To Be Annoyed At Our Landlord

[DottyS]

We rent a lovely flat which is a converted coachhouse. The Landlord lives just two minutes very slow walk away in the big manor house. They have a habit of just popping over without notice which is annoying but not a big issue. Anyway there two tiny damp patches that they wanted to fix. No notice given but received a text two weeks ago in work saying she had just been in with the contractor to look at the damp and she would arrange for him to come back, I telephone letting agents saying I should have had some notice - they say they will have a word. Last Wed about 7:30pm landlord telephones to say contractor coming Thurs and Friday to do work. Not happy but say OK. Receive a text in work on Thurs to say she had left the front door open to air the place. Got home to find door open and that the workmen had been in the bedroom and broken a Christmas present (they had no need to go in there). I'm too ill and tired to deal with (receiving some serious medical treatment) so Fri morning leave notes on doors saying Please close and Please do not enter. Struggle into work as I do not want to breath fumes from damp treatment and receive a call from the letting agents saying Landlord not happy at notes and that they would not go into the bedroom and so the broken Christmas present is a mystery. Aaaargh!!!!

Sorry for the rant but I needed to get it off my chest - luckily the little ones have been staying with family for a couple of weeks so at least they have been happy.

Thank you for listening.

sorry for your problems with your landlord, I can understand how you feel.
definitely ask for the money of the broken Christmas present. its their fault. they shouldn't leave the door open.
you have to be strict with them.
don't allow them to enter when you are not there.
tell your letting agency you are not happy for all of these and tell them to tell these to your landlord.
stand your ground. they are walking all over you.

You have a builder issue and a landlord issue.

They have to give you 24hours notice, they are violating their tenancy agreement by not doing so. They are also not allowed to give 24hours notice and then waltz in. You have to agree to it. You have a responsibility to allow them reasonable access to the property providing they give you notice. If it doesn't work for you then fine, but arrange a time convenient for both parties. They shouldn't be opening front doors to let some air in. Unless she did that because of the fumes and whilst it may have been annoying - was probably done with no malicious intent.

The builders have broken something. That's a separate issue all together and I would be asking the landlord to discuss it with them for reimbursement. You cannot forbid them to go into a room - they will have had permission to access any areas they need to to carry out the work. The present may have got broken when they were checking out what they needed to do?

and keep your distance with them, don't let them to pop in any time they like.

And I am a landlord/lady. I have an open line of communication with 'our girls' and we are on friendly terms (whatsapp group for arranging things etc/flagging issues) But! The contact is strictly on their terms, we chat like friends when they want to chat but we leave them alone. We don't pop in. We don't act like they are friends staying in our home. We totally respect the boundaries and terms of our tenancy arrangement as do they. I'd be complaining to the agent and seeing what you can do

Thank you for responding. It was agreed that the workmen only needed access to the little clockroom and the living room and the bedrooms were to be completely off limits and in fact the bedroom doors had been closed with things out in front of them to show that they weren't to enter. She is not a bad landlord just very annoying and I hate falling out with anyone - that I know is a fault but I'm too tired to fight with anyone at the moment.