To expect this NOT to happen when viewing a house for sale..

That is by far the worst story in house viewing I've ever heard. It's hard to believe that an Estate agent would agree to allow people to roam around a house where someone is in bed sick. Very in appropriate.

The woman with cancer may have felt that she was dealing with the situation in the best way she could, by getting the viewings over with and by not preventing anyone from seeing all of the house.
She was not the one who announced that she had cancer.

She may have expected the house-viewers to treat her as a normal human being, and maybe some of them did.

But you know even if the tenants were happy with the arrangement, the viewers were not necessarily and if you are trying to sell, wouldn't you want viewers to feel comfortable and explain the situation to them beforehand? And if you were a viewer, would you like this?

Isn't it interesting that "landlord" means house owner and letter out, and "landlady" has connotations of seaside dragons?

Good grief, KateyKrunch! You must have felt shell-shocked after an experience like that. And the people actually in situ at the time must have felt like exhibits in a zoo.

And whoever the nit was who organised the viewing "en masse" needs a crash course in people skills and diplomacy.

Not to mention some common sense......

On the other hand, it could be that the tenants wish to leave the property and it was therefore an opportune time for the landlord to sell.

There's always two sides to a story.

I've been a landlord and the seemingly good tenants on paper turned out to be absolute nightmares! From a brothel to a drug den and I'm not exaggerating. Happiest day of my life when we sold up!

But in the property you mention the current tenants might have requested a mass viewing as opposed to constant viewings on a daily basis.

So hard to judge in this case .....

What an awful situation, poor you to have to witness that. Also the poor sick person, where was the compassion.

I was an Estate Agent for many years & you would not believe the number of times I was doing a viewing during the day & found a family member in bed ! Usually a teenage lad a having a sneaky day off school.
I am really not a fan of agent viewing TBH as the only person to give you full info on property is the owner but a lot of people like agents to do the viewings even if they have to go out to allow you to do it.
I do remember one memorable morning when our manager went to do a valuation & came back 10 mins later in a real panic. When he got to the house- a bit out of the way in the country- the door was opened by a young (ish) lady wearing very little. She invited him in to do the valuation with a very obvious message . He 'suddenly remembered he had left his tape measure machine at the office' & dashed back to beg one of us to come back with him. Needless to say we all refused & sent him back there terrified while we fell about laughing. He did manage to get out on one piece but I understand it was a close thing & we never got the instruction. We did say he could have laid back & thought of England as it a very 'desirable residence'.
It was a great job & I'm going to write the book one day!

Eloethan you're right about bungalows.

I know of someone in the West Midlands who put hers up for sale last week with a local agent - the next day the first person who came through the door (single, not mass viewing) offered the full asking price, there and then.

Am I being Unreasonable

What does AIBU stand for, please?

These mass viewings are done to generate a feeling of panic - so many people seem to be interested in this property - there must be a dearth of suitable properties so we'd better put in an offer. Having said that, I think I read that bungalows and short in supply and high in demand.

In this particular case, it seems pretty horrible that someone who is seriously ill is having to put up with this level of intrusion.

The Landlord of my rented property has so far (8 years +) been a good landlord but even though a years contract is signed eviction in 2months is still a fear that every renter is very worried about. Having rented some years ago a property where the Landlady decided to visit without warning at 10pm & could not understand why the front door was locked so that she could not enter. At the time she threatened us with eviction as she wanted to get into the property. She was a very strange person & we moved as soon as we could as she kept threatening to sell saying prospective buyers would be shown round whether we liked it or not & we could 'get out'. We did - fast! So i can feel for the tenants in that bungalow but this is something that tenants have to put up with regardless. There is no security in renting even with a years contract! Good luck in the next viewing you undertake!

I have some properties, and was speaking to an estate agent a few week's ago where a landlord had died. He the agent had to go and tell the tenant's of 30 year's that their home must be sold. I felt so sad for tenant's and also for the agent who had to pass the news on.

When we came to view our present home the son of the house was asleep in the back bedroom , the owner invited us to peer into the room, curtains drawn, which seemed to be very black. When we moved in we found it was took quite a lot of repainting!

Without knowing the full circumstances we do not have a right to judge. I have to sell a tenanted property and the letting agent had a full and frank discussion with the tenant who had the choice to leave after his notice period or stay until the property is sold. His choice is to stay unless he finds somewhere before it is sold but he does not intend to start looking until we have accepted an offer. Viewings will be arranged to suit him. My preference is to sell the property once it is empty but if he wants to stay during the marketing process I accept his choice.

I'd assumed from the OP that the house was up for sale not renting again. But either way...

What a dreadful way to behave towards the people in the sitting room, the sick one, and not to mention the poor nervous dog. The behaviour of that landlord is almost feudal, and I thought there were rules about viewings when properties were occupied by tenants. They must have all felt that they had suffered some kind of assault with all those people milling about, gawping and trampling through their home. The Estate Agent and the landlord would get an email or phone call from us if we were presented with that sort of viewing. Totally unacceptable and unkind behaviour.

How awful for everyone. The tenants and prospective buyers must have all felt awkward and embarrassed. The only time I have seen or heard of these open day viewings is on a Phil Spencer programme were people are really struggling to sell. Still remember someone on this programme opening someone's wardrobe and looking through their things (so rude as freestanding) and not one that would be part of fixtures and fittings.

When I viewed this house, it gradually dawned on me that the walls were covered in pictures of the current owner naked. I didn't know where to look.

I think for agents to take viewings when people are in bed is despicable. It just is.

It sounds horrendous for the poorly tenant but maybe they felt more comfortable having one mass viewing than a series of viewings. If it was a lazy estate agent that would be unconscionable.
It may be that the cancer is terminal and the lady in question is going into a hospice so will not be able to pay the rent. I would have thought it might have been kinder to wait but it could be the majority of the Landlord's income.
We had a lady who suffered from cancer who owed an extortionate amount of rent even though she had been paid it by the benefits office. She would lie through her back teeth over anything and by the time she left, of her own accord because she had so many creditors knocking the door, we were so relieved and happy to overlook outstanding rent. I'd have paid to get rid of her but her cancer inhibited us because we didn't want to be unkind. It's a pity she didn't have the same values.
If you are renting, it might be better to avoid this landlord unless you get to the bottom of the seemingly unkind behaviour.

i think everyone should boycott mass viewings. it is only to encourage high bidding from buyers and completely unnecessary. i think the agent and landlord behaved poorly and unprofessionally

I hate these mass viewings. Estate agents like them because it saves them time showing people round individually. The tenants must also have felt very uncomfortable but obviously the landlord and agents couldn't care less. If I was told tenants lived there, I would want to know if the property is being sold with vacant possession. I have heard that you can evict tenants if the property has a mortgage but am not sure if there are still categories of tenants who have a permanent right to remain.

clearly awful situation. it does sound like the landlord is trying to get the tenants out. personally no matter how good the selling price was it would put me off buying. the tenants could cause problems in the sale going through.

No but you can just give them 2 months notice! We are tenants - we have never owed rent, and have cared for properties, as they are our home but 3 times we have been told to leave our home - imagine how that feels!!!