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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be boiling with rage at my 'landlady'?

262 replies

FrameyMcFrame · 20/05/2011 10:24

I've posted on here before about my horrendous landlady, she's always popping round to 'check' things in the house.
This time she said she wanted to check 'the state and condition of the house and garden'

Ok, fair enough. I tidied up a bit and around she came for a good old snoop.
I left her to it and sat in the living room with my two DC.
After 20 minutes of snooping she came back to tell me that the inside of the shower cubicle was dirty... so dirty that if I didn't clean it soon it would 'damage the glass' Not sure how a bit of old shower gel can damage glass Hmm
Then she went on to say that the inside of the oven was filthy...and again it was going to damage the glass if not cleaned. It wasn't that dirty, I'd just used oven pride on it the week before!!! When I said this she went through to the kitchen and opened the oven and ran her finger along the back of the oven door and showed me that it was dirty.... obviously I'd missed a bit.

At this point I had to physically restrain myself from telling her to fuck off...
I was so angry afterwards I had to have a glass of wine to calm down

OP posts:
Original poster
FrameyMcFrame · 27/05/2011 21:48

But do we have to put up with her coming round again only a month after she's just been here? I've already emailed her saying that we don't want her to come round again as we feel it's too intrusive and I said that I would get professional advice on the shrubs. I've just booked a gardener to come round for next week.

Doesn't feel like our home and it's causing me lots of stress and upset.

OP posts:
bibbitybobbityhat · 27/05/2011 22:28

Have you actually read your tenancy agreement lately? What does it say about landlord inspections? You don't have to buckle and leave just because she is behaving poorly. Should you wish to you can stand your ground, for months if necessary.

I fear you are caving in too easily when you could just stand up to her and test the waters.

Original poster
FrameyMcFrame · 27/05/2011 22:50

The tenancy agreement is just the average bog standard one. Says we must allow access for repairs and for inspections of the state and condition of the property and to allow LL to show property to prospective new tenants. \doesn't say how often though. I'm sure our right to live in peaceful enjoyment of the property is important though.

Well I've sent the email saying we don't want her to make yet another inspection. That's standing up to her right? It's the first time I've refused her a visit or inspection and she's had LOADS. So I'll test the waters and see what her response to that is.

To be honest I don't know what to do, moving back to our little flat might be horrendous. I lived there when it was just me and DD and that was great. But now there's new DP and DS too so it will be a tight fit and DS won't have his own room (not that he will mind as he's 2.5 and still sleeps in our bed anyway). I let it out to my brother and now he is planning to move so it's a good time to move back in. It feels like a step backwards for us though.

But at least it's ours and no one can tell us what to do. I'm just a classic bought at the totally WRONG time case... so now we probably can't sell it for enough money to pay back the mortgage or at all.

OP posts:
Jux · 27/05/2011 22:52

Get a free half hour with a solicitor. Ask them to write a letter to the old bag which will,er, encourage her to be reasonable. You don't want to get into some sort of war of attrition, you just want to live in your (and yes, you're paying for it, so it's your home). I'd never treat our tenant like that; I've mever made an inspection and she's been there for nearly 2 years. The only time we go in is at the annual gas safety checks. I've never looked in her bedroom, bathroom or loo. I'm horrified on your behalf.

Please don't let her unreasonableness force you out until you're good and ready to go. Get the free half hour, it'll probably scare her shitless.

TheNoodlesIncident · 28/05/2011 00:03

I was going to say "Don't Prune The Shrubs!" because if you don't know what they are, you may end up cutting off the growth that the species flowers on - assuming they are there because they do flower. Different shrubs flower at different times of year, on new growth or old - so if you don't know about this part of gardening, you are better leaving well alone. Bibbity beat me to it though!

I note you've instructed a gardener though, which is a good idea but I don't see why you should have to pay for this to be done? If it's the landlady's opinion that they are overgrown - and it would be an opinion merely, as you can't really quantify "overgrown" - then she should see to it herself to her own satisfaction. If you think they're fine as they are, why should the onus be on you to cut them back?

I am sorry for you, you sound like lovely tenants. I will have to rent out my own house I think, and I really hope for decent people like you in it. (And I'm not overly fussy about clean ovens and soap-free shower screens. Life is too short when you could be MNing instead..... Grin )

hsurp · 28/05/2011 11:38

She needs to give 24 hrs notice before coming over. Also, I don't see how dirt can "damage" a shower or an oven!!! Dirt does NOT damage glass! Dust gets on things typically and looks like dirt. It is not the landlord's responsibility to have the renter do this actually. If anything is damaged when you leave, then that is a different story. She is very picky and overbearing in my opinion. I have NEVER had or ever even HEARD of any landlord stopping in to check "dirt" like this. This is a housecleaning issue so it has nothing to do with her, unless she put it in the lease. Even if she DID put it in the lease, it is ridiculous!!!

hsurp · 28/05/2011 11:41

Oh, and FYI - you should not be the one responsible for hiring a gardener since it is not your property. THIS is the LANDLORD'S responsibility!

positivesteps · 28/05/2011 13:40

So how much rent do you pay and what's this in relation to the DePosit you have payed.
My feeling is that she's nit picking at every little detail to find a way of charging you so that you end up with no deposit back and she keeps it. If she is managing the property herself this is what she probably will be doing.

Like others have said give a months notice but don't pay anymore rent now until you move out. Make sure you leave the property in a good state and take pictures and document everything. Maybe even get a witness to s how how you have left it too. I don't think she would take you to court as it would cost her a lot of money and if she lost would cost her even more. If you have all the evidence. Above she will lose anyway.

This woman will keep interfering if you stay. I know its sad but some landlords aren't decent but at the end of the day its her house and she's a crap landlord so maybe start looking for another house if you. Don't want to go back to the flat.

Original poster
FrameyMcFrame · 28/05/2011 14:11

thanks hsurp I agree dirt is not damage so why make an issue of it? Wasn't even that dirty to be honest!!!

positivesteps, we pay £700 a month rent and the deposit was £1250.

The mortgage on the flat is only £400 so we'll be better off every month if we move back there to start with.

Still no reply from her re the email...

OP posts:
Original poster
FrameyMcFrame · 28/05/2011 14:12

Thanks Noodles and Jux, free half hour with solicitor a good idea and we might need it.

OP posts:
coccyx · 28/05/2011 14:16

I am a landlady and garden is tenants responsibility.
Mind you I hope for grass cut and tidy not Chelsea Flower show.
Landlady is being unreasonable to check visit so often

Original poster
FrameyMcFrame · 28/05/2011 14:38

Yes it's our responsibility but if you could see a picture of it you might think it looks pretty good. I'm going to try and do a link to see what people think.

OP posts:
Original poster
FrameyMcFrame · 28/05/2011 14:47

garden

OP posts:
Original poster
FrameyMcFrame · 28/05/2011 14:49

Not exactly a jungle out there Hmm

OP posts:
oldraver · 28/05/2011 15:03

Surely this

'to keep the garden and grounds properly cultivated according to the season

means you do nothing for the time being, depending on the shrubs you have ?

IRCL · 28/05/2011 15:09

Your LL sounds crazy OP. An inspection every month? When me and Ex lived together our LL was fine, if there was in issue he would come out and fix it he even came round at 9.30 at night once. Other than that we were left to it.

To be honest I like an enclosed garden like yours OP.

nickelbabe · 28/05/2011 15:12

that garden looks perfectly acceptable to me!

most of those shrubs are autmn/winter pruners - you've got some Hebes in there, and you shouldn't prune them until they have finished flowering.

nickelbabe · 28/05/2011 15:12

that blue one on the right is gorgeous

Katiekitty · 28/05/2011 16:05

Framey - your garden is perfectly kept. It looks ideal (and rather lovely) and you have clearly worked hard to keep it that way.

You are dealing with a loon (your LL), perhaps they have found previous tenants a way of making extra money?

Stick to your guns

CoffeeIsMyFriend · 28/05/2011 17:09

garden is perfect, beautiful shrubs that should NOT be pruned at the moment. They are flowering FFS! Your LL is a loon.

ChippingIn · 28/05/2011 17:47

The garden looks just fine to me. I don't actually like enclosed gardens like that myself (I'm more of a lawn to fence kind of girl :) ) and I know very little about shrubs etc (as I'm not keen on them) but even I can tell it's not the time to be cutting most of the ones you can see!

I would cancel the gardener (unless he's just coming to do you a quote). You would do better to leave it until you are ready to move out - if you do it at all.

Frankly, I think you would be mad not to move back into your own place - save as much as you can and live there as long as you can, then if it gets to the stage where you can't stand it anymore you will have a bit of money behind you and can start looking for another place to rent. It's an ideal opportunity to give it a go - you have nothing to lose except a bonkers bloody landlord!

Don't stop paying the rent (I know people mean well but it's not good advice) and do take lots of date stamped photos and video if you have a recorder or can do it on your camera. It may be a bit of a waiting game to get your deposit back, but you should get it back if you are sure it's in good order. If you are moving back to your own place, then waiting for the deposit wont be an issue will it.

I'm sorry DD is upset about moving - but sometimes we have to do what's best & not what's popular don't we :(

breadandbutterfly · 28/05/2011 19:31

Tell your landlady that she is disturbing your right to quiet enjoyment of the property and that the garden will be returned in the state it was received in; if it is not, she will be entitled to claim against it on the deposit. In the meantime, it is is yours and you are happy with it, so do not need her to come round. Pruning is not a 'maintenance issue'.

I had a loon for a landlady too. It's very tiresome, isn't it.

breadandbutterfly · 28/05/2011 19:32

Your garden looks really lovely actually - what is her problem?

bibbitybobbityhat · 28/05/2011 20:36

Oh, she (landlady) is SO lucky to still have her ceanothus (sp?) - the blue flowering shrub on the right - which is a CalifornianLlilac and can be sensitive to frost. Mine died in my relatively frost-protected walled London garden last year in the cold spell.

She would be utterly mad to have the shrubs pruned now, silly woman.

Original poster
FrameyMcFrame · 29/05/2011 19:26

Dear ......

Renewal of the Tenancy for a further 6 months at 17 Southlands, .............

In response to your latest email of the 27 May and further back to the 15 May between us, regarding the possible Tenancy renewal.

After some deliberation and consideration we have decided not to renew your Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement for a further 6 months from the 25 July 2011. Therefore please take this email (letter in the post) as our instructions to vacate the property at the appropriate date and time in July, all as the Agreement.

It is required that the property and gardens are all left as you found them at the start of your tenancy on the 25 January 2010, all as the Agreement, Inventory, and Photograghs, all signed by yourselves as the tenants. You are to vacate the property no later than 12 noon on Monday 25 July. Where upon we will carry out our full inspection the following week, returning your deposit as appropriate.

We will not be communicating any further on this matter. We are, as you know, away for most of the month of June. When we return, we will be putting in place a Letting Agent, who will require to be into the property and gardens to show prospective tenants the property for rental, all as 4.3.10.3 of the Agreement.

Yours faithfully
.....

OP posts: