Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Landlady has cut the Sky TV cables!

49 replies

MrsST · 31/05/2018 19:58

WWYD
So the landlady cut the sky cables round the side of the house yesterday when trimming the hedges. Long story but she’s always done the garden and won’t let anyone else do it. I don’t mind because it’s less hassle for her to just come round and do it. Even though indonfind it intrusive as it's every week.
I’ve whatsapped her to tell her what she’s done and I’ve had no reply. She’s seen my message (posted below) and she’s not said a thing. I’m a bit pissed off. DH spent 2 hours patching it up last night and the TV is now working but it needs doing properly. We’ve looked into it and the lowest cost we’ve found is £65+ VAT to get it properly repaired.
She can’t avoid us forever as she comes to do the garden. She’s unaware that we’ve patched it up. I’m just really pissed off that she hasn’t bothered to reply to my messages and hasn’t even said sorry. So would you go ahead and get the repair done and invoice her for it, or go ahead and get the repair done and pay less rent?

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsST · 31/05/2018 19:59

Sorry that was meant to say I do find it intrusive as it's every week she comes to do the garden. We have a large glass conservatory which is open plan to the kitchen and living area so can't really lock myself and the kids away when she's here.

OP posts:
UpLighter · 31/05/2018 20:01

When did you message her and when did she see it?

QueenArseClangers · 31/05/2018 20:05

Do your rent include use of the garden?
If so, your LL is on dodgy ground with the whole ‘quiet enjoyment’ expectations Shock

ReservoirDogs · 31/05/2018 20:22

Message her again and say we have had a quote for £x . Do you want to send a cheque/bank transfer for this or should we deduct it from.next month's rent? Never just deduct it from rent without permission.

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 31/05/2018 20:28

Do your rent include use of the garden?
If so, your LL is on dodgy ground with the whole ‘quiet enjoyment’ expectations

This, she is being hugely unreasonable to continue to come and sort out the garden! Its very intrusive and whilst you say you don't mind think seriously if you said you didn't want her to would she stop, I strongly assume the answer would be no.

IWannaSeeHowItEnds · 31/05/2018 20:28

You also need to tell her that coming round every week is intrusive and has to stop. I'd send something along the lines of the above text but add that unless you hear otherwise, you tske it that you are okay to order repairs and take it out of next months rent. Keep all invoices. Do you have a letting agent you can go through?

Original poster
MrsST · 31/05/2018 20:33

To answer your questions- No I'm not happy with her doing the garden and never have been. We've been here 3 years. The only saving grace was that back in November she allowed us to get a dog. I don't think she'd stop if we asked.
We don't have a lettings agent as we go directly through her. I don't dislike the woman I just feel like it's really rude to not even apologise and leave us without a TV. I do have two young children 3 & 4 and yes the TV isn't on all day but we do have wind down time with it in the afternoon.
I understand about the rent payments. Think I'd be on very thin ice with that which is why I wanted opinions.
However she's damaged our property and is ignoring my messages. I messaged her at 7pm yesterday evening. She saw the message at 10:30pm and has been on today and not replied.
This is not peculiar though for her to send messages late as sometimes she'll whatsapp me very late in the evening (10pm,11pm etc) and tell me she's coming the very next day to do the garden. It's as and when she's available. I don't get much say in the matter.

OP posts:
HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 31/05/2018 20:38

I really think you need to speak to someone like shelter regarding this issue. Just because its her house doesn't mean she should be having this much authority over your life, it's your home after all.

In the meantime can you try actually phoning her (maybe off a friends phone so she doesn't recognise the number and avoid answering)?

LIZS · 31/05/2018 20:40

Can you not get freeview tv through an aerial? Do you own the Sky set up or did it come with the property?

UserV · 31/05/2018 20:41

I would not be happy with any of this at all, and would be telling her so.

It's very odd that she insists on doing the garden. Every week/fortnight.

Does she realise this is NOT her home?

You need to have a good chat with her about this. If she won't talk, look for somewhere else to live, and tell her why.

UserV · 31/05/2018 20:42

I agree with @headsdown she is more or less in control over you/your family in your own home. It's not on.

Myotherusernameisbest · 31/05/2018 20:46

Wow, did you know she'd be coming round every week to do the garden when you rented? How long is she there for?

I think you have every right to invoice her for this damage. She must have known she'd cut through wires surely right after she did it. Really strange of her to just ignore that!

takeoffyourpantsandjacket · 31/05/2018 20:48

Surprised you've lasted 3 years of this. I'd have been gone ages ago.

Gwenhwyfar · 31/05/2018 20:51

I had a LL who did the garden. Was very happy with that as I don't like gardening myself. I don't remember it being every week, but it was slightly intrusive as it meant he'd let himself in to get the tools without warning.

Maelstrop · 31/05/2018 20:56

Do you have a proper tenancy/contract and is your deposit in the correct deposit scheme? If you don’t want her to come round, then tell her so. She’s stopping you from enjoying quiet time in your home. She has no right to be at the property, in the garden doing whatever unless you have expressly granted permission. I’m hoping you’ll tell her this. Hope she also responds to your message. If not, tell the workman to send the invoice to her. I get my tenants to do this if something needs fixing that I can’t do. No workman has ever objected. Don’t underpay the rent, that’s the wrong way to do this.

mando12345 · 31/05/2018 21:00

Thing is it must be really annoying about the cable and her coming round to do the garden, I would be really cross.
However if I liked the house and it was well priced I would be wary of upsetting her and being given notice to quit. I know this is totally wrong and you shouldn't have to put up with this.

bellabasset · 31/05/2018 21:01

Does she think Sky will repair it? If you're paying for Sky - my dh was a sports fanatic and if he couldn't watch his cricket he would be fuming - she should pay for it.

I totally understand your irritation at her coming round to do the garden. Did she have tenants previously who left the garden in a mess? Would it perhaps be an idea to approach her on the grounds that you and your dc's would love to garden and arrange a time for her to come so you can get involved. Tell her that the dc's would like to grow veg or flowers and set a patch aside for them. Then gradually take over the garden but perhaps invite her every few weeks for tea and let her see how the garden is.

Hermie12 · 31/05/2018 21:03

Is it your sky contract? Dp did this last week Grin I contacted sky and an engineer came and sorted it for £30

specialsubject · 31/05/2018 21:04

3 years? clearly you arent that bothered or you would have left.

write ( not kiddy comms , a letter with free proof of posting )reminding her of the rules.

TheArtfulScreamer · 31/05/2018 21:06

I let my former home out that has a beautiful 100ft long garden that was my pride and joy my current tennants cut the grass (although not as frequent as I'd like Grin) and I go twice a year to trim back other shrubbery. The garden is not as lovely as I had it and I do feel a little sad when I go back but I have to remember it's not my home anymore and if the tennants depart it would only take a week or so of hard graft to get it nice again. I don't live local to that house anymore but even if I did I certainly wouldn't be going every week to do the garden as it would be a complete invasion of my tennants privacy and utterly unreasonable. When I go I give as much notice as I can and then a reminder a week before and if I damaged something of theirs I'd repair it. I think you've a bigger issue than your sky cable!

Murane · 31/05/2018 21:31

You have to give her the opportunity to sort it before sorting it yourself. Send a letter by recorded delivery to LL (and a copy to the letting agent if you have one). Say she has 7 days to repair the Sky cable or you will do it and bill her.

Original poster
MrsST · 31/05/2018 21:35

Special of course we're bothered by it but we can't afford to move anywhere else!

OP posts:
specialsubject · 31/05/2018 21:47

cheap dump with crooked landlady, the usual. how are the legals?

btw dont use recorded delivery, daft idea as easy to refuse.

bakingdemon · 31/05/2018 21:51

Check your contract - if it's a standard one it'll probably say something about garden maintenance being tenants' responsibility (it usually, and rightly, is). If so, once you've got the TV fixed, say you'd like to do it yourselves - the kids need to learn about gardening, you want to plant some roses, DH's green fingers are itching, whatever excuse you need. If she insists still, you'll know she's doing it to check up on you. I'm a LL and we would never do this to our tenants, it's far too intrusive.

persypear · 31/05/2018 22:04

Some LLs are the pits. Our current LL is great but she is the first good one in nearly 20 years so I can empathise.

Are you in a fixed term contract or periodic eg month to month?

If you have a fixed term left to run then you have more power to set some boundaries, but if month to month then I would be really worried about her giving you notice just because she wants to retain control over you.

It is so hard to enforce your rights when its difficult to move and the LLs have the power to unreasonably evict. You can ask nicely but firmly that she fixes the Sky cables and promptly, but if she doesn't then the only real power you have is court or leaving.

It really sucks.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.