Landlord AIBU

[Snickerdoodles]

Seriously irritated with landlord.

I moved into a houseshare a couple of months ago. I really like the location and love my flatmates, who I get on really well with, so don’t want to move. The flat contract also has a break clause of December, so I couldn’t move until then anyway.

It’s just that the landlord is really starting to piss me off. As I don’t want to move out yet, I’m just using this thread as a venting zone to let off some steam (I hope that’s okay! ) (Already vented to my flatmates earlier!)

When I viewed the flat before moving in, she said she wasn’t a ‘dodgy landlord’ .

Since I’ve moved in, the following has happened:

1. Things have broken, which we’ve let the LL know about, and they still haven’t been fixed.
   The LL promised verbally (and in the written and signed tenancy agreement) to fix things if they were damaged due to wear and tear, yet hasn’t stuck by this.
   For example, a toilet won’t flush in one of the bathrooms; mouse problem in flat; and, more seriously, a tube light fell down in the kitchen while my flatmate was cooking (LL came in today and said ‘this wasn’t an urgent thing to be repaired(!)’ When we emailed her to complain about these things, she phoned me at 9pm to say ‘we are not a hotel’ and that I could move out if I didn’t like the flat.

2. Less serious, but still annoying:

The tenancy agreement says that LL has to give us 24 hours’ notice before visiting the flat. The other night, she texted us with less than an hour’s notice to say that a new tenant was coming to view an unoccupied room in the flat.

Today, the LL arranged for professional cleaners to clean the carpets in the flat. She let us know about this in advance, which is fair. She asked if we could be in, but only one of my flatmates could, as everyone else was busy. When the LL arrived, she asked my flatmate to make her a cup of tea with milk (fine). Except the LL didn’t like my flatmate’s tea or milk, so said, ‘I’ll have a look in everyone else’s cupboards to see what tea or milk they have(!!)’

She’s also texted one flatmate to say that the new tenant will be moving into the unoccupied room soon, but didn’t let me know, so I only found out from my flatmate. I don’t want to sound precious (hope I’m not), but I really don’t think this is on.

Is there anyone I could complain to (e.g. Citizens Advice) or will i be laughed out of town?

I guess they can’t do anything really, especially as it’s a private rental, but I really want the LL to realise that this is not on.

AIBU?

Hi,

You’d be better off moving out and making dam sure you get your deposit back. Then putting the problems you’ve faced somewhere where prospective tenants could see

Thanks, Losingthewill.

I’m also worried that, if I say anything again about the things mentioned above to the LL, that she’ll write me a negative reference and/or not give back the deposit (which is held in a protected deposit scheme - I’ve already checked this online).

Should I ask my landlord why I wasn’t told about the new tenant moving in? I don’t want to seem vindictive or anything.

I wonder if I should frame it as, ‘Hi [landlord name]. [Flatmate name] mentioned yesterday that a new tenant would be moving into the flat soon. Please could you let us know when they’ll be arriving? Thanks, Snickerdoodles’.

That all sounds pretty shit...

And also pretty typical for multiple occupancy property owners.

I'd complain in writing but I wouldn't hold my breath for things to change and just start looking for somewhere new asap!

The landlord told your housemate. Your housemate told you.

Id have told her to fuck off with tea. And id pester her about the toilet and light.

But mostly its not a big deal really is it?

Is there an official way of complaining about the landlord?

I’ve seen that there are a couple of websites where tenants can review their landlords, but I want to do it more officially if I can.

I really don’t want the LL to get away with this - she thinks she can make a quick buck out of renting, which is impossible IMO.

You could try your local council but I don't think that you would get very far.

Contact shelter for advice.

Thanks Kitkatmonster and Persian.

LL of HMO here. With an HMO the 24 hour notice thing only applies to the parts you have sole occupancy of - so your room in this case. While it's common courtesy that she tells you about viewings for the unoccupied room, it's not a situation that calls for official notice (assuming LL was doing the viewing and not expecting you to do it). Also it's courtesy to notify you in advance about new tenants, but not a legal matter.

Not fixing things is shit. And general attitude seems to be shit. But I don't think complaining will get you very far. How long have the things that aren't working been broken?

You appear to be in an HMO which most councils require landlord's to have licenses for. It may be worth going down that route with the council. The pest problem needs dealing with, if the landlord won't do it report to Environmental Health.

My Spidey senses are tingling with what you've said. Is the deposit registered in your name as room 1, flat 12, 14 High Street? Or are you just seeing a deposit for flat 12?

An HMO only requires an licence if it has three storeys or more AND five tenants or more. Some Councils require other types of HMOs to be licensed, but many don't.

However most of what you've complained about wouldn't be flagged up as a concern over the licence. If there was serious disrepair that wasn't addressed certainly - but I'm unclear how long things have been left unrepaired. And pest problems are certainly taken seriously by the Council - so that is your best bet for 'complaining'.

There should be a Trip advisor style review website for landlords. These shitty ones need called out on their terrible behaviour. They’re running a business FGS! Do they not know how to conduct themselves?

IfIWasaBird - LLs need one for tenants too.

Isn’t that a reference? They have those already.

No, references are very easy to fake. And of course a LL desperate to get rid of a bad tenant will often give a decent reference just to be rid of the problem.

Well LL advisor reviews can be faked too so you’re no better off really.

Thanks, everyone.

@thecatneuterer the tube light and the toilet have been broken for 2 months now.

Also, there are five tenants in the flat, so it does need a licence.

The flat had a council inspection in late May, which the LL told us about in advice. The inspection was on a weekday when everyone in the flat was at work. We don’t know what the council found out at the inspection, but the LL has now let us know that she will visit the flat in a couple of weeks with a handyman to carry out things advised by the council (the LL hasn’t said what these things are).

IfIWasABird I agree, but I think it should be something more official.

The light and loo need to be fixed. You can very easily deal with the mice with a couple of traps.

OP - five tenants AND three storeys?

katiemarieJ the deposit is registered with My Deposits and, when I log in to check my deposit, a reference number for the deposit comes up. I can only see a reference number though - nothing comes up to say where the deposit is registered e.g. ‘Flat X’, ‘Room X, Flat X....’

@thecatneuterer sorry, no - five tenants but one storey.

Well if she's coming with a handyman in a couple of weeks you need to make sure the toilet and light are on the list. And complain a lot if they aren't.

I agree with Bluelady that the HMs should be able to deal with mice themselves. But legally it is the LLs responsibility, even though the LL can't control how dirty the tenants are and how much food they leave around to attract mice.

It's not a licensable HMO then. Unless you are in a particular area where all rented properties require a licence.

@IfIWasABirdIdFlyIn2ACeilingFan True enough. I guess if there were an easy, foolproof way to flag up bad tenants and landlords it would already exist.

@thecatneuterer not exactly true it varies slightly from council to council. Mine states that if the property is in a 3 or more storey building with 3+ unrelated tenants then it counts as a HMO.

OP time for you to move on. While some repairs aren't urgent and ll's are slack with them, her behaviour over the cup of tea and the mouse problem is a reason to find somewhere else to live.

I know a couple of tenants who reported their lls to their local environmental health this year, but as councils are under funded it took a while for them to come out and things to be done. The end result was the tenants moved out anyway.