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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU or is landlord?

48 replies

Shizlack · 11/09/2015 22:19

DH and I have rented for 10 years, 3 properties including this one. We've never had inspections and have always had our full deposit back and wine/compliments when leaving.

Landlord said they wanted to "pop round and say hello" "put a face to the name" as we rented through an agency. We said yes, planned a time, got some cakes. Husband and wife (the LLs) came in and sat down, husband was chatty, but wife kept interrupting.

She said we had too much furniture (don't think we do, it's lamenate anyway so can't be worried about marks on carpets?), then complained that where we've walked down the middle of the hall corridor is more worn than the edges (she said that we must have dragged something down the hall to make it more worn-we haven't, we also don't wear shoes inside, and the hall only leads to bathroom, so isn't at front door) and started pulling open drawers, opening doors (we said not to go into the spare room as Gran was visiting and taking a nap-she barged in anyway).

She said as she left that she'd give us 6wks to clean the carpets (not dirty, just more worn in middle) and oven, then she'd come back and re inspect (oven is not dirty, i haven't actually given it a good scrub, but keep the glass and bottom clean/no specks or drips). I was so shocked and put out I agreed.

Would IBU to say I'm not available in 6 weeks. I feel like a naughty child, and we didn't actually get written warning, unless the chatty texts count? Honest answers please from any point of view, am very new to this.

OP posts:
shoopshoopsong · 11/09/2015 22:23

she sounds like an absolute dick. how long have you been in the property?

Thelushinthepub · 11/09/2015 22:23

Of course she can't get you to clean the oven and carpets. She's sounds totally crazy. I would complain to the agency and tell her to do one. Of course if you're outside the fixed period of your contract they could serve you notice but if you allow her to come in she will do it all the time. Cheeky cow

emsyj · 11/09/2015 22:26

She is absolutely, outrageously, hopelessly U and rude. Don't let her in again. I'm furious on your behalf, OP!!!

steppemum · 11/09/2015 22:27

if she wants carpets cleaned, she pays.

same with oven.

She is outside her remit. Go back to agency and ask them to sort it.

There is a limit to how often she can come and visit too, check that on-line.

Original poster
Shizlack · 11/09/2015 22:29

We've been in 4 months on a short assured tenancy, so have 2 months left. We've always been on this before but they just kept rolling over as I do think we keep a nice house and we always pay rent etc...

I do think that I don't want to bow down to her only for her to say leave in 2 months, we're not renewing. Although if I am difficult for spite it'll still be us having to find a new place.

OP posts:
Wearyheadedlady · 11/09/2015 22:29

what everyone else said.
and get somethings down in writing - the boundaries she has to keep, etc and her responsibilities, etc.

good luck. landlords can be horrible sometimes.

TooOldForGlitter · 11/09/2015 22:31

She is thoroughly unreasonable and I'd complain to your letting agent straightaway. Did she miss the part in the standard AST about "quiet enjoyment of your home"? Outrageous.

MotherOfFlagons · 11/09/2015 22:32

She's an idiot and a loon.

Your LL is not the police of where you walk on the carpet how much furniture you have.

You have an inventory when you move in (or at least I hope you did) which records the state of the property which you sign and agree that you will return the property in the same state or pay for it to be returned to the same state via your deposit or you paying for work.

Stupid woman. She gives landlords a bad name.

Konserve · 11/09/2015 22:33

is the deposit protected?
did you have a proper inventory with photos at the start of tennancy?

sound like accidental landlords who still see the place as their home...

wowfudge · 11/09/2015 22:36

How long have you been there and what was the condition of the carpets and oven on the inventory? Even then, it only matters when you come to move out.

Intrusive was what she was - refuse them entry to re-inspect and I would quite probably tell them why. Too much furniture? What???! Change the locks but keep the old barrels to put back when you leave. Strike me as the kind of people who could 'just let themselves in as there was no answer'.

Timetorethink · 11/09/2015 22:36

Definitely don't carpet clean and oven clean if there may only be two months left of your tenancy as you will have to do it again then!

Original poster
Shizlack · 11/09/2015 22:50

It's a brand new bungalow, however one of the cheaper new builds, but everything was brand new when we moved in. I hate doing a deep clean of the oven (hence a quick daily clean) so when she first complained about oven I said what I did daily and confirmed that we'd get a company in to do a deep clean of the oven when we left.
We were always going to get a carpet cleaner (as I do only Hoover once a week), but tbh I didn't ever expect the carpet to be as pristine as when we moved in.
The letting agent did take loads of pics, then I took more of things I would have snagged had I been the owner (plasterboard marked, then painted over, scuffs on the wall, general shoddiness)
Bit worried now as I'm not sure how great a carpet cleaner will bring things up, I'm hoping as it was brand new it doesn't have to be perfect?

OP posts:
Collaborate · 11/09/2015 23:01

Fair wear is allowed you know!! It's not expected that everything will look brand new when you move out.

sproketmx · 12/09/2015 01:53

Wow. She sounds totally inexperienced as a landlord. Wear on the carpets and an oven that might benefit from Mr muscle is usually the least of our worries. As a landlord I'd just be thankful you haven't kicked the doors in a few times, broken the windows and generally trashed the place Sad

Namechangenell · 12/09/2015 02:03

I'm a (decent) landlord. She sounds deranged!

GloGirl · 12/09/2015 02:12

She's awful. Speak to Shelter about your rights to deny her further inspection.

Take pictures of the 'state' your flat is in now, just in case you ever need them in a deposit dispute (she might write and say, I visited on X date and it was filthy). It would be nice to prove her wrong. Take honest pictures, slightly worn carpet and an oven used for 4 months is going to look absolutely reasonable.

When you leave, take a picture of every square inch with as much natural daylight as possible, with a recent newspaper in one or two just in case. She definitely is going to cause you trouble.

Don't allow for any deductions, if you are getting carpet and oven professionaly cleaned.

Baconyum · 12/09/2015 02:52

"She's awful. Speak to Shelter about your rights to deny her further inspection."

I'd consider moving on seriously.

Any chance she wants to sell n hubby doesn't? Hence causing problems for tenants, losing them then saying to him "we'd be better off selling, its too much hassle having tenants"

CheesyNachos · 12/09/2015 06:54

another landlord here. She is totally out of bounds. Talk to the agents. review your contract about quiet enjoyment etc. Definitely get it on file anyway.

TheCatsMother99 · 12/09/2015 07:19

She sounds like a bit of a nutter, and in my opinion, she won't change and is likely to only get worse.

You need to make some form of stand now. General wear and tear is normal, any bloody carpet is going to be compressed in the centre and not be walked on right by the edges! I also suspect whatever carpet they or the developers put in was a cheap one and so it might have worn/pressed down more quickly.

Whocansay · 12/09/2015 08:07

I am a LL. Wear and tear is not your responsibility. It is their responsibility to do a deep clean in-between tenants. She should not be inspecting your oven and giving you orders to clean the carpet.

I too would consider moving, although I know this is easier said than done! She sounds like a loon. She has a letting agent, so should let them deal with any issues. There is no reason for these people to be in your home. Good luck.

Spickle · 12/09/2015 09:20

LL here too. My tenants have lived in the house for nearly 7 years and I have never stepped through their door in the whole of that time, but it is managed by a letting agency and they do inspections every six months. Any problems and they would flag it up.
Totally unreasonable in my opinion.

Original poster
Shizlack · 14/09/2015 20:17

Oh dear-letter today saying there's an inspection in 3 weeks. Because of furniture up against the wall she fears there will be damp and it will have to go or I have to pull the bookcases away from the wall.

The carpet needs hoovered regularly so that it's not ruined.

Oven is so dirty she has contacted an oven cleaning company for us (as we said we'd get one now-no we didn't!)

Don't know what to say back. At least they have to give 2 months notice....really don't want to be asked to leave in December.

I imagine it's going to be very difficult to get our deposit back (DPS). Thank you for all of your help.

OP posts:
TenForward82 · 14/09/2015 20:21

You can't have furniture against the wall? She's fucking nuts!

TheCatsMother99 · 14/09/2015 20:26

I seriously think you need to speak to your letting agent. Did the letter come from the agent or directly from the LL? Either way, they need to know you didn't agree to the oven clean otherwise they will make you pay for it.

Furniture against a wall causing damp?! Never heard of that one (and I am a property manager). I'd love to know where they got these weird ideas from.

I'm not familiar with the renting process having never rented but surely the deposit scheme will be able to help in terms of your LL not giving it back for unreasonable reasons?

Ineedtimeoff · 14/09/2015 20:26

Oh dear. you have a crazy landlord. It's only going to get worse. I think it's time to start looking for a new home. Sorry Sad Oh and as an ex-landlord I can say that it's absolutely not you it's her.

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