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

tenants have a ‘right to quiet enjoyment’, which is doesn’t seem you’re being given, especially not if she is commenting on the amount of toys your son has out which seems very odd!

She can book in a time to come to do inspections. No need for other visits, including paperwork or stairs carpet.

Anyone worried about LL letting themselves in, it's easy enough to change a Yale lock. Keep the old one so you can change it back again upon leaving. Then only you will have keys to the property. The LL will never know you've done it unless they try to let themselves in, which is illegal. So if they call you out on it, they've automatically given you a reason for refusing to give them a copy of the key, because you'll both know they tried to let themselves in.

As a LL this sort of stuff really pisses me off - crappy LLs are the reason for the new legislation that is driving many good LLs out of the market. They don’t obey pre-existing legislation (a tenant’s right to privacy has been law for a long time), and probably won’t follow the new regs either while we are adding cost by following everything to the letter.
https://www.birketts.co.uk/legal-update/the-privacy-of-your-tenants-how-important-is-it/

Wtf she thinks soaking a casserole dish isn't allowed?! What a weirdo. I hope your house buy goes through quickly but please read up on your rights. As everyone has said, you don't have to let her in, and you need to read up on your rights, including what she'll be allowed to claim from your deposit. After 10 years and few repairs, it'll be very little. Make sure you take date stamped videos and photos when you leave. Get your partner on board too, you're being too passive.

And don't sign things if you don't know what you're signing for! She could have emailed the document instead. "you can comply by sending a copy of the document as an attachment "
https://www.nrla.org.uk/news/renters-rights-act-your-tenant-information-sheet-guide#:~:text=you%C2%A0can%20comply%20by%20sending

Are you aware of the law? It doesn’t matter if your rent is below market nor what is in the contract - that doesn’t trump the law.
LL or their agents must give 24 hour notice.
They can come for these reasons: property I did tion (every three months, six months it annually are the norm; it must be ‘reasonable’);
Visits must be at YOUR convenience.
The ONLY exception is in case of a serious emergency like a gas leak or burst water pipe.
While in the interest of good relations you should reply promptly and, if they’re have a good reason to visit (ie, an inspection), then propose an alternative time.
If you feel they are harassing you, then it can cross the legal threshold according to the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.
It doesn’t matter that she wants you to sign something to say you’ve received it - she can send it signed for special delivery. There’s no requirement for you to sign it just because she wants you to.
So as I and many other posters have said, she needs to give notice and even then it has to be for a good reason. Just. Say. No. If she repeatedly harasses you, report her to your council.
I’d take the lead here and establish a boundary moving forward . So what you’ve been there ten years, start now.
Send her an email or letter, stating from now on, as per Landlord and Tenants Rights Act 1985, you require 24 hour notice of any visits, and these visits are only for necessary reasons: gas certificate, emergency repairs, or pre arranged inspections. Any communication in future must be by mail, email or if by telephone during normal business hours. Furthermore, I list below certain issues that require your attention (broken towel rail etc). I look forward to you arranging with me a time for these issues to be addressed.
keep a log of everything. She can’t evict you unless you breach the lease (oh and has she sent you the new Renters Right Act stuff? Is that what she is giving you today)?
Start making a stand.

People without kids are only vaguely aware of when school holidays are.

But otherwise, should be giving more notice etc and expecting to put paperwork through the door.

She shouldn’t be commenting on the house when she’s not there for an official inspection. She has to give warning of inspections and dropping off paperwork isn’t an excuse for an impromptu inspection.

You’re well protected as a tenant. Tell her you will now require 24 hours notice of any and all visits as is the law. Tell her you are happy to accommodate 1/2 official inspections with notice per year but that she isn’t to criticise how you live your life in between.

Unless your house is in absolute squalor and is a risk of introducing pests or causing irreparable property damage the state of your house is none of her business at all.

Homes are for living in. If she doesn't like how her properties look when families live in them, then she shouldn't be a landlord.

When I rented my landlord would arrange when to come for visits for inspections.

You don’t have to agree to her schedule. Say ‘sorry that doesn’t work for us - we can do X, Y or Z instead’.

Also she needs to give 24 hours notice. It’s the law.

TBH she's pissing ME off now.

Please make a nte of everything in case she tries something over the deposit.

Good luck on your new house.

Then she can send it by recorded delivery.

Do not EVER let her in again. Tell her to post paperwork Signed For.
If you need her to come round, or for the annual inspection, do not allow her to come with less than 24h notice, and if it's inconvenient, tell her that you'll be there on X day at X time and you'll see her then.

I have twice had rather posh landlords who actually let themselves in - and this was on modestly expensive houses in upmarket areas

after that we refused to let from anyone where it wasn’t ‘managed’ - and communication went via the agent . ( some better than others) the best were Savills - they were fantastic both times and someone told us it was because they had a lot of foreign tenants who were corporate lets and were very business like and didn’t put up with any slow service/repairs.

onr of the guys who let himself in ( this was Oxford) was an ex Lord Mayor - he was an absolute arsehole, he actually let himself in to check we hadn’t done a bunk because we were once 1 day late paying rent because we were on holiday and I had forgotten to take the little code generator machine you used to need with my bank to make payments online ( about 13 yearsago) we only knew because my cleaner was there at the time.

I guess she’s visiting and wanting you to sign the documentation as she has left it too late to post the new government information regarding renting. The deadline for this is the 31st May. After this date, she can be fined.

Your landlady is completely unreasonable to be visiting you this frequently with very little notice. I suggest you read up on your rights, especially with how much notice you need to give if you’re planning to move into a new property. This information is freely available on reputable websites.

@Specksofwhiteallaround
Is it this she wants you to sign for?
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-renters-rights-act-information-sheet-2026

Your rental rights have changed under this government. Have a read of the document above,

@Specksofwhiteallaround , I am a landlord of multiple properties. Your landlord is supposed to let you enjoy your home and is being very unreasonable. You just need to stop being so accommodating and when she next asks to see you at short notice tell her you’re busy and set a time that suits you. She’ll get the message eventually.

If you are buying then you dont have to put up with this any longer. Next she will be wanting to show prospective new tenants around while you are packing. I would say no just for the hell of it and make her wait until the property is empty. But then I am a vindictive bitch.

She doesn't need to drop off paperwork, that's what the postal service is for and she should use it. Tell her you're unavailable for such a visit. Since you've already said yes I'd claim illness, be "ill" for weeks, all of you and tell her to put it in the post.

Put your phone on silent overnight so she can't disturb you.

Tell her, literally, to mind her own business about toys or how often you vacuum, when she comments. She won't like it but tough shit, she started the rudeness by commenting and you don't owe rude people politeness. She's not the queen and you don't have to treat her like she is.

She has a right to come in for annual inspection and repairs/maintenance work, that's it. I expect she chooses school holidays because she works term time herself. If it's a short holiday not the summer one just tell her you're unavailable for inspection that week but can accommodate the next week (when DS is back at school). She's being totally unreasonable. If she's working she'll have to take the day off to inspect. You can tell her your son is unwell, every time, if it helps. It's not a lie, he has a permanent condition that affects him.

You'll have to be a bit flexible if something needs doing as an emergency over the summer though. If it's not an urgent repair I'd leave reporting it until he's back at school. For annual maintenance and inspections just bring it forward to before the summer holidays, that will reset the date to a more convenient time for you.

We are landlords and we get no end of work done to our flat without ever seeing what it's like. If she wants to inspect the work, she can come when you are out or when YOU say it's convenient. If she is late or vague, she'll miss you.

Stop letting her in. You have absolutely no reason to accept her bombarding you with unwanted and unnecessary visits..even if she was your mum you've the right to say no. And she's not even a friend.

Every single time she tries it just keep refusing. Tell her your only obligation is to the tenancy agreement and part of being a tenant does not involve constant visits from your landlord.

That's appalling but I can't help think you've built a rod for your own back by allowing it for so long.

She could use royal mail tracked and signed for delivery.

You could prepare some paperwork of your own showing her all the ways she could be a less intrusive landlord and take it round to her house and make her sign for it.