To think this makes it worse, not better

[Kaloki]

Just to put this in to context.

We rent privately. Our flat is falling apart. Landlord has refused to fix anything, to the point where we had to call in Environmental Health.

Here's where it gets really fun.

Landlord wasn't happy about this, so he turned up and threatened my DH (who has severe mental health problems).

Paramedics were called (DH attempted suicide), and police were called.

Both environmental health and the letting agents told the landlord not to do it again, especially as he hadn't given us any notice that he was coming round; breach of contract.

That day we packed our stuff and went somewhere safe, telling the letting agents so they could call us on our mobiles. Two days later DH has calmed down enough for us to go back to the flat and get some supplies.

Guess who turns up again? The landlord tries to let himself in, but we'd luckily put the bolt across. And he was yelling abuse at us and hammering at the door.

Fucked up right?

Now everyone agrees he's a freak and totally in the wrong, but some have said

"well, to be fair to him, he didn't think you were in, he thought you'd gone away"

To be fair to him?? So it's better that he was going to deliberately turn up at our home without telling us and let himself in?? How??

We've barely been able to go back to our flat since in case he turns up again. But I am seriously worried about him letting himself in while we are away. We've had to leave all our stuff there, and our pet rats.

Seriously, AIBU to think "he thought you weren't there" does not make it any better?

classydiva - are you pissed or just looking for trouble tonight?

op - ignore this poster,he/she has been on a few threads tonight posting just to get a reaction.

classy Decor no problem here. We took it on with the promise of everything being fixed within our first month (and have it in writing). We also have permission for the rats. And no it's not cheap.

Curious classydiva, are you trying to suggest that the LL turning up and threatening us due to environmental health being involved was somehow our responsibility?

Not that it matters in this scenario, but the main problem (the final straw) was that there is a large hole under our bedroom window, the hole had been covered over with a bit of wood (glued on it seems) that was painted white to match the window frame. Which was fine in the summer, we were none the wiser. Then we had a very stormy night, and the bit of wood came right off. The same night water came pouring through the hole in the window, through the bedroom floor, through the walls, and streamed down into our living room. Luckily we were in the living room at the time, so managed to save our books which had been on the bookshelf against the wall. One of the books being a one of a kind, irreplaceable book.

So we had the double whammy of water pouring through our flat and a gale blowing through our bedroom!

Now we were renting, the hole was covered when we looked round. The landlord on the other hand owned the property, and, I would assume, had a survey done on it. So should have known the great big hole was there.

Did you still that "look to yourself first" is an appropriate comment?

xpost alpha Thank you. I would like to invite classydiva round, there's a motorway here for her to play on.

Hey classy come on back, I'm bored, snowed in and hormonal. I would just love to chat.

Sorry to hear this kaloki. I'd also offer to rat-sit with great pleasure but I suspect you are nowhere near me.

LL sounds like a nightmare

Thank you Orm. We're actually stuck at the flat right now, had to come over for an appointment with a mental health team, and got snowed in. Which sucks, but its nice to see our rats, they were very excited to see us. We'll pretend it isn't just cupboard love though.

Kaloki, this is awful.

Of course it makes it worse that he would come round when you weren't there - it's trespass, isn't it?!

I hope you can contact the MP, stir up a load of fuss and get this wanker off your backs. The lettings agents sound pretty bad too, but I suppose that is typical.

Er, LOL at permission for rats. I wouldn't ask permission to keep a caged pet. There is only so far someone should be allowed power over you just because they are rich enough to own a home. Would you ask permission to keep a goldfish aswell? Doormat

Good place to get some more legal advice might be the house buying/renting/selling forum over on moneysavingexpert - they're pretty good.

But yeah - he's breaking a fairly large chunk of tenancy laws. He can't enter randomly without notice, he can't come along harassing you and trying to break the door down, he can't even assume you've abandoned the property without following the legal process for that - and the dodgy address is also pretty shaky on legal ground too! He's got less legs to stand on than my three-legged cat would have if she lost another five.

I know how badly just a mediocre landlord can make you feel dragged down - let alone a complete raving loon so I do feel for you (especially trying to find rented places with pets - it's a berluddy nightmare). Also sympathise with the water leak thing - I reported a drip... Captain Cheapskate refused to deal with it until it became a three buckets an hour torrent coming through the ceiling, coming through the fitted wardrobe onto my clothes and generally being a nightmare!

Hopefully you get this bastard hammered into the ground cos I don't think people who haven't been caught up in it realise just how much shit landlords can mentally grind you down - even if everything's ok at the moment, you're constantly petrified something else is going to go wrong and it'll be another mammoth battle to get repairs done again.

We've just bought - three doors down from our rental house - can't wait to watch him try to let this place out again with everything that's wrong with it! Cracking street (hence us staying here) but gawd the house is a knackered wreck (first day here the front door handle fell off, first month one of the upstairs floorboards collapsed since he'd sawn through it and only secured it at one end etc etc)

Oh I know spikey, but then (so called) classydiva there is just being a twat; IMO of course

Admittedly we do still make sure we have permission first, just in case we have a fuckwit like our current LL, so they can't try and trip us up.

emptyshell I have to say, I'm looking forward to him trying to sell this dump, he just has to pray no potential buyers do a survey. Because it's falling apart, admittedly in ways which aren't immediately apparent (especially if he sticks a bit of paint on) to someone looking round, but would be glaringly obvious to a surveyor.

Got a letter from the council today saying "we can find no evidence of harrassment".

Can't help thinking they haven't even tried. We've called the police out twice (once by using 999) and have a paramedics report. They are also refusing to take my DH's mental health into account.

Added to that, the woman who has written to us has never spoken to us, despite promising to call us. And she's never taken our calls either.

Luckily we have free legal help now, and they seem really helpful.

did you photocopy the paramedic report?

find out her superior's name and write a complaint about this woman, who is clearly only fobbing you off, and further outline what you have described here.

Tell them the police have been called.

Have you actually spoken to the police about reporting LL for criminal Harassment?