Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

or is it the landlady?

31 replies

massivenamechange · 23/08/2010 10:43

I am so sick of this.

The woman rings up at 8am on a Monday to say - with no prior notice - that a builder will turn up at 9am and we need to let him into the house or leave the key under the mat.

Not only that, but because I didn't answer the phone as i was skyping work colleagues from home (as I'm not allowed to use skype at work), and DP was in the loo, she came round 10 minutes later to bash on the door and shriek at DP about not ever being able to get messages to us - as well as deliver the message about today's builder.

She has our phone numbers, she has our email addresses, we are almost always here in the evenings. Yet she always rings up within an hour or two of wanting something done, and if we say "I'm sorry I am just on my way to work" then she wants us to leave the house open so whichever tradesman can just come and go as they like.

We have politely refused to leave the house open and unattended, and have asked again and again for sufficient notice to be able to rearrange our committments to facilitate her requests, but she just does it again and again.

She thinks we are accusing her tradesmen of being dishonest. We have said again and again that this is not the case, but that it makes no sense to leave a house open and allow total strangers into it - for one thing it would invalidate our contents insurance.

The other thing is the tradesmen repeatedly don't turn up, so we screw up our work lives by changing plans to suit her for nothing, and then she says it is all because we have accused the builders of being dishonest.

FGS!!!!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:

ShinyAndNew · 23/08/2010 10:51

YANBU, legally she has to give you at least 12 hours (or is it 24 hours?) notice if she wants access to the house for any reason.

anyabanya · 23/08/2010 10:51

I thought it was 24 hours notice legally, but may be wrong.

Floopy21 · 23/08/2010 10:51

I think 24 hours notice is a legal requirement to gain access to your property.

Plumm · 23/08/2010 10:53

YANBU. As said above she has to give you proper notice, and you are allowed to refuse her entry.

LibertyGibbet · 23/08/2010 10:53

She's legally obliged to give you 24hrs notice in writing if she needs access to the house.

Can you dig out your contract?

2kids2dogsandahorse · 23/08/2010 10:53

I thought it was 48 hours!!

Original poster

massivenamechange · 23/08/2010 10:54

That's what I thought. Not sure on the figure, but i certainly don't think one hour is acceptable in anyone's world. Particularly as it's often her demanding requesting access for someone we don't even know.

OP posts:

thomsc · 23/08/2010 10:54

YANBU - From what I recall about my last rented place, I think she needs to give you at least a weeks notice. Very possibly in writing.

AvrilHeytch · 23/08/2010 10:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ShinyAndNew · 23/08/2010 10:55

No it's definitely not 48 hours notice. Although it is longer if she wants to do an inspection. I can't remember how much longer though.

thomsc · 23/08/2010 10:56

Cross-posted - I stand corrected

Original poster

massivenamechange · 23/08/2010 10:57

Need to dig out the contract.

Issue totally not helped by the bloody woman being a bully, and by DP not reacting well to being bullied - he gets upset and takes it out verbally on me, eg for not answering the phone. I point out the landlady's a bully and being unreasonable, he gets more upset.... i get left to deal with the situation...

grrrr.

OP posts:

BootyMum · 23/08/2010 10:59

I also think she may need to give you 24 hours notice... But perhaps you should speak to CAB or is there a tenancy advisory service? I think this woman is taking the piss and she sounds very unreasonable!

Fluffypoms · 23/08/2010 11:02

in my tenancy it is 24 hours notice unless was emergancy gas leak ect.

slhilly · 23/08/2010 11:02

massivenamechange, I think there are a few possibilities for why she's behaving this way, and what you do next should depend a bit on which of them is right:

she's simply ignorant of the fact that she's supposed to give you 24 hours notice in writing. I think here the obvious next step is to tell her how it works, as Avril says
she knows but finds it difficult to let go and accept the facts about her not having complete control, eg it's her only property and she's overly emotionally invested in it. Here, I'd suggest you need to set an internal deadline for how long you'll wait and how hard you'll try to get her to let go before you up sticks. It's not your obligation to get her to see the error of her ways, but if you think it can be done, it might be in your interests to do so.
she knows the facts, but couldn't give a damn because she has no respect for tenants. If that's the case, I'd be writing a very stern letter, changing the locks and looking to move asap.

BlingLoving · 23/08/2010 11:04

It's 24 hours notice for anything they want done and you have the right to decline for good reason. This woman is being entirely unreasonable and acting illegally to boot. Do you have an estate agent or is it all done through her?

LittleMissHissyFit · 23/08/2010 11:06

it is definitely 24 hours notice of attendance, ideally written, but you can agree to waive this.

To be absolutely cast-iron clear on this, you do not have to let a living soul into your home, at any time, not even the LL.

If you refuse to allow access, even if she has a key, if she uses it, she is trespassing.

The only time that access is permitted is in the event of a genuine emergency, or with your express permission or if she gets a court order.

If there is work that needs doing and you want it done, then I am sure it's fine for you to move heaven and earth so it can be.

If not, then tbh it really is up to you if you want to wait in for them or refuse to allow them to come.

I absolutely agree with advising her of your rights of quiet enjoyment. If you can do it verbally so it's not too 'in her face' and potentially confrontational, great, but tell her that you will put it in writing for official record following your conversation.

It is absolutely not on for her to come steaming round to your home and banging on your door.

Try the softly softly approach, but back it up with a letter, so you have it on record. Speak to the CAB, they are excellent in matters such as this.

They will also tell you that if you are under undue pressure from her, and if she disrespects your refusal for access and attempts entry, that regardless of what your contract says, you are entitled to change the locks to protect your privacy and quiet enjoyment. You can either hand over the keys of the new locks when you leave, or reinstate them to the landlords locks when you vacate the property.

Good idea on the cheap alarm actually....

AvrilHeytch · 23/08/2010 11:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

narmada · 23/08/2010 11:19

Why on earth can't she let herself in and out with her spare key, and accompany the tradespeople? Quite possibly you wouldn't trust her to be there or lock up,. which is totally fair enough. Either way, she is being a pain. Don't stand for it.

Original poster

massivenamechange · 23/08/2010 11:22

Thankfully we're moving out in 2 months. I will be quietly advising the new tenants (friends of ours) that they should be clear on the legalities from day 1 and not get pushed round by the landlady. and that they should explain the nature of the academic lifestyle to her again as our explanations clearly haven't been enough (ie you are allowed to stay home to get work done, if you're not inconveniencing anyone by not being in the lab; but that doesn't mean you are a slob who stays home if you feel like it, and it certainly doesn't mean you have no committments beyond your landlady's whims).

Slhilly - it's a bit of all three.

OP posts:

BigBadMummy · 23/08/2010 11:22

LittleMiss has said exactly what I was going to.

And she knows her stuff... I taught her all she knows

LittleMissHissyFit · 23/08/2010 11:25

I know the quiet word might not be effective, but going through the motions and then backing it up is a lot less confrontational than just writing a letter out of the blue.

LL can easily just serve notice... which is usually a royal PITA for any tenant.

massive, start looking for a new place to live, seriously this could get out of hand, and you may need to have somewhere to jump to. If it all goes well, then nothing to worry about, but if this LL goes off on one, you will need to sort a new roof over your head.

I personally wouldn't like anyone letting themselves into my home when I am not there.

slhilly · 23/08/2010 11:28

mnc, if it's a combo of all three, do you think you should be suggesting to your friends that they consider carefully whether they really want to move in? you owe her no obligation to find her new tenants or stay on, and you may want to protect your friends, esp. if the only way you've got her off your back in the past is by doing broadly as she wishes. if they are more stubborn, she may become a lot more unpleasant with them than she was with you.

as a semi-committed free-marketeer, I'd prefer to see her reputation suffer a bit in the marketplace and for her to struggle to fill the void...it might, just might, cause her to think about how she can improve her business. for the same reason, I'd tell any letting agents involved that she's doing herself no favours with this kind of behaviour.

avril, in case I wasn't clear, I wasn't suggesting those explanations as excuses, but as pointers to what is the most effective response. Know thy enemy! I jest, but only a bit...

emptyshell · 23/08/2010 11:31

You have the right to what's known as quiet enjoyment of the property - she can't just demand immediate access, it's 24 hours notice (not sure if it has to be in writing or not) unless it's an absolute emergency. That's not a condition of the contract - it's set down in law.

Having said that - we do have a landlord who just randomly sends his odd job man round - but for the sake of a quiet life I tend to just let this one pass by (since it's the only way we ever get him to fix anything) and the handyman now tends to ring me direct to arrange a time at least - since we both know the landlord is useless... if he started shouting and screaming at me - I'd be substantially more unameanable.

BigBadMummy · 23/08/2010 11:37

Please remember that whilst notice for entry must be reasonable which in reality is 24 -- 48 hours. You do have the right to refuse.

Flip

1 2