AIBU to wonder how often other tenants see their landlord?

[Specksofwhiteallaround]

I am absolutely sick of the sight of mine but Dh insists it’s the same for all people who rent and I’m curious if he’s right as it’s not my experience of renting. So as not to drip feed we do have cats, but they knew this and agreed to rent to us. The cats have caused damage to the bottom of the stair carpet and a radiator but I have absolutely no problem paying to rectify this when/if we leave.

My annoyance is that in the three years since we’ve lived here we’ve had almost 3 monthly house inspections. Every time she comes she finds fault with something and I just don’t think any of it is that big a deal. Some examples are that a tree in the garden wasn’t pruned to her satisfaction so we had to buy a lot of expensive equipment to make that better, we don’t get to the weeds quickly enough, she wants us to have a window cleaner come every week and insisted I buy a rug to put under our computer chair which makes it unusable...
She has another house around the corner and checks how often and how long my bathroom window is open and it’s never enough.

The last straw for me is that we informed her about a plumping issue at the last inspection in mid December which has been steadily getting worse while she organised a plumber. Yesterday she turned up unannounced at the door to lecture me about what the problem was (she was wrong, it emerged yesterday that the problem has been caused by a pretty major leak in one of the outside pipes not us.) and let me know a plumber would be there the next morning. While at the door she also took me to task for not cleaning the gas cupboard in the porch. Not five minutes later she’s back with a man from the water board in tow and wants access to the house, apparently the fact it was 11am and I hadn’t washed up dishes from that morning didn’t escape her notice and today she’s messaged informing me of a house inspection this Wednesday. Oh and will I go out and inform the people from the water board that she wants them to come and fit new taps in the kitchen they’re outside fixing the leak...

I have terrible social anxiety anyway but lately It’s getting so bad I don’t feel I can leave the house some days and I’m just so anxious about everything all the time and it’s draining, I feel like I’m constantly waiting for her to turn up at the door or text or ring about more cleaning issues. I’ve not had this level of landlord interference before in my life, it’s like she expects us to keep this a show home and it’s just not feasible.
Sorry this is so long, I guess I needed a good rant I really hope my dh is wrong and this isn’t the norm because I wouldn’t wish this stress on anyone.

I've never met mine, he lives abroad. I've lived here 5 years and the estate agents have never even done an inspection. The landlord uses a maintenance company who come out to do any repairs, I guess he relies on them to tell him if there was a problem with the house.

My previous house though, the landlord handled the management of the properly herself which was a real pain. Every time we had a repair, she would want to come and look at it herself before getting a trade in. It never really felt like our home. She lives in the house for 10 years before letting it, so I think she very much felt it was 'hers'. My current landlord bought this house purely for investment, I think he's only ever been in it once when he viewed it!

Specksofwhiteallaround how strange that she says your such good tenants that they haven't put the rent up whilst simultaneously not picking and condescending to you about once not having washed up or weeded the garden! It sounds as though she's either massively lacking in self awareness und unser the impression that she's Lady Muck and you're Young Polly-the-Peasant in receipt of her gracious benevolence as long as you mind your Ps and Q's, or a bit of a power trip...

Either way I don't envy you and would certainly take the risk of a rent rise and get support to address her intrusion on your quiet enjoyment of your home. She's negatively impacting your quality of life quite disproportionately.

*you're not your, "nit picking" not "not picking", sorry for the typos.

Ooh good call on betterment! This is eye opening: www.propertymark.co.uk/advice-and-guides/landlords/fair-wear-and-tear.aspx

Sorry about what your mum did to you x

@pandora101 the rent is paid on time every month, never been late. As soon as we have a problem like with the plumbing or when the shower broke we report it to her via email and to be fair to her she’s usually very prompt to deal with it. I just don’t really need her turning up at my door to check what the problem for herself without letting me know which she’s done multiple times through the years. I think she does see us in competent simply because we aren’t as well off and are younger than they are. As soon as our financial position improves I will definitely be looking elsewhere.

I’ll be spending the day outside cleaning the front of the house since she’s scheduled another inspection for this Wednesday, fingers crossed she doesn’t find something else to comment on then.

I think you’re being a mug, in the nicest possible way, OP. It is not up to you to repair stuff unless through wear and tear. You should not be fixing anything, it is the ll’s house (your home!) and it is for her to repair stuff. She may not come round so often and as I already said, you can refuse her entry. If she then tries a revenge eviction, just sit quietly until she goes to court (and loses). She’s being ridiculous. I suggest you print off the law reminding lls that they have NO right of entry and anything in a tenancy agreement is bullshit and cannot be enforced. Hand it to her and say you won’t expect to see her again until the next ANNUAL inspection.

She’s being ridiculous. Stop pandering to her stupidity. You have rights to quiet enjoyment, but it sounds like you’re living on tenterhooks. She’s your ll, not your bloody mother. Tell her NO.

I don’t harass my tenants. One likes to repaint far more frequently than the obligatory 7 years (annually!) He was worried about the kids getting dirty handprints on the walls. I told him to buy the expensive scrubbale paint and transferred him the money when he sent me a pic of the receipt.

@Universalcreditwoes I love my current tenants, sorry! I’m hoping they’re long term. Several years so far, we’re all happy!

@StVincent thank you, it’s only now as an adult that I’m beginning to realise how much my mums affected me and my ability to deal with this kind of thing.

She probably does view me as a walkover as she is fully aware of my social anxiety as it came up in conversation that I was receiving therapy for it as it’s become so debilitating in the last couple of years.

Tenants see their rental home not to dissimilarly to paying for a service like one do with a hotel room

Spoken by someone who's never rented, perhaps? What a load of crap. When I rent somewhere, it's my HOME and I take pride in it.

I think it would be good for you to seek support for your social anxiety. It sounds like it's preventing you from doing a lot, not just standing up to your landlady.

I rent my old house to a young family. They’ve been there 2 years and I’ve never inspected.

Their informed me of some glazing that needed replacing, I got it done. Though they said the kitchen needs replacing so I’ll likely be in soon.

They also asked if they could wallpaper the lounge and I said they could as long as a professional did it and it was in good order when they left.

Dontdisturbmenow plenty of us have been both tenants and landlords - your post shows an arrogant lack of insight and an excessively stereotyped view of your fellow human beings.

@DonnaDarko I’m having cba therapy at the moment as it does interfere with pretty much every aspect of my life. At least before moving here I felt I was ok at home but now I’m on edge all the time in case she calls in, or wondering if she’s walked past the house that day and whether my bathroom window was open or if the windows are clean enough and the door way swept clean. I mean I do these things as I want a clean home but it’s the worry that she’ll happen to pass on a day that it’s not freshly cleaned and pass comment. It’s exhausting.
I was taking a bag of rubbish out to the communal bins one day and she happened to be in the car park getting out of her car and she’d caught me doing something unsanitary by taking out the trash so now I hate doing it on the off chance she’ll be lurking around. Written down like that it sounds insane

And it felt like she’d caught me that should say, I don’t think even she would actually say that... well I hope.

I don't rent anymore but did previously for 5 years. During that time it was once a year for the boiler servicing. The only other time I saw him was if I contacted him with an issue which happened maybe 3 times and he came out and sorted immediately.

You are being harassed.

I’d not know our tenants if they walked past me in the street, amd that’s how I’d like it to stay.
Our agent does an initial check visit after about 6 weeks, to make sure there are no teething problems, and as long as that’s ok, then it’s 6 monthly.
We decided to go down the agent route precisely so that there was no temptation to want to check up on things. We do occasionally visit old neighbours(it’s my dad’s house we rent out), and we maybe take it to the extreme by parking the car well away from the house and going in the neighbour’s back gate so we don’t even see the house!
That’s how paranoid I am about not wanting the tenants to think we’re checking up on them!

Not remotely normal.

Urgh she sounds awful, I would move. You are legally entitled to 'quiet enjoyment of your home', she's breaking her contract if she turns up unannounced, she needs to give 24 hours notice. I think she's harassing you personally.

I'm a landlord of several properties and I try to see my tenants as little as possible!

I'm in WhatsApp contact with them for issues and tend to have to go over to houses once a year for issues but I don't bother with inspections unless I've had a tenant who has given me reason not to trust them, and even then it would only be once a year.

I'd get the hell out of there as soon as you can, it's no way to live,she won't change.

@Specksofwhiteallaround

I see, I know where is the problem. You wanted to be a good tenant, informing her about every tid-bits, reporting.

I would suggest to deal with the plumbing problems yourself, if its solveable and reasonable price. I do this myself, even if I have to pay for it myself, reporting it seems clueless, if you know what I mean.

I think there should be something in the contract to say to what amount you should solve your plumbing problems yourself and when to report it.

Obviously, if its a general problem (not related to only your flat) then report. We had now a general inspection from the gas company to inspect if there is any gas leakage (it is a law here). It was advertised in advance, so I knew they will come.

Otherwise I would solve the plumbers myself. I had several occassions where I had to find someone to fix things and paid for it.

In my opinion, it was worth it, to not bother the landlord and in return, dont get him/her to come and harass me :)

you know, if you report everything, they have to come to see you and the state of affairs. I can understand that your problem now had to include the landlady (as it was beyond your reach as it panned out - the general water-thing, not your flat)

if you dont want to see her inspecting, dont report things what you can fix yourself (by finding a plumber)
it is just my experience and I am aware not everyone is comfortable to pay for things, but again in my experience, it is very much worth it to be self-sufficent and tackle the minor problems where I am in the charge (albeit also paying for it, but in range of 100-200) and dont involve the landlord.

it is very much worth it, to take care of some things yourself, as complaining tenants are maybe not the best ones, if you know what I mean?

it seems the landlady wants to help you (as you are reporting things like plumbers) and wants to make sure its done?

In my former flat-rent when I move, I recommended some people to take over when I moved. They were always complaining about something and calling the landlord that a washing-machine is not working!!! I mean, I felt really embarassed for them (not your case), just an example

Never see mine

Your landlord will have signed the assured shorthold tenancy agreeing that you should heve "quiet enjoyment" of the property. This is harassment . We visit our tenants when there is a problem that needs sorting

@Specksofwhiteallaround
That's good you're doing the therapy.

She really does sound like a horrible person! I think you should show your DH this thread. And print out the bits of legislation which are relevant to you, like notice on visiting. Have it to hand for when she does try to drop in so you can say no in an informed way.

@pandora101im sorry but no, reporting to my landlord that my shower has stopped working or that I have to heating or hot water is not reporting tidbits so she thinks I’m a good tenant
Im not bothering her with small little problems, and we’ve needed her to deal with issues maybe four times since we’ve lived here and there things like a faulty boiler and shower and a broken tap. It absolutely is not my responsibility to organise a plumber and pay for this, hot water and heating is a basic when I’m paying a lot of money to live in this house. Also what if the person I employed to do it did a bad job or caused damage to the house, I’d be responsible and quite rightly so. That’s why it’s in our contract that we are not to tackle things like ourselves and to let them know.

Our last property we rented for 4 years and had no inspections and only saw the landlady to renew the contract

@Specksofwhiteallaround

ok, I understand. Its your choice. I said to organise the plumber yourself is much worth it and I ment if you see this flat as your home. But you are right, its much worth it for me, not for you. Shower and boilers and taps should be working. As you are there for 3 years already, was the tap broken when you moved in?

I just think you have lots of problems, shower not working, boiler not working, tap is broken..... you have to move or solve it yourself

(unless you secretly enjoy that your landlady is taking care, like finally someone in charge)

I think you are moaning too much and if you move, it will be the same, unless you change your attitude and start to take care of yourself and behave like an adult

But! on the other hand, that landlady is harassing and bullying you, she cant just turn up at your steps unannounced.... it must be very stressful for you even seeing her

is it your first rent? how was the previous one?
you said the cats harmed the carpet and radiator? How can cats harm a radiator?

you are not happy here, just move as soon as possible
in your next rent you will see, if its about your attitude, or the landlords´

Goodness, I'd save up for a new deposit and move.

We rent a house out and so far tenants have stayed 13 and 7 years so far, it's a nice property at a reasonable rent plus we take pets.

I've NEVER carried out an inspection.

Obviously we are straight round to sort any issues out so kind of get to see then.

But seriously that's super intrusive.