Wwyd - aibu - visitors

[Puzzle500]

Be really grateful for views. Can't work out if I'm over worried, or harsh.
5 weeks ago an absent flat owner in our building had some "friends" arrive for a weeks visit. We have a no short term let agreement here but loaning flat for a week seemed okay.

5 weeks on - family still here, 4 children who do not attend school, and now haven't left for lockdown.

Other flat owners have politely indicated to absent owner he is in breach of leasehold and now in breach of lockdown but he isn't responding, and clearly doesn't care

I'm cross - perhaps unreasonably - about those who think it's okay to ignore the rules. I could report it as a covid breach but is that fair on the family, when I suspect it's owner who is the one illegally letting?

So no Covid-relevant or lockdown-relevant reason to complain, but you can complain about the problems you are facing and you can raise a query about why the children are not in school. You can either do this with the family themselves, the flat owner or the relevant local authorities.

OP-
Do you own your flat?

do you have a residents' association?

if some residents have already complained, a) how do you know that and b) can you make a joint complaint to the owner?

I think the main issues are:

is this family there on holiday and if so they ought to return home?
are they paying rent as if it's being let as a holiday home?

This has nothing to do with covid whatsoever.
Except of course, that covid might have left these people without a roof over their heads.

The obvious thing to do to address the actual problem here, is to get hold of the flats owner and point out that the people he has loaned/sublet his flat to are being a problem.

@Heyahun
Something can be done.
We had issues with a letting a few years ago, don't think the ll was checking references and tbph didn't really care as long as money was paid.

Every noise breach was recorded to get the first lot evicted, followed by the second and third lot of tenants. In the end the LL had to sell up because they wanted the cash from multiple occupancy but the judge put something in place to restrict this.

THe whole process was organised by the tmo

Going slightly against the grain I would report the behaviour of the family to the leasehold managers. I wouldn't get involved in whether or not there is sub-letting going on, just that there have been visitors in the flat for x weeks and these are the problems they are causing. The owners of the flats pay to have the property managed, and in this case I'd at least try to use that option.

Are the flats leasehold ? If so I would report it to the Management Company .

The problem is antisocial behaviour with noise, not them being there—I can’t see any way they could be breaking COVID rules? They’re clealry not on holidays, this is where they live. Surely the owner has right to rent it out—if they’ve been there weeks, I wouldn’t assume they’re short term either.

Have you actually spoken to them OP?

Maybe they are waiting to move into a house. Why go and ask them could they try to be quieter and could they stop the very late orders.

Unless they are causing a massive problem I would mind my own business. I dont bother other people and wouldn't poke my nose into others business UNLESS I wanted people to do the same to me! Relax and enjoy your own life.

They sound very irritating neighbours, but I am afraid they're not in breach of anything, unless your lease specifically says that owners of the flats are not allowed to rent them out to anyone else, ever.

I own and let out several flats, and I would think this clause in a lease would be very, very unlikely.

However, continued disturbance may well be against the terms of the lease. If it really is proper disturbance (rather than a bit annoying), you would need to contact the managing agent, with dates, times, etc. They would have to liaise with the owner, who may well not have a clue what's going on.

I certainly can't see how it's breaking any Covid rules.

I don't think its breaking lockdown rules? If they are a household when we go into lockdown, that is their household? they can't help they have a few kids? In my in-laws there are 7 people, but they are one family? where would the kids go?

If they are being a nuisance complain to your tenants association or building management Its got nothing to do with covid.

Children could be homeschooled

So many posts on Mumsnet asking if they could report on someone.

If takeaways work till midnight then you are allowed to order them. What do they do to wake you up? Do they talk loud or slam the doors? You could probably contact the deliverycompany about it.

@Puzzle500

Thanks. Sorry I should have said more honestly, I'm mostly irritated because of the noise, lack of respect for the building and takeaways arriving at midnight and waking us up! Would be less bothered if they were no issue. But recognise what people say

Well if you are going to complain about them then you need to figure out what you're complaining about, because crying "Covid!" isn't going to work.

Have you tried actually talking to the family about the noise and deliveries waking you up?

The "Covid breach" got my back up straightaway. I am sick of people nosing around wanting to report supposed "Covid breaches".
How is the absent owner breaching lockdown? He's not there. He's presumably living somewhere else.

The issue is not about Covid. The issue is that a family has moved in and is making noise and ordering takeaways at midnight. If it's bothering you, complain to the management company or whoever oversees the property.

Are they actually making unacceptable noise or have you just got too comfortable with an empty flat next door?

Why can’t the owner lend his flat to family/friends? Surely you don’t get to vet who lives in the flats around you?.

Or they did like millions of Brits did over the summer, fucked off abroad and are now stranded