Asking landlord if they'd like to sell their house that I am currently renting. Ok to go around agent/property manager?

[Deactivated] on 12/02/2017 - 15:33

Love the house that I've been renting for 2 years.
Am ready to buy, and would like to buy the house from the landlord (who knows if he'd be interested, but worth a try).
Have asked property manager if he could ask owner if he'd be interested in selling but property manager never gets back to me for obvious reasons.

So is it okay for me to ask the landlord myself? Or does agent have to do this if I ask them to?
ie if I ask via email and request to see proof that they have asked the landlord etc?

Or can I just go around agent and ask landlord myself via facebook?

Financial

Comments

  • railspider on 12/02/2017 - 15:43

    Ask the landlord yourself. He'd probably prefer it - going around the agent avoids any potential fees they may charge

  • MrHyde on 12/02/2017 - 15:55

    Definately ask the landlord yourself. If he does want to sell and both of you agree on a price, you can make the deal without any agents involved, which means no agent fees for the landlord.

  • thatonethere on 12/02/2017 - 16:33

    A lot of contracts I have seen (as owner to the property manager) have a nice little fee if you sell the property to the renter. Just ask the owner directly.

  • apple2016 on 12/02/2017 - 17:29
    +1

    You can ask the landlord directly. But remember if you do that you might not be getting the best deal.

  • captobvious on 12/02/2017 - 17:40

    Direct with landlord, do a deal at arms length. Eliminate the need to pay an agent.

    Might make it easier to work out a price by getting a couple agents to appraise the place too, this would be free to do.

    • Randxyz123 on 12/02/2017 - 18:46
      +1

      This. Ask a couple of agents to do a value and make a offer. Have a look at any houses that have sold recently in your streets and surrounding streets.

      Facebook is not really the place to ask

      Send a fairly formal email to the landlord with a offer that you can afford.

      • Love a bargain on 13/02/2017 - 12:31

        Don't you need to present yourself as the owner of the property in order to get the agents to come round to do a free appraisal for you?

  • djkelly69 on 12/02/2017 - 22:34

    Almost all property management agreements I have seen have a clause in them which says if you sell to the tenant, even if the property manager/agent has literally no involvement, they are entitled to a commission.

    So dealing direct with the landlord won't get around this, although it is not technically your problem. Landlord could certainly make an argument that the property manager almost went out of their way not to facilitate the sale (by not passing your enquiries on), so can't be entitled to commission.

    However, in my experience such clauses are generally unenforceable due to breaches of the agency legislation (but this will depend on the state).

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