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Original poster

In thinking our landlord is being completely out of order?

94 replies

LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 17:27

Hi all. Wanted to know if I'm BU or not. Accidentally posted this in chat but meant to post here. So, our landlord was round today to fix the shower. He fixed it, but he then went around the other rooms, essentially doing an inspection even though he wasn't here to do an inspection! At least I assume he did (my partner and I were both at work), as I then got a text saying he wants a 'serious talk' with us when we got home.

I got home first, he turned up 5 minutes later and started berating me about how untidy the house was. His complaints were:

  • There was an empty cardboard box next to the stairs
  • The washing up hadn't been done
  • The kitchen was a bit cluttered
  • There were empty toilet rolls in the bathroom
  • The kitchen bin was full
  • The washing basket was overflowing
  • The WARDROBE was untidy? (yes he looked in the wardrobe)
  • There were three plastic tubs of clothes piled up in the corner of one bedroom. I was sorting my son's clothes ready to take them to a charity shop

Yes our house isn't spotless, but we have two young children (4 and 1) and both work full time. There is some clutter but he made out like it was a complete pigsty and it genuinely isn't. There are things like piles of washing (not on the floor but in baskets) He also made some nasty personal comments, one of them being "I know you have kids but maybe you shouldn't have had them if you can't cope" 😡 Basically talking to me like a naughty schoolchild. He also said "I don't want to evict you, but...". He cannot evict us for it being a bit cluttered, surely? I was in tears when he left. He has given us a week to tidy up. There is no damage or alterations to the property, it's not dirty. It is simply that it's a bit cluttered (mainly due to lack of storage as we aren't allowed to use the loft).

I should say we've been here for four years, always paid rent on time, never been any bother, always reported any issues etc. He has inspected before and never had a problem. He rarely gives any notice when he inspects, just turns up and then says 'I'm within my rights to inspect my own house'.

Is he being totally out of line or am I being too sensitive? Considering complaining to letting agent.

OP posts:
justgettingthroughtheday · 23/05/2023 20:19

@Shhhquirrel landlords can chuck people out at any point for any ridiculous reason (or indeed no reason) of their choosing!
Suggesting that retaliatory evictions done happen is ridiculous and just ignorant!

I myself have been on the sharp end of two landlords that have acted in such a manner. They happen everyday!

daffdil · 23/05/2023 20:13

I’m an ‘accidental’ landlord. I don’t care (actually, I don’t think I have a right to care!) about tidiness, or cleanliness unless it’s risking damage to the building. He is totally out of order and serve him right if he loses good tenants

Thehonestybox · 23/05/2023 20:10

The fact that he went in your wardrobe... 😨That is actually really scary, sorry this happened to you.

LangClegsInSpace · 23/05/2023 20:00

LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:53

I called the letting agent to complain and as soon as I said LLs name she said 'oh yes, he's known to be difficult' 😅 But they agreed that he's being completely out of order. They will call him and tell him he cannot come to the house anymore unless accompanied by someone from the letting agent. Wether or not he'll stick to that I don't know....

Well done, that sounds hopeful.

Hope the viewing goes well and you get to move soon.

HotelNotPortofino · 23/05/2023 19:58

Outrageous behaviour from the LL

glad you are thinking about moving

I’d complain via the agency, & also send a list of every single minor issue that needs repair that you’ve told them about but they haven’t fixed yet

I’ve been a LL for decades, but hated renting myself with one particularly crap agency, every time they did a formal inspection they’d be greeted by a typed list on the hall floor

Daleksatemyshed · 23/05/2023 19:55

Glad you're moving Op, he's a control freak/ and or he's deceided to sell up and wants a reason to get you out. I hope your next LL is much nicer

Shhhquirrel · 23/05/2023 19:55

ChopperC110P · 23/05/2023 18:08

So, yes tenants have the above legal right to quiet enjoyment and your LL was bang out of order to inspect without notice, to comment on clutter, to dp plumbing when not a qualified plumber, etc etc.

BUT the reality of the current situation is the landlord has all the power and you have none. No fault evictions, section 21s, are still legal and if you piss him off he can serve you notice to vacate in 60days (unless an exception applies depending on your exact tenancy agreement). You could refuse to leave and then he can go to the courts and under a new expedited process get bailiffs to toss you out in 2-4wks or so (depends on the court district workload).

All it takes is pissing off an already unreasonable prick of a landlord, so wouldn’t take much to do. So sending letters saying you have this right and that right and telling him how out of order he is, is going to risk your home.

So I caution you that while the above advice is legally and factually correct, the landlord still can legally revenge evict you and he sounds like the kind of prick who would enjoy doing it as he obviously got a kick over being the big man berating a woman and making her cry in her own home over nothing that was any of his business. He’s a bully. You’d be giving him an opportunity to bully you and your family- make your children homeless- if you pushed the issue.

I hate saying this, but I’d tidy to just appease him and if there are future small repairs, sort them myself to keep him from my front door.

the landlord still can legally revenge evict you

This is ridiculous ‘advice’. ‘Retaliatory’ evictions are illegal and would be thrown out of court. Don’t pander to his bullying nonsense and speak to the housing dept at the council, or Citizens advice.

Shhhquirrel · 23/05/2023 19:49

As a LL myself, I consider this behaviour to be outrageous.
The LL should be giving you notice of any visits and should
be reminded that you are entitled to ‘quiet enjoyment of your home’. The ‘concerns ‘ raised were frankly laughable. I’m sorry your LL is such an unprofessional dick.

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 19:46

@justgettingthroughtheday wouldn't surprise me at all but we're viewing a property tomorrow with a view to moving ASAP, so hopefully won't be needed.

OP posts:
chezpopbang · 23/05/2023 19:44

It might be his house but it is your home and he has no right to tell you how to live in it. As long as you are not causing damage. All of those things are cosmetic things. So strange he won't let you use the attic if he wants you to have a perfect home. I would be so angry at the comments about the children. I have 2 children only work part time and my house gets in a right state. Sometimes other things in life are more important. He should also be giving a you proper notice to do inspections. If it was me I wouldn't say very much as finding a rental is a bit of a nightmare atm. I'd then be looking for a new rental in the back ground. Also I'd never let a landlord in the house when I'm not home again. Which I appreciate can be very difficult.

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 19:43

For anyone wondering, this is the kitchen. Yes it's not spotlessly tidy but surely not in a state worthy of evicting someone over. And yes it was like this when he came round!

In thinking our landlord is being completely out of order?
OP posts:
justgettingthroughtheday · 23/05/2023 19:39

LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:53

I called the letting agent to complain and as soon as I said LLs name she said 'oh yes, he's known to be difficult' 😅 But they agreed that he's being completely out of order. They will call him and tell him he cannot come to the house anymore unless accompanied by someone from the letting agent. Wether or not he'll stick to that I don't know....

Unfortunately you are now likely to be issued with a section 21 notice ☹️
That's what landlords like this do.

justgettingthroughtheday · 23/05/2023 19:38

We need a scummy landlord register in this country!
Scrap tenants having to give references the way most landlords act they should also be required to provide references of reasonable conduct!

OP I would strongly suggest moving. He won't improve! He is looking for an excuse to issue a section 21. It might be his last chance to screw you over before the rules change. He has probably done it hundreds of times before. You can't reason with people like that.
If your going to move you can restrict his access until you move out.

supersonicginandtonic · 23/05/2023 19:37

@LlamaFace19 that was out of order, definitely but he'll have been able to see the state of the kitchen and the untidiness in the bathroom.

YellowHatt · 23/05/2023 19:34

LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:53

I called the letting agent to complain and as soon as I said LLs name she said 'oh yes, he's known to be difficult' 😅 But they agreed that he's being completely out of order. They will call him and tell him he cannot come to the house anymore unless accompanied by someone from the letting agent. Wether or not he'll stick to that I don't know....

Well done. Stay firm now if he comes knocking.

AxolotlOnions · 23/05/2023 19:14

Change the locks, you can change them back when you leave.

TimeForTeaAndG · 23/05/2023 19:04

supersonicginandtonic · 23/05/2023 18:54

I'm sorry but if you knew your landlord was coming round you could have at least washed the pots and tidied up a bit. If your house was like that and you knew he was coming round, he must think it's worse when he isn't.
It was an arsehole move to inspect your house in the way he did though.

Oh give over. The landlord was entirely unreasonable and OP can choose whether or not to wash the pots etc it's none of his business.

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:58

@supersonicginandtonic if I knew that he was going to inspect I would have. As it happens I thought he was only going to fix the shower and leave, not open every door and look around around every room and even look in the wardrobe....

OP posts:
supersonicginandtonic · 23/05/2023 18:54

I'm sorry but if you knew your landlord was coming round you could have at least washed the pots and tidied up a bit. If your house was like that and you knew he was coming round, he must think it's worse when he isn't.
It was an arsehole move to inspect your house in the way he did though.

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:53

I called the letting agent to complain and as soon as I said LLs name she said 'oh yes, he's known to be difficult' 😅 But they agreed that he's being completely out of order. They will call him and tell him he cannot come to the house anymore unless accompanied by someone from the letting agent. Wether or not he'll stick to that I don't know....

OP posts:
Arewehumanorarewecupboards · 23/05/2023 18:50

LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:11

Thank you all. Good to hear I'm not BU. We are viewing a property tomorrow with a view to moving ASAP.

I really hope you get it because you really shouldn’t have to put up with this!

cobden28 · 23/05/2023 18:27

When my daughter was in a student rented house twelve years ago the landlord wouldn't allow the tenants to have locks on their individual bedrooms, nor a bolt on the bathroom door; his idea of giving the required legal 24 hours' notice of intention to enter the property was to arrive on the doorstep and text to say he's there and is coming in the house NOW. On more than one occasion my daughter was woken up by the landlord in her bedroom at 7am ( he was doing an illegal loft conversion, but that's another story ! ) . In the end the tenants took the landlord to court on a harrassment charge and won a considerable amount - but were unable to collect because the landlord had skipped the country after having put all his assets into his wife's name .

Do please check your legal rights as a tenant - CAB should be able to help out here - and if possible move house.

user1471538283 · 23/05/2023 18:25

I would ask him for written evidence in your contract that you have signed that says he has the right to do it. It won't be there. This is your home.

I've found that even a supposedly decent landlord is an arse when you give notice so expect it.

ThankmelaterOkay · 23/05/2023 18:24

Ah give the guy a break. Haven’t you heard what a hard life landlords live? He must be so stressed not making as much money as he used to.

tulippa · 23/05/2023 18:19

Your landlord has no right to tell you to tidy up and shouldn't be 'inspecting' the property without prior agreement and especially not when you're not there.
However, when I know my landlord is coming round or one his contractors (not often), I make sure the house is spotless as I wouldn't want to give him ammunition or the impression that we don't care about the house.
Next time, try to make sure one of you is at home when any work is carried out.

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