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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Landlord told us to take political poster down

465 replies

Thedriftofstars · 21/11/2017 13:56

We live in a nice rented house. Been here for three years, no problems whatsoever. We both work full time, have two DC. Just your average family and have never caused any problems! We take most minor maintenance on ourselves as well. Have yearly inspections from the letting agents, however last week after the inspection the LA told me the LL wanted to come inspect the property for himself.
So when he came round, he explained he wasn't happy with the Labour Party poster we have displayed in our front room window. DH and myself are both active in our local Labour Party, and do a lot of leafleting, etc, so are known by the neighbours as the go to people for involvement with the party.
The landlord said he doesn't want his house being used to promote politics, particularly when it's not something he supports himself. Confused
AIBU to think he has no right to tell us what we can and cannot display when we pay the rent? There is nothing in our tenancy agreement about it, and he is fine with us having photos, paintings and so on hanging on the walls, as well as letting us redecorate to our tastes!

OP posts:
Thedriftofstars · 21/11/2017 19:00

iam obviously by that I'm referring to the fact we haven't been 'problem neighbours' as some on this thread like to think

OP posts:
Thedriftofstars · 21/11/2017 19:03

Through yes the country in general has a housing crisis. However, each area will obviously vary in how quickly houses stay on the rental/buying market. The UK has a lot of people and a lot of houses, it's rather simplistic to suggest the demand outweighs the supply everywhere in the country.

OP posts:
LakieLady · 21/11/2017 19:03

Take the poster down, but hang a nice Jeremy Corbyn t-shirt in the front window. If the LL says anything, it's there because you've hung it up to air it.

Wherevernext · 21/11/2017 19:08

Good for you OP - stick to your guns on this one, unless he changes the tenancy agreement. I’m writing this as a LL myself.

And continue to be proud to be engaged and active in politics. Times like ours need more people who are willing to give their time to try and achieve a greater good - according to whatever belief system they believe will achieve that.

BabsGangoush · 21/11/2017 19:13

I think I'll just keep my poster up now, to wind up people just like you

Nice.

Thanks for the insight.

DeleteOrDecay · 21/11/2017 19:17

What a ridiculous thread. Of course YANBU op. Comes to something when people accept landlords exerting power over their tenants like this. It’s a poster in a window ffs. It’s not hurting anyone or damaging anything.

It’s non of your LL’s business and it certainly isn’t is ‘prerogative’ to be so controlling.

Laughsandgiggles · 21/11/2017 19:21

Haven’t rtft so might have already been mentioned but perhaps your LL is worried about vandalism.
My DM is an SNP supporter and was very YES and had stickers on car. She had to remove them after getting the car vandalised. I have also heard of houses being egged for having political posters in windows.

LakieLady · 21/11/2017 19:22

Perhaps your activities are disturbing your neighbourhood?

Ffs, it's the Labour party, not the local swingers group.

RhiannonOHara · 21/11/2017 19:30

Sometimes we just want to switch off from the vagaries of politics and seeing a political poster whilst I'm out walking my dog, or going into my house next door, day in, day out, is just not desirable!

Such a delicate flower.

Rebeccaslicker · 21/11/2017 19:36

Usually people only put up posters in an area that is red or blue in any event. I live in Chelsea; you don't see many labour posters there. My cousin lives in sedgefield - you don't see many Tory posters there!

Slarti · 21/11/2017 20:05

perhaps your LL is worried about vandalism

Shouldn't the landlord oppose vandalism rather than oppressing the victims of it? What next, no muslim headscarves because a landlord is worried about islamophobia? No black tenants because he's worried about racism? No gays in case anyone is homophobic?

DJBaggySmalls · 21/11/2017 20:08

So its actually reasonable to throw a brick through someones window because they vote Labour?
What if they are black?

ArcheryAnnie · 21/11/2017 20:26

Sometimes we just want to switch off from the vagaries of politics and seeing a political poster whilst I'm out walking my dog, or going into my house next door, day in, day out, is just not desirable!

counterpoint there are so many, many things that I don't find desirable day to day, either. My neighbours' cars - they stink up the air, are noisy, make the pavements dangerous because they are too big for their drives, all kinds of things that affect real people in the real physical world far more than the glimpse of a political poster: am I allowed to ban them in my neighbourhood? I don't like smoking - can I ban my neighbours from smoking in their own homes because I might catch a glimpse of them with a fag in their mouth and disapprove?

tl;dr don't be so fucking ridiculous.

ForalltheSaints · 21/11/2017 20:49

It is not in the tenancy agreement and so I think the landlord is being unreasonable.

DeleteOrDecay · 21/11/2017 20:52

Even if it was in the tenancy agreement it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s legally enforceable.

IsaSchmisa · 21/11/2017 20:57

Sometimes we just want to switch off from the vagaries of politics and seeing a political poster whilst I'm out walking my dog, or going into my house next door, day in, day out, is just not desirable!

Tough shit. Suck it up princess.

Julie8008 · 21/11/2017 20:58

So he can not force you to move it but I would expect your lease not to renewed. I don't get why you would want to wind up you landlord for soemthing so trival but everyone has their quirks.

Rebeccaslicker · 21/11/2017 20:59

On the plus side I guess it would tell you who to avoid in the neighbourhood. I mean, if you can't stand corbyn or loathe the tories, it lets you give someone a wide berth. I wouldn't put up any sort of political poster myself so it would help me avoid people who would and vice versa!

BlondeB83 · 21/11/2017 21:00

YABU, I can understand why he wouldn’t want political signage on his property.

BlondeB83 · 21/11/2017 21:00

He should, however, put it in the tenancy agreement.

Slarti · 21/11/2017 21:00

Sometimes we just want to switch off from the vagaries of politics and seeing a political poster whilst I'm out walking my dog, or going into my house next door, day in, day out, is just not desirable!

I want to switch off from people who think the world has to accommodate their every whim but here you are...

counterpoint · 21/11/2017 21:05

*I want to switch off from people who think the world has to accommodate their every whim"

You can. Go be a hermit and take thee (and thy poster) to a cave.

blueskydreams · 21/11/2017 21:06

It sounds as if you have been model tenants I wonder why the landlord wants to risk upsetting you with nitpicking over a minor thing like this?
Is he deliberately trying to pick a fight?

Bluntness100 · 21/11/2017 21:17

Wonder if he’s thinking of selling. Could be why he wants the poster down and why he visited himself.

blueskydreams · 21/11/2017 21:21

He seems to be thinking about how the house looks from the outside and the impression which is gained of the neighbourhood... So yes it could be an indication that he thinking of selling?

Why would a landlord care that his tenants are demonstrating a political viewpoint which isn't the same as his?