Reasonable access for landlord

[Patrickstarisabadbellend]

I'm in a housing association home. I pay my bills on time, don't cause trouble etc...

Today I have come down stairs to a letter off the housing stating 'an attempt was previously made by myself to gain access but I was unsuccessful in doing so. Under the terms of your tenancy agreement access is required at all reasonable times'

I have received no letters or phone calls from the HA regarding them needing access. This isn't the first sort of letter like this I have received from them.

They do tend to just knock on your door if they are in the area. I have even woken up to a workman pointing the outside wall. Yet again I never received any letters.

My new housing officer knocked on the door to introduce herself which is fair enough but we were in the middle of something.

We have had 2 surveyors in our back garden without permission and a month ago a member of the housing was taking taking pictures of all our homes which was pretty alarming because we had no clue who he was.

Aibu to moan? Or is this normal?

24 hours notice from landlord. Talk to cab.

I work so sometimes that's not possible.

Sovereign housing by any chance????
I rent a flat from them and also have had similar issues. Last week I was in my kitchen and noticed two scruffy men outside looking into my kitchen window. They were pointing at my flat and talking together. When they noticed me looking at them one of them bellowed "can we come up love"? I asked who they were and they said they are looking at all the balconies in the road, working on behalf of the HA. I said that as I have not received any letter from the HA that they would be checking my balcony then I would not let them in so they gave me a filthy look and walked away. It turns out they were contractors working for the HA but how was I supposed to know? No polite knock on the door or letter, no ID badges, just 2 scruffy blokes staring in my window!!
I second using CAB to find out exactly what the law is on this

Legally, housing association or not, your Landlord has to give 24 hours written notice and you are entitled to ask for a time you can be there in person at the time (so he isn't going thru your knicker drawer/noseying thru your stuff in your absence). Trust me I have rented for years, worked in Lettings and knowing what I know, be there if landlord, workmen or letting agency staff need to visit.

I had a landlord who staff used to just walk in my flat, they would knock but If there was no answer he would just use his key to get in. One time I was in the shower when they just let themselves in! me and my boyfriend at the time had to double the lock the door to stop them getting in, it was horrific.

Dave Wells in Bournemouth. Do not rent a property of him.

It's mainly workmen who just pop in but we have noticed that our house us used as the guinea pig if the area if they're planning repairs or improvements.

It's our house they come too to measure up or faff about with. Which can be annoying at times because I just want to be able to relax in my home.

Sorry iPhone keeps changing is to us and of to if

"Which can be annoying at times because I just want to be able to relax in my home."

Which is totally reasonable and, I believe, protected by law.

My understanding is that you are entitled to "quiet enjoyment". At all reasonable times has to mean reasonable to you, not just reasonable to the landlord. While there are exceptions for emergencies, generally a landord must give you 24 hours notice for access to your property and may not enter if you say no, regardless of giving you notice. If they need access and you keep refusing they need to go to court to get a court order allowing them entry, which would only be granted for things they need to do (annual boiler service for instance). So in practice you can refuse if it's for something they could achieve in another way and in any case they need to arrange a mutually convenient time for visits you do agree to. - But check this with someone who is legally qualified. Post in legal for better answers on your rights, but CAB and Shelter are other good resources.

The wording of the letter upset me a little. Like they think I'm thick it something.

Probably a generic letter, but I would still let them know that the tone was upsetting to you and remind them that they need to give 24 hr notice or longer if possible before they require access.
They may take the fact that you have not minded before to be a go ahead to being impromptu.

YANBU. Knocking on the door and expecting to be let in is NOT considered "reasonable access" either legally or sensibly.

Ring them up and complain.

not sure if it is different for housing associations, (although I don't see why it would be) but for 'standard' landlords there is no access except in emergency without reasonable notice (which I think is much more than 24 hours) and with tenant permission.

of course if you want fixes, you need to allow access. Take the initiative and make arrangements.

Write them a letter saying something like (and chk this with CAB/Shelter):

"Thank you for your letter of DATE. Of course you were unable to gain access to my house when you had not given me notice you wished to do so.

"Under my legal rights as a tenant, which are not overridden by the tenancy agreement, I am entitled to quiet enjoyment of my home and have no obligation to provide you with access except in an emergency or essential maintenance, the latter requiring notice and being at a time of mutual agreement. I would remind you that this extends to the garden of the property, in which your contractors have recently trespassed.

"I may nonetheless be happy to oblige you with access for other reasons, by mutual agreement with notice, and even to oblige some of your requests without notice, if I happen to be in and it is convenient to me.

"If you would like to contact me to discuss the purpose of your recent attempt to gain access, and to arrange a suitable time, I will do my best to accommodate you."

KEEP A COPY of the letter...

That is most odd OP. I am HA, have been for years and in all my time the HA has never ever tried to get in the house unannounced. They would have a job anyway, I change the locks as soon as I move in.

If we have reported repairs we get a card through the door saying when it will be repaired - normally weeks away, but nobody ever just turns up and tries to gain access. Ever. If the tradesmen cant get access they dont put themselves out, they just piss off and leave the job.

Can you get a copy of your HA's code of conduct? Nobody should be trying to gain entry into your home.

Just checked with the neighbours and we've all received the same letter

Can someone tell me if this is legal please.

I live in local housing house, this is the procedure for repairs, you phone up and they log repair and have one month to come out and repair but don't tell you when they coming they just turn up and post a piece of paper through the door saying they came to fix repair but couldn't gain access can you phone to rearrange .
Now I have been in when its not convenient as they come unnaounced but usually let them in to save hassle.

However one early morning I was in bed and heard ladders coming up outside my window and someone on my roof and I was scared someone was trying to break in and immediately panicked thinking are the windows shut , I'm naked arrgh what I'm going to do.

Turns out it's them doing repairs which I had reported but didn't know they need to go on roof ( I reported gas fire to be. Blocked up)

When I phoned to complain as I was so frightened they couldn't understand why I was so mad them just turning up, aside from scaring the shit out of people surely it's a waste of time and money just turning up to people's houses?? Apparently this is the procedure

That's exactly what happens to me Exmrs

You aren't with new charter are you Patrick ? That's who I'm with

I'm with one in chester. If rather not say incase it gets me into trouble