool of interested buyers shrinks dramatically. Mortgage-backed investors face stricter lending criteria on tenanted purchases. Cash investors know you are in a difficult position and often use it to negotiate heavily. The result is a longer sale, more uncertainty, and ongoing costs — mortgage payments, insurance, management fees — eating into whatever you eventually receive.

We cut through all of that. We are experienced landlords ourselves. We understand tenancies, we respect tenants, and we are set up to buy tenanted properties exactly as they stand.

How we handle a tenanted property purchase

The process is straightforward. When you contact us, tell us about the property: location, condition, current rent, tenancy type (AST, periodic, fixed term), and any relevant background. We will review the information and come back to you with a written cash offer within 24 hours.

If you accept, we instruct solicitors on both sides — we cover your legal fees via our panel solicitors. The tenant is formally notified that the property is changing ownership, as required by law, but this notification does not affect their tenancy in any way. Their existing Assured Shorthold Tenancy transfers automatically to us on completion. Their rent, their notice periods, their deposit protections — all of it carries over intact.

We agree a completion date that works for you, and on that date you receive the full agreed cash sum. We take on all landlord responsibilities from that point forward. The tenant notices no change to their day-to-day living situation.

What types of tenanted property we buy

We buy a wide range of tenanted properties across South Yorkshire and the surrounding areas:

• Single-let residential properties with one AST tenancy in place
• Properties let on periodic (rolling month-to-month) tenancies
• Properties still within a fixed-term tenancy
• HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) with multiple individual tenants
• Properties where rent is below current market rate
• Properties that form part of a larger portfolio — we can buy the whole lot
• Properties where the tenant has been in residence for many years

We do not require the tenant to have a perfect rent payment record, although if rent arrears are a factor we will need to understand the situation. If a tenant is not paying rent, that is a separate issue we can also help with — read more about selling when a tenant is not paying rent.

The tenant's situation: what they need to know

One of the most common questions landlords ask us is: "what do I tell my tenant?" The honest answer is that you tell them the property is being sold to a new owner who intends to keep them as a tenant. That is genuinely good news for most tenants — the alternative, if you sold on the open market, would likely be a Section 21 notice and the stress of finding somewhere new to live.

Under the Housing Act 1988, an Assured Shorthold Tenancy automatically transfers to a new owner when a property is sold. The new owner becomes the landlord and the tenancy continues on its existing terms. The tenant does not need to sign a new agreement, and the sale cannot legally be used to end a tenancy early during a fixed term.

If a tenant has questions about what happens when a landlord sells, we have written a plain-English guide specifically for them: Your landlord is selling — what happens to you?

Areas we cover across South Yorkshire

Frequently asked questions: selling with tenants in situ

Will my tenant be evicted when I sell?

No. We buy specifically because we want the tenancy to continue. We are investors, not owner-occupiers — an occupied, rent-generating property is exactly what we are looking for. Your tenant will not be asked to leave and will not face eviction as a result of the sale to us.

My tenant has been in the property for over 10 years. Is that a problem?

Not at all. Long-standing tenants are often our preference — they know the property, they pay reliably, and they tend to look after the place. A long-term tenancy is not a complication; it is often a feature. We honour the tenancy regardless of how long it has been running.

The rent is below the current market rate. Will you still buy?

Yes. We factor the current rent — and the scope to review it in line with the tenancy agreement — into our offer. Below-market rent does affect the price we can pay, but it does not prevent us from buying. We will always be transparent about how we have arrived at our figure.

I have an HMO with four tenants. Can you buy that?

Yes. We purchase HMOs, including licensed HMOs. We are familiar with HMO management, licensing requirements, and the obligations that come with multiple occupancy properties. Tell us the number of tenants, the current licence status, and the rental income and we will assess it from there.

Do I need to serve a Section 21 notice before selling?

No. One of the main advantages of selling to us is that you do not need to go through the Section 21 process at all. We buy the property with the tenancy fully intact. No notice, no waiting period, no uncertainty about whether the tenant will leave or challenge the notice.

What if my tenant doesn't want a new landlord?

Under English law, tenants do not have a right of first refusal when a landlord sells, and they cannot prevent a sale. Their tenancy simply transfers to the new owner. In practice, most tenants are reassured when they understand that the new owner wants to keep them in the property — the sale is not a threat to their home.