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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that my friend's landlady is taking the piss?

85 replies

user1483971196 · 09/01/2017 14:25

My friend entered into a lodgers agreement that shes paying through the nose for, as she get a nice room in a nice house, rather than living in horrible student digs. Since shes moved in there has been one 'catastrophe' after another according to the LL. Her daughter moved out, and apparently she has spent days moping round the house crying. After this she spent a whole day and night moving things around the house, and invited her friend around to help. However I'm told they spent hours in the kitchen talking loudly (friend's room is separated by a partition only). Friend had told LL on many occasions she had important essays due imminently yet still this went on, and then again the day after! My friend had to work all night as she couldn't get any work done with what was the equivalent of two women talking and laughing at the tops of their voices next to her.
Now there's another 'catestrophy'! Apparently the LLs dog is sick and needs to be put down, but rather than being considerate to her paying tenants, she is having a vet come to the house and put it down, and has asked my friend (and I assume the other tenants?) to be out of the house for then! Obviously its very sad, but she is surely running a business (with two other tenants!) and sure this is completely unreasonable. My friend is so patient and passive but I can see that she's starting to get very stressed by the constant drama that seems to surround the LL. I have told her to move pronto, or at least confront the LL on how unprofessional and emotionally inappropriate she is being but she seems reluctant because she doesn't want to fall out with her. Am I being thoroughly witch like and unsympathetic? Oh and by the way, all this has happened over only TWO WEEKS!

OP posts:
JangleBalls · 09/01/2017 17:28

again, I reiterate. Please none of you ever become LLs. The blatant disregard for a paying customer's welfare is beyond appalling.

How hilariously pompous! Grin

TitaniasCloset · 09/01/2017 17:41

That comment infuriated me too.

Having strangers live in your home can be very hard, the lack of privacy etc while still having a ll responsibilities to maintain the property, fix washing machines etc.

Op and her friend have no clue.

girlelephant · 09/01/2017 17:45

Why did she visit wearing earplugs? I wouldn't move anywhere without getting an indication of internal and external noise Hmm

Miserylovescompany2 · 09/01/2017 18:05

"Am I being thoroughly witch like and unsympathetic? Oh and by the way, all this has happened over only TWO WEEKS!"

Completely witch like and VERY unsympathetic IMHO. Again, I reiterate. Please get your equally unsympathetic friend some ear-plugs, once you've unmounted your high horse that you seem to be sitting upon.

Christmasmice · 09/01/2017 18:29

A lodger isn't a paying customer. Usually rentry as a lodger is pretty cheap. It covers a contribution towards the bills and perhaps some of the mortgage. Quite often it only goes as far as covering maintenance for the house and not the mortgage.
For lodging to work there needs to be compromise but your friend can't have unrealistic expectations. If she wants peace, quiet and privacy, I'm afraid she needs to rent her own flat.

welcometowonderland · 09/01/2017 18:43

YABU

Yes you are being unsympathetic and so is your friend.

Unfortunately things happen in life, such as pets dying (something that the LL couldn't have predicted ).
Most of us just get on with things rather than complaining about all the "drama."

SnatchedPencil · 09/01/2017 18:46

Lodgers don't have the same legal rights as tenants. Yes they are paying customers, but they don't have the right to "quiet enjoyment" because by definition, they are sharing the landlord's home. When it comes to evictions it is easier to evict a lodger than a tenant, again this is because it is the landlord's home.

It's not fair, it's not right, and the landlady sounds unreasonable. It sounds like the landlady wants income from her lodgers but lacks the awareness to see that it would be polite to think about her lodgers' happiness as well as her own. Selfish, in a word. But there is not much your friend can do other than exercise her right to leave.

It's shit, but that's how it is. Lodgers are at the bottom of the pile as far as renting goes - below even a shared student house in terms of their rights.

user1480946351 · 09/01/2017 18:50

Quick answers - she was assured of peace and quiet when she moved in, as she was concerned about the partition. She was assured the living room wasnt used, and wouldnt be used while she was renting

Bit silly of her to believe such nonsense, wasn't it?

She rented the place, she agreed to pay a lot for what was obviously a weird set up. What are you, her mother?

user1480946351 · 09/01/2017 18:52

I think YABU - User are you sure you only joined today because I am pretty certain I've seen a lot of your posts, unless there's someone else with a user name and different numbers but I wouldn't have thought that possible

That's a joke, right? You didn't actually think the thousands of posts from hundreds of different Userxxxxxxx's were ALL from the same person?

Baylisiana · 09/01/2017 19:08

It's a business transaction OP. Some live in landladies are very aware that by getting money from other people to live there, they do forfeit some of the rights over their 'own' house and have to be more considerate of the tenants' rights. Others are less professional and tenants can be affected as your friend is. If not contracted in, it isn't so much one is right, one is wrong....you can decide what you are prepared to pay for. I would expect to pay less for less convenient accommodation.

Trust me, it will be less hassle to move than to attempt to change the land lady's behaviour or compensate for the poor set up of the room. All you can do is encourage your friend to leave. If she wants to give it a few more weeks it might calm down, but probably not.

I think YABU about the dog.

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