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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Landlord has washed his hands of us!

52 replies

Angryattheworld · 19/06/2018 13:43

I've lived in my current home a decade and only complained about a tenant once before when he kicked the crap out of his ex girlfriend on an access visit to drop off their toddler and loads of us rang the police. So it's not like I'm complaining all the time.

New neighbours moved in three weeks ago, in this time (I am the only one that shares a building with them) we have had regular complaints about their behaviour from locals. About ridiculous music, noise and weed and running up and down the stairs so loud next door can hear.
I was away with family and getting messages from locals saying how bad it was.
Everyone has complained to the landlord so the landlord has also got in touch with me.

The landlord has stated that as they are in tenancy of six months there is nothing they can do and if we have any more issues we should just report to the council now.

Is this normal?
Can they just pass all the buck even though they own the property?

OP posts:
bellsandwhistles89 · 19/06/2018 14:41

You are paying rent and he has run out of budget for door?

That is weird.

Maybe see if they are up to fire safety? Do you rent through an agent or is it privately?

slashlover · 19/06/2018 14:42

Report to environmental health, the council and/or the police. Google who your MP is and complain to them. Any time someone complains to you, tell them to complain too.

If your LL does nothing then you have to take it further.

namechangemynameagain · 19/06/2018 14:42

I bet the LL wants them out even more than you do. Unfortunately for you eviction is actually quite difficult. Tenants are protected (as they should be), but sometimes this protection works against the rights of LLs and other residents.

alreadytaken · 19/06/2018 14:44

If the landlord has proof they are breaking their tenancy agreement they can try to evict them. However they will need to have proof and those who want them out need to provide it. So you need people prepared to give witness statements, several of them stating that the tenants are a nuisance and why. Even then the courts would likely give them until the end of the 6 months tenancy to leave.
Going to court costs your landlord a lot.

The most you can reasonably expect from them at this stage is that they write to the tenant saying complaints have been received and warn them they are breaching the tenancy agreement - if they are doing so.

If your landlord knows he may lose a good tenant over this he may issue an eviction notice in 4 months time.

You can ask your landlord for a better fitting door.

CrochetBelle · 19/06/2018 14:44

A five inch gap under your door? Really?
You have bigger problems than the new neighbours.

slashlover · 19/06/2018 14:47

If the gap on the front door is large (did you mean 5 cms instead of 5 inches?) then you could see if your local fire brigade do free fire safety checks?

Original poster
Angryattheworld · 19/06/2018 14:48

Cm sorry! Blush
I can get my whole hand easily in the gap.

OP posts:
Original poster
Angryattheworld · 19/06/2018 14:52

What he means Bells is he has run out of money that he is willing to spend on the properties. From what I have been told he is a multi millionaire but he has just spent significant amounts on work on his empty properties. He isn't interested once he has rented them out.

If I call out fire safety can they enforce him to change the door if they aren't happy?

OP posts:
HelenaDove · 19/06/2018 15:02

A five inch gap means your door is unlikely to pass a fire safety check.

Dljlr · 19/06/2018 15:03

Dunno why you're being told they've not broken terms of tenancy agreement - without seeing it, how can we know? But I had very similar issues a decade ago and it took three months but the guy was chucked out for exactly that - breaking the terms of his tenancy agreement. Everyone has the right to peaceful enjoyment of their home. If I were you I'd be chasing the LL every single day. That's what I did.

bellsandwhistles89 · 19/06/2018 15:04

You have a landlord problem.

A landlords job is never done.

Hopefully you will be able to find advice regarding the fire safety as I am not 100% sure but it maybe be something to look into as a 5 inch gap is surely not safe. Contact your local authority or local fire and rescue service for advice.

Original poster
Angryattheworld · 19/06/2018 15:06

I meant cm sorry Helena!
I would add a picture to show how rubbish it is but I can't figure out how to do it on my phone.

OP posts:
Pleasegodgotosleep · 19/06/2018 15:09

You've posted several threads on this topic now. If the smoking of weed is so obvious why haven't you called the police?

Dragongirl10 · 19/06/2018 15:15

Jonbb....
At no point did l say it had or had not been breached, l just gave general advice, please re read.

MissCharleyP · 19/06/2018 15:17

Bombardier I’ve rented properties from private ll’s until 2016. Every single one has not allowed smoking. I imagine it would be enforced when they do the property checks as it’s obvious when someone smokes (even though they think it isn’t).

wannabestressfree · 19/06/2018 15:17

Police won't do anything if tenants are smoking it/ have it for personal use. Sorry.

LapsedHumanist · 19/06/2018 15:25

We had noisy neighbours years ago. The ll told them that unless they shaped up, they wouldn’t be able to continue on past end of initial lease. It worked pretty well, noise was much less. But the ll still refused them a new lease due to noise and neglect/damage.

ParisUSM · 19/06/2018 15:26

I have the same problems with neighbours smoking weed and the smell coming through to my flat - unfortunately the landlord isn't interested and I just have to put up with it. Very tempted to tell the council that 3 people are living there as they are breaching HMO regulations and could end up with a huge fine.

Police aren't interested in weed smoking, I wouldn't be either if it didn't smell so disgusting.

I sleep with the window open - only thing I can suggest :(

Original poster
Angryattheworld · 19/06/2018 15:26

PleaseGodgotosleep.

A local who complained has spoken to the police already. Advice has been passed on.
Unfortunately unless they catch them growing or dealing they don't care.
I was in a city centre recently at an event with people open smoking it despite police being around.

OP posts:
Mof3K · 19/06/2018 15:28

Call the police if its a weed smell ?? They wont do much but a warning or caution might stop them ?

ParisUSM · 19/06/2018 15:33

They won't warn or caution for the smell of weed - they wouldn't even come out unless you thought they were growing vast quantities.

thecatneuterer · 20/06/2018 02:19

@Jonbb It is you who doesn't understand the law. Dragongirl was entirely correct. The tenants probably have broken some terms in their tenancy agreement, but this would come under discretionary grounds for eviction, and not mandatory ones (such as not paying rent). While getting an eviction under discretionary grounds is theoretically possible, it is damned difficult. It would take an extremely long time, cost a lot, and would probably fail. That is why anyone who knows anything about landlord/tenant law wouldn't go down that route if there were any other course of action.

In this case there is - a Section 21, but of course that can't be issued until the tenants have already been there for four months. Regardless this would almost certainly get quicker results than trying to evict for some possible breaches of tenancy.

Jonbb · 20/06/2018 10:00

You are being disingenuous dragongirl. You said None of the things you mention would be breaking the tenancy agreement except growing weed (solid proof would be needed).Even then it would take time to go through the courts. I said you cannot know that clauses in the tenancy agreement have not been broken without seeing the tenancy agreement and in any case grounds 12 and 14 of HA are helpful. I have run lots of successful anti social behaviour cases and it very much depends on the quality and amount of evidence available. The main issue with these cases is people are happy to moan but won't give evidence. In reality you would issue on 12, 14 and a s21 at appropriate time to cover your back. In any case the landlord here seems intent on avoiding his responsibilities not just regarding the new tenants but repairing and maintenance obligations and they really need to step up, which judging by the Ops responses is highly unlikely.

Dragongirl10 · 20/06/2018 13:29

Jonbb..

Please feel free to pick holes in my comment if you want but it will not help the op as you must know...

I have yet to come across a tenancy agreement that has specific clauses that prohibits

Running up and down stairs
Being generally noisy
Playing music

Unless in the extreme,

in which case, as THERCATNEUTERER stated, assuming a 6 month tenancy, would take longer than to the end of the tenancy to first prove, and then go through the courts to create an eviction.

The issue of weed is possibly a more serious matter.

I did suggest as others have, that going to get advice from the council is perhaps a good idea. So not disingenuous at all.

I didn't comment on the other issues as they were not in the original post.

Do you just dislike landlords ? even the helpful ones?

Jonbb · 20/06/2018 23:02

Only landlords who fail in their statutory duty, and think it's ok to just sit back and take the money when there are issues that should be dealt with, and who fail to decorate and maintain their properties, and who don't bother to learn the law. And who fail to update their property to a reasonable standard, and generally treat their tenants badly. And illegally evict . . .. Luckily these are in the minority.

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