Anyone else’s Landlord do this? AIBU to be irritated?

@Specksofwhiteallaround Was your deposit under the Tenancy Deposit Scheme? Did you just hand it over in cash, or what? The law as of 1 May this year is crystal clear concerning who is responsible for "other stuff" - you are protected, you have the law on your side concerning "other stuff" and every other kind of "stuff": the landlord is now liable for criminal charges if she continues to mess you about in the way she has done.

Sounds as if she's got you exactly where she wants you - too cowed to raise even the slightest issue concerning her rightful duties as a landlord, and that all these incessant intrusions are, in fact, manipulations and general harassment to keep it that way.

This is ridiculous. I understand you have tolerated it because of fear of a no fault eviction (section 21), but the renter’s rights act has ended that now so you have no reason to accommodate her intrusive and unlawful behaviour.

Have you ever read up about your legal rights under the housing act 1998 or renter’s rights act 2026?

Let me summarise the relevant ones now:

• she has no legal right to enter the property without your permission except in the following 4 emergencies: fire, flood, gas leak, severe structural damage.
• the 24-hours must be given but it is still a REQUEST to enter, you can (and should now) refuse it. That includes for inspections or repairs.
• she has no legal right whatsoever to comment on how you keep the property.
• if she tries to claim any of the wear and tear is your fault and deduct from your deposit, you must go through the deposit protection service and they will throw out her unauthorised claim and award you all your money
• speaking of which, are you certain she has protected your deposit? Let me know if you’re not sure and I’ll explain how to check. If she hasn’t it’s a huge win for you as you can claim back up to 3x the amount from her.
• you must give 2 months’ notice to leave (doesn’t matter what it says in your contact, the new law supersedes that). I suggest you give that once you’re sure the house you’re buying is secure.

My advice is to quote the relevant pieces of law regarding access to YOUR HOME to her in an email and say you are no longer accepting any visits. No matter what threats she makes, it doesn’t matter.

I can help you draft the email if helpful.

Don't write it off.

She needs to justify witholding it. And if these things were not repaired and you asked then she cannot justify it. I've just gone through a very unpleasant adjudication process myself with a tenant who deliberately and spitefully caused (provable) damage and even we did not get to keep the full deposit.

Has she protected your deposit? She can only withhold it under very specific circumstances and if she hasn't protected it she can be fined.

Sorry, I made a mistake above and can't seem to edit the post. She is within the deadline of 31 May to give you a copy of the Renters Rights Act, and if this is what she is giving you today, take the opportunity to go through it with her, so that there is no misunderstanding on either side, and point up especially whatever is in the Act concerning inspections and legally allowed visits to your tenanted property.

I’m a landlord and I would never do this. She has no legal authority to behave in this way. You need to stand your ground and stop this happening

She doesn't like you or your family, and probably has a range of ill-informed opinions which she has decided are worthwhile because she owns more than one house.

She does like your money though.

It always amazes me when 'small time' landlords ask 'would you prefer to rent from a faceless, anonymous corporation , where you're just a number?'. Yes, I would actually, because this so-called personal service seems to come all too often with an unhealthy dollop of interfering busybody.

Well- they might know if they are away and the neighbour reports a funny smell coming from the place, and they need to enter, or the managing agent needs to enter. Which has actually happened to us before. But i am willing to bet (considering our tenancy agreements are standard issue) that it's in the poster's tenancy agreement. I'm not sure she wants to start being in breach of anything right now.

LL can't increase the rent more than once every 12 months and not by more than the rate of inflation. The LL has to give you 2 months notice, they must use a section 13

https://www.gov.uk/assured-tenancy-agreements-a-guide-for-landlords/rent-increases

if your rent was increased 6 months ago - then LL can't increase rent for another 6 months

If your LL turns up with these form in hand - she is on a sticky wicket and can be told so. tell her you'll take it to first tier tribunal https://www.gov.uk/housing-tribunals/apply-to-the-tribunal as she has already raised your rent within the 12 months

I hope they carried out a full inspection before you moved in!

She’s behaving in a really weird manner. She hasn’t got any of the rights that you’re giving her but enforcing those rights is going to be a lot of time and hassle. If I were you I would start looking for another place.
There is a document we’re supposed to give tenants by the end of May about the new rights, but that can be emailed. I am a landlord.

Just a minute. As Agapornis has mentioned above, your landlord has a legal requirement to send out a copy of the Renters Rights Act to you, and should have done this by now. The deadline for doing this was 31 May, which has now passed. Thankfully my EAs took on this task (at a price) and my own tenant has received a copy, but, if there are no EAs involved here, your landlord is now liable for a £7,000 fine. Also, she cannot raise the rent (at standard market rates) more than once a year; under Section 8 of the act, she must give you 4 months notice before requiring you to move out for one of four reasons established by the Act; if she does do this, she cannot rent or sell the property for twelve months thereafter. Even under the old legislation she has been breaking the law left, right and centre. Here's a copy of the Act for you to send her if she isn't aware of it already - unless, of course, this 'paperwork' she's handing over was in fact the Renters Rights Act itself- but she's still past the official deadline

Your landl has no right to turn up to your house without notice unless it’s an emergency. You have a right to quiet enjoyment of your HOME! Look at the Shelter website for more information.
Do you have a copy of the tenancy agreement or where they have lodged your deposit?
it’s clear they have very little understanding of their rights or obligations as a landlord!
Get yourself informed on YOUR rights and obligations as a tenant.

But the point is they won't ever know! Unless they try to let themselves in, which they're not allowed to do. They can't win with it. My comment was a general one not aimed at OP as I don't think she's having this particular problem.

Her behaviour and demands are illegal. You have protected rights as a tenant and as a parent of a disabled child.

Familiarise yourself with the law (CAB or Shelter are helpful), and be more assertive. This is on you to push back now.

Bide your time and the minute you give her notice become so difficult.
No viewings at all in the house before you leave.
Report her for her constantly depriving you of quiet enjoyment of your property.

When the next tenant moves in, drop a note through the door giving them a heads up to what a complete PITA she is.

Best of luck.

id be telling her - you come at 5pm or whatever time suits you, or drop the paperwork off and I will look at it and you can return to pick it up at designated time.

I certainly not be kept waiting for someone to turn up

2 inspections a year is surely all that is needed along with gas certificate, which is annual and a 5 yearly electric.

What are these xtra visit for? tell her to reschedule at the inspection

Our tenancy agreement state that locks cannot be changed without permission.

And they are Banhma locks that you can't get changed unless you take ID to Banham.

I really would not recommend that the poster changes the locks.

I will say OP - personally I have zero idea when term time is as I don’t have school
aged kids. So it may not be deliberate on her part.

Surely the lease prevents this level of harassment. What happens when you say you will support one visit per year for her to view the state of the property and that’s it?

My last landlord was like this. He once had a massive go at me because the skirting boards were dusty. He said he and his wife would never “keep house” like this.

He also liked to go through the bins and comment on what I used / threw away (he lived next to the property I rented).

When he did his inspections, he would look in the oven, fridge, cupboards etc. And comment on everything.

When I moved, he tried to keep the entire deposit without going through the deposit scheme (ie by asking me to transfer him £x, when I mentioned having to negotiate through the scheme he said he didn’t know how to).

Ive had a few landlords like this actually - that run their rental properties as if they are air BnBs and treat all tenants like kids.

Anyway OP. She sounds infuriating.