To think landlord shouldn't be allowed in?

[time2shine]

Probably IABU. We're moving out in six weeks. Landlord wants to come in tomorrow and look around to see what needs to be done before he moves back in. In other words, go round with a clipboard making note of all the things we need to do or lose our deposit.

We've really looked after the property but I have been warned that this landlord will probably do his absolute best to keep our deposit.

I'm worried about letting him in. We're going to get everything professionally cleaned but it hasn't been done yet. Probably feeling overly sensitive. Is it usual for landlords to come and have a look around before moving tenants even move out?

AIBU?

[QforCucumber]

Your deposit should be in a deposit protecting scheme - not for him to juSt 'keep'.
But he has every right to check the property, personally I think I'd rather it be checked while I could still rectify any issues than receive a letter after moving out saying what had been left unacceptable.

[Muskateersmummy]

I agree, when we moved out of or last place we had the landlord and agent come round about a week before we left with a list of what we agreed needed to be rectified before we left. The alternative is they check after you leave and you have no time or option to resolve the list, and lose your deposit.

Unless your expecting a long list which will take all your deposit and more to fix!

[acquiescence]

Of course you are being unreasonable! It is his house. Provided he is giving you reasonable notice then he is within his rights to enter the property and could have been doing every week!

[Whatthefreakinwhatnow]

Agreed, I'd much prefer to know in advance what needs doing before moving out than receive a nasty suprise later!

Provided the LL provides the required notice he can visit his property as often as he likes.

Is there any reason you don't want him there? Unless you are hoarders who have never cleaned the place I'm sure it can't be that bad?!

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

Wouldn't you like time to rectify any reasonable issues he finds in order to make it easier for deposit return?

[kirinm]

That's wha annoys me about renting, it's never the tenants house. Apparently it's acceptable to let the landlord in every week! No wonder everyone hates renting.

OP - you can fight for your deposit regardless but if you're worried ensure pictures are taken of everything. I know it's a pain (been there many times myself) and I always felt very anxious about it but I'd let it happen. It only needs to happen once and then you're well within your rights to say no until you leave.

Always take pictures though! And remember the deposit is YOUR money not the landlords and they can't take any of it without your consent.

[RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime]

Of course you are being unreasonable! It is his house. Provided he is giving you reasonable notice then he is within his rights to enter the property and could have been doing every week!

Completely wrong.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

This sounds more like the landlord getting prepared rather than deposit negotiations.

If you've been there a while there will be wear and tear which can't be claimed off your deposit and he may just not have all the info about dimensions etc.

I'd let him in if it wasn't inconvenient, he's generally reasonable and he's given proper notice.

[chocdonutyy]

Of course you are being unreasonable! It is his house. Provided he is giving you reasonable notice then he is within his rights to enter the property and could have been doing every week!

Wrong!
It is YOUR home, you have every right to refuse entry and enjoy your home whilst renting his house, he has no right to enter unless an absolute emergency.
For any other reason 24 hours notice and a mutually agreed time is needed.
I would let him in on an agreed time purely to rectify any problems you may have missed or agree a solution.
The property should be in the same condition you rented it in minus any reasonable wear and tear.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Wow I'm really surprised that more than one person on the thread thinks landlords can just give notice and come whenever they like. That's just not true.

Tenant pays rent for the property and they have a right to privacy and to "quiet enjoyment".

[Primaryteach87]

Honestly, I would say it's not convienent (he doesn't have a right to come at any time, it should be mutually agreed unless an emergency). Suggest another date when the cleaners have been and say you are more than happy to go over it with him then. I'm speaking from experience... Also as LL myself I would be happy with this.

[AdrenalineFudge]

Is your deposit in a scheme? Reading your OP it sounds like it might not be hence the worry.

[JeanGenie23]

My old landlord kind of tried this with me, and I got really annoyed with him. I hadn't damaged anything, the property was shit to begin with he wanted to see what jobs needed to be done before he showed it to potential new tenants, but they are the jobs he should have done before I moved in so I told him he should do it on his own time, not whilst I am still paying rent. Landlords can be fuckers and not all keep the deposit in a scheme, if you find them privately (I.e not through an estate agent) it's very likely they have the money in their bank account!

[kirinm]

What a lot of people don't understand is that it can be quite intimidating asserting your rights as a tenant as you're generally reliant on a decent reference and you need your deposit back. I've got better at it over the last 12 months or so but that's after 18 years of renting.

I also found having my house checked intimidating as who knows what is going to be deemed acceptable.

I guess the only positive change in legislation for tenants was the secure deposit scheme.

[JeanGenie23]

Excuse my poor language I still have a lot of pent up anger towards my old landlord!

[Whatthefreakinwhatnow]

The landlord’s rights of entry

Your landlord has a right to reasonable access to carry out repairs. What ‘reasonable access’ means depends on why your landlord needs to get access. For example, in an emergency, your landlord is entitled to immediate access to carry out any necessary work.

Your landlord also has a right to enter the property to inspect the state of repair or to empty a fuel slot meter, but they should always ask for your permission and should give you at least 24 hours notice

Copied from the citezens advice website

[NotDavidTennant]

You don't have to let the landlord in.

You also don't have to rectify a list of 'faults' found by the landlord (or letting agent). As said above you just have to return it in the same condition as it was let to you minus wear and tear.

I'd be preparing now for the likelihood that you won't be getting the deposit back and will have to fight for it through the deposit protection scheme.

[Lanark2]

The good thing here is that if he uses tgis visit, tgere is ambigiuty afterwards, so you can follow him round, don't argue with him, agree but note what he says. If he uses this visit to lever anything from deposit, have a list of things you note him looking at,with ticks next to it. Ask him for a detailed list of everything if he does do this, and say 'that was resolved before we moved out'

Photos after cleaning with a long shot look much cleaner than detail shots, so keep these as evidence.

I have never left a flat without 'accidentally not paying the last, or last but one month.

I like to have them seeking money from what they don't have rather than me trying to get money back that they have. It dampens the effect s of the unreasonable ones..

Hth

[PageStillNotFound404]

OP, we were in a similar position in our previous house. We advised our LL that due to being in the early stages of packing, boxes everywhere etc it wasn't convenient or practical and agreed a date during our last week in the property, after the professional cleaners we were engaging would have been in, for the inspection to take place.

(He then tried to keep 25% of our deposit for things that were actually a direct result of him failing to address the damp we'd raised more than once during our tenancy and we ended up both going through the deposit scheme's Dispute Resolution Service AND starting a small claims court action before we got it back, but that's another story!)

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

That's repairs to be carried out immediately that will benefit the tenant or protect the property Whatthefreak not to resolve issues of wear and tear or to prepare the property for going to market.

[lighteningirl]

I am a landlord and always offer this 50% of tenants prefer it the rest don't it's up to them I do whichever they prefer, but if you've kept it in the same condition why would it bother you? If the condition is good the tenant gets the deposit back quicker if we have to rectify /ask to be rectified then getting the deposit back takes longer.

[Whatthefreakinwhatnow]

movingonup the second paragraph states the the landlord is allowed to enter the property to inspect the state of repair

[lorelei9]

it sounds like you are panicking because you have "been warned".

by whom? And is the deposit in holding scheme?

[Lindy2]

I'm a landlord and I go to check the property occasionally. Usually if a maintenance issue has been reported. I do a check when a tenant is moving out as standard. Why on earth wouldn't I? I am the owner.
If I had a tenant that didn't want to let me in I would not renew their lease.
I actually get on very well with my tenants and treat them very fairly. They in turn treat me and the property well. I have only had one bad tenant in 15 years of letting.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

I checked the law Whatthefreak. I also checked Shelter who word it almost the same but crucially include the word "do":

Landlords may need access to the property to inspect it and do repairs but they must let you live in your home without unnecessary interference.

m.england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/private_renting/about_private_renting/landlords_responsibilities