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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not allow anyone to enter a property im paying rent on?

179 replies

BakerBear · 06/02/2018 15:54

We have been tenants in a property for 4.5 years. Never had any rent issues and never seen the landlady in all that time.

We have very recently purchased a house and we have now moved out of the rented one but i am still liable for the rent up until the end of this month as you have to give notice from the date your rent is due so i ve ended up with a big overlap.

The landlady has texted yesterday to ask if we have now moved out and can we now hand back the keys. I texted her back saying we were now in our new home and it would be great to hand the keys back so i could then get a reimbursement of the over paid rent.

She then replied that i could keep responsibilioty of the property until the end of the month as the new tenant wasnt moving in until after then anyway.

I thought this was a bit strange as the letting agency had told me that a new tenant was desperate to move in (landlady uses the find a tenant thing and then manages the property herself) so i then rang the letting agency this morning to ask if the tenant wanted to move in sooner only to be told the new tenant really wants to move in asap! The letting agency has received an email from the landlady saying the new tenant couldnt move in as i was refusing to give the keys back and she didnt want to refund me any rent!!!!!

The letting agency have said they need access to the property to do a EPC certificate as the current one has run out and i have told them under no circumstances must they or anyone else enter that property whilst im still paying the rent!

The letting agency was very funny with me and thought i was being unreasonable.

The rent for the new tenant is £75 a month more than what i was paying so the landlady will be better off refunding me and accept the higher rent from new tenants.

I cant understand this

OP posts:
birdseye2010 · 08/02/2018 11:38

Why try to piss someone off? Just because she's done better than you have and has property to spare and make money from?

Because the LL is also pissing people off. She could with only a little effort, produce a win-win-win scenario, but refuses to.

Springtrolls · 08/02/2018 12:22

It’s not the ops fault the owner is a shit one.

The EPC lapsed a few months ago. Owner didn’t care about the op then did she?

Nor does she care about the next lot. Op moved out they move in. No decorating. No checking to see the state of the carpets. Cleaned from the op.

Owner should say actually you know what let’s end it now so I can do a bit of work on it for the next tenant.

translationAndRotation · 08/02/2018 12:29

"The EPC lapsed a few months ago. Owner didn’t care about the op then did she?"

I don't think you understand what an EPC is or when it's required.

"Op moved out they move in. No decorating. No checking to see the state of the carpets."

The OP is arguing the opposite. She's annoyed that the LL wants to prepare the property for the new tenants.

Willow2017 · 08/02/2018 12:34

nitrox
LL is pissing everyone off!

Wont let new tennants in despite them desperately needing the house.
Is prepared to let them both pay rent on same house though if op lets them move in but not have rebate on her rent for the month.

Wants op to pay to end of month when she could have new tennants in who will pay more rent than ahe is getting now.

Wants people in to the house to do stuff but op will still be responsible for any mess they make.

Letting agents are fed up with her nonsense.

Its hardly op who is being difficult.

Springtrolls · 08/02/2018 12:36

Yes she’s annoyed by that because ll wants to charge op for this.
Ll could refund the rent and have keys. They don’t want to do this.
Would you pay for something you have no access to?
I know I wouldn’t.

welshmist · 08/02/2018 12:52

I feel sorry for the new tenants, if as the OP said the property has not been decorated in 8 years. Must be minging. I would want to redecorate and re carpet after that time as a LL. Our tenants, who are long standing redecorate now and again, we supply the paint and let them do it. I the carpets deteriorate we replace them. The LL. is being very short sighted. Have the new tenants even seen the place.

birdseye2010 · 08/02/2018 13:06

The OP is arguing the opposite. She's annoyed that the LL wants to prepare the property for the new tenants.

refund the rent and she can have that.

or tell the new tenants to move in a week later. What it appears is going on is that the LL wants to do all this redecorating not in between tenancies, but while the current tenant is paying rent.

translationAndRotation · 08/02/2018 13:09

"the LL wants to do all this redecorating not in between tenancies, but while the current tenant is paying rent."

Yes, the absent pain in the arse tenant.

birdseye2010 · 08/02/2018 13:11

Yes, the absent pain in the arse tenant.

if she wants access, she should return the rent. It's quite simple really. It doesn't actually matter if the tenant is absent. It's the OPs place. The LL just wants her cake and eat it too.

Willow2017 · 08/02/2018 13:21

Doesnt matter that op is 'absent' she is paying rent so house is still hers till end of month.
Easy solution refund rent, get keys back, sort out certificate, redecorate and let new tennants in the next week. Only a few days rent lost but as she has increased rent it wont matter.

translationAndRotation · 08/02/2018 13:22

And, to carry on your metaphor, the OP will throw the cake on the floor to make sure the LL doesn't have any.

birdseye2010 · 08/02/2018 13:23

when a tenant wants a place, nobody expects the LL to give the tenant access without receiving rent. This is just the reverse. The tenant now has the right to the place, and the LL wants access. So, unless the tenant is extorting the LL, I see it as entirely reasonable to get the rent back. LL is being greedy.

birdseye2010 · 08/02/2018 13:25

And, to carry on your metaphor, the OP will throw the cake on the floor to make sure the LL doesn't have any.

yes. Why shouldn't she.

Person A has right to place. Person B wants it. Person B has to pay. It doesn't matter who the tenant is and who the LL is. You have to pay for access in both directions.

MsHomeSlice · 08/02/2018 13:41

what are people berating the OP for

she rented, has given notice, has a new place

the LL wants OP out, and new tenants in without issuing a refund of rent to OP, or revamping the property for new tenants (or sorting the EPC)...thereby gaining herself an extra month of rent on the property

it's fark all to do with rental snobbery, difficult tenants or any other fact other than a greedy LL

I would not hand those keys over one singel second before necessary in OP's position, and I with the up to date plan of handing them back 2 days early I would not hand them over without the cold hard cash in my hand.

And I'd make sure the new tenants knew what sort of person she was.

birdseye2010 · 08/02/2018 13:44

I would not hand those keys over one singel second before necessary in OP's position, and I with the up to date plan of handing them back 2 days early I would not hand them over without the cold hard cash in my hand.

I'd have half the mind to not even give the two days. Give and take. I'd say now or never.

Original poster
BakerBear · 08/02/2018 13:57

I had a phone call an hour ago from the lettings asking if the tenant can have a second viewing.

I agreed to this and said i would meet them there at 11am to tomorrow (they suggested the time)

Received a text 15 min later saying the tenants cant make it and they will arrange another time at some point.

Dh thinks it was a test to see if i would allow them access without me being there.

The painting is a mess tbh. Its magnolia all the way though and has various scruffs and baby gate screws in from the previous tenant.

There is no way the ll will be interested in re decorating as i know whats shes like.

The carpets are fine as i replaced them all through (landlord knows this) the property is clean.

OP posts:
Winefred · 08/02/2018 15:07

I'd be expecting to be paid for my time at my usual professional hourly rate.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 08/02/2018 15:17

Is that why I was so royally done over? That sounds odd, rabbit. But, as you say, there are cowboys all over and they quite often win... or they'd stop being cowboys!

nitrox the issue is a legal one, not one of jealousy! If OP hands over the keys before her tenancy ends then anything that happens is STILL her responsibility... anything ! Why should she take that chance with her deposit?

If the LL wants her property back all she has to do is draw up the right legal document of surrender and pay OP her unused rent. The paperwork is freely available from all sorts of reputable sources, it isn't unusual or difficult and, with reasonable people involved could be all done and dusted in half an hour!

Springtrolls · 08/02/2018 15:26

Put it this way.
Op has given notice and is moving at the end of the tenancy. She has all her things still in the property and is living there trying to pack and enjoy the last few weeks of remembering the families memories.

LL says hang on a minute. I want access to send in the painter and anyone else I feel like it to get the place ready for the next person.

The people telling the op she is being mean etc. What would you do in the above scenario? Allow this to happen or tell the LL to jog on and wait until you have officially moved out, handed back the keys and you are no longer responsible for what happens?

GabriellaMontez · 08/02/2018 16:24

Stunning. The ll has two tenants with no empty period in between but it's still not enough and she wants to have double rent!

It would be a great opportunity for her to give it a lick of paint buy sounds like that's not going to happen either.

It's ll like these that make my blood run cold.

translationAndRotation · 09/02/2018 01:10

"It's ll like these that make my blood run cold."

hahahahahahahahahaha. Feeling a little dramatic are you?

JackieReacher · 09/02/2018 12:51

the problem for OP isn't even the £400 or whatever it has already reduced to. It's the fact that unless the lease is surrendered / terminated when she hands the keys back, she remains responsible for what goes on in the property until it is ended. So if eg LL's mythical decorators or the estate agent accidentally smashed a large hole in the wall / destroyed the carpets, then OP is responsible and really has a problem.

GabriellaMontez · 09/02/2018 16:20

No drama, I lost a lot of money at the hands of a ruthless landlord a while ago. That's the reality for a lot of renters.

G120810 · 09/02/2018 17:17

I rented from letting agent and if they want the keys the have to refund the rent it's in the tenancy agreement stick to your guns as the landlord would be getting extra rent and in agreement they give you 24 hours notice to enter property so you can't say no also u are with letting agent not the landlord so they give u refund as that is were u pay rent and then they deal with landlord and landlord signed agreement with letting agent so they handle everything with tenant so landlord didn't have to do look up there policy they do have one xx

Original poster
BakerBear · 14/02/2018 19:40

So yesterday i met the new stb tenant. He had requested a 2nd viewing of the house so i met him there with the letting agency. He was very surprised to see the house empty!!

He couldnt understand why i had moved out but he couldnt move in so i explained all about what had been happening.

He did pick up on how the house needed completely redecorating etc.

Im hoping he may stress to the landlady how desperate he is to move in much sooner.

OP posts: