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Original poster

Was our landlord out of line?

27 replies

LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 16:48

Hi all. Wanted to know if I'm BU or not. 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" 😡 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.

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.

Is he being totally out of line or am I being too sensitive?

OP posts:
Blondey2023 · 23/05/2023 16:54

Unbelievable!! Do you rent through an agent? If so I would be writing a strongly worded email to them as this simply isn't acceptable. If an agent isn't involved then email him directly and say how you feel. As long as there is no damage in the property, or you have made changes to it, he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Iamclearlyamug · 23/05/2023 16:55

He is YBU to have a look round while he's there to fix something (although looking in the wardrobes is a bit much!) however he is definitely BU to say things like "you shouldn't have children if you can't cope" that is none of his business.

Re the eviction, as it stands he can issue a section 21 for any reason he likes - although if you're good long term tenants who pay on time he'd certainly be cutting off his nose to spite his face!

lieselotte · 23/05/2023 16:55

Blondey2023 · 23/05/2023 16:54

Unbelievable!! Do you rent through an agent? If so I would be writing a strongly worded email to them as this simply isn't acceptable. If an agent isn't involved then email him directly and say how you feel. As long as there is no damage in the property, or you have made changes to it, he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Precisely this. Completely outrageous.

Lidlpopdrinker · 23/05/2023 16:55

Completely out of order.

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 16:55

@Blondey2023 thank you yes we rent through an agent. Nope no damage or alterations to the property.

OP posts:
YukoandHiro · 23/05/2023 16:55

Blondey2023 · 23/05/2023 16:54

Unbelievable!! Do you rent through an agent? If so I would be writing a strongly worded email to them as this simply isn't acceptable. If an agent isn't involved then email him directly and say how you feel. As long as there is no damage in the property, or you have made changes to it, he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Agree with this.

AnAngelAtMyTableWithMe · 23/05/2023 16:56

He is not allowed to do inspections without your permission and so yes, he is in the wrong and you need to tell him it is not ok to do this without your express permission. As to his stupid list yeah he can do one and tell him to stop looking through your knickers while you're at it, checking the wardrobe! pervert

BruceAndNosh · 23/05/2023 16:56

Unless your "untidinesss" is causing possible damage to the house, or attracting vermin, it is none of his bloody business

Michellebops · 23/05/2023 17:00

As a previous landlord he was bang out of order.

He should have fixed the shower and left, and raise concerns through your agency for an inspection.

Unless the property is filthy then he cannot comment on how you live.

It's bloody hard working full time with a family and keeping your home in order.

What a dick!

AnnWithoutAnnie · 23/05/2023 17:03

Maybe he's confused Landlord with parent?

it's up to you how you live in your home unless it's damaging his house.

I'm a bit hot headed (understatement!!) & I'd have already fired off an email with something like I wrote above & telling him he's totally out of order with giving you a list of things that need addressing AND those other comments are way out of line & if he so much as thinks them again you'll be reporting him.

(I'm not sure who to, but there must be someone)

how's your shower??

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 17:04

Thank you all. It genuinely isn't filthy or damaged. Just a bit cluttered with boxes, laundry etc. The usual crap you accumulate when you have kids! I should say we don't have much storage as we're not allowed to use the loft.

OP posts:
LauraNorda · 23/05/2023 17:14

You can live like a real dirty pig as long as, at the end of your tenancy, you return the property to the state it was at the start of your tenancy.

Turn him away next week when he comes to check up on you. Jeez, he is treating you like a teenager with a messy bedroom.

As it stands today, he can issue you with a Section 21 whenever he wants, so if I were in your position, I would start looking for a new rental after this anyway.

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 17:17

@LauraNorda haha he even said "If my son lived like this, I'd kill him" 😑 made us sound like complete pigs but we're not.

OP posts:
gogohmm · 23/05/2023 17:23

Having managed rental properties (and not having seen your place) can I put a landlords perspective

Did you have boxes, tubs or clothes piled up against an external wall? This is a major cause of damp and mould in flats especially. Also did you have rubbish overflowing - cause of insect infestations. Ditto dirty washing up. Cardboard is a potential fire hazard.

I had to do the inspections and we knew people tidied up for them, when I had to let tradespeople in it was an eye opener. He doesn't know if this is normal, worse than normal or usually it's a lot worse!

He sounds a bit fussy but I suspect he was alarmed that despite knowing he was coming it was still this messy. Intrusive yes, but you don't know how badly other tenants have left his properties. Emptying the bin or doing the washing up isn't something that takes long

readbooksdrinktea · 23/05/2023 17:25

LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 17:17

@LauraNorda haha he even said "If my son lived like this, I'd kill him" 😑 made us sound like complete pigs but we're not.

He sounds unhinged as well as completely out of line. Get on to the agents.

NewPinkJacket · 23/05/2023 17:30

Either he's totally unhinged or the house was worse than you think (to a fresh pair of eyes).

Did he really say, "I know you have kids but maybe you shouldn't have had them if you can't cope"??

Unbelievable, wanker.

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 17:30

@gogohmm no the boxes weren't against the wall. The bin wasn't overflowing (the lid was shut and there was no rubbish on the floor), it was full but not overflowing.

OP posts:
Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 17:32

@NewPinkJacket I was wondering this but I've asked my mum who was here recently and she agrees it isn't that bad at all. And yes, he really did say that, verbatim. I was so shocked I couldn't even speak!

OP posts:
namechanged221 · 23/05/2023 17:42

We had a landlord like this and I'm afraid it did not end well.
They complained our oven was dirty and that we had not trimmed the shrubs.

We had massive argument that nearly turned physical between my DP and the guy. His wife was almost as bad

When we refused their Perry demands they tried to evict us but they did not fulfil the contractual procedures.

We decided to move out anyway because living under those conditions was unbearable.

namechanged221 · 23/05/2023 17:43

Petty, not Perry

caringcarer · 23/05/2023 18:17

@LlamaFace19, I'm a LL and don't mind how cluttered or untidy the tenants house is providing they pay rent on time, report any faults, let Gas Engineer in each year and once they leave, leave everything clean and tidy. My own house gets untidy sometimes so I'd not be a hypocrite.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 23/05/2023 18:22

OP, the same thing happened to my daughter and her partner. LL came by to do some work to the garden hedge, and then peered in through the patio doors and complained that they'd left washing on the airer in the sunshine, and it was 'untidy'. He made other complaints too, despite the fact it wasn't an official inspection.

They moved as soon as they could, because they could never feel confident again that he wouldn't come by to do other 'garden maintenance' and start looking in through the windows again. When they might be doing anything, never mind drying washing.

SaltyColin · 23/05/2023 18:54

He sounds a bit fussy but I suspect he was alarmed that despite knowing he was coming it was still this messy. Intrusive yes, but you don't know how badly other tenants have left his properties. Emptying the bin or doing the washing up isn't something that takes long

  1. It doesn't matter if they knew he was coming, they are paying to rent it as their home (not his) and the "untidiness" is nothing to do with him unless it's actually damaging the fabric of the house or encouraging vermin.

  2. It's absolutely no concern of theirs how other tenants have left his properties.

  3. Full bins and washing up are not major issues. The tenants were probably going to sort them after work.

OP, the comments he made and poking around your private stuff including the wardrobe is fucking disgraceful.

Do you know if he's protected your deposit properly?

PercivalP · 25/05/2023 15:21

Is there any updates on this? Please please complain to the letting agency. They will know how illegal this is, and hopefully have a word with him. Also get advice from Shelter and Citizens Advice, just in case he decides that he wants you out. If you record everything now he won’t have a leg to stand on.