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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

about landlord popping round all the time?

164 replies

Thesandmanishere · 22/09/2021 16:25

We just rented a lovely place and signed a year's contract. The house was previously lived in by the landlord so has been very well maintained.

I'm sure she's very nice but she keeps popping round unannounced and it's starting to irritate me. It's never ostensibly because she wants to check up on us but it obviously actually is. For example she didn't redirect any of her post so she keeps coming round to collect it. She had a parcel delivered here this morning which she came to collect.

I really don't like it as I want to feel that this is "our home" while we pay rent here - I've lived in rentals before and never seen hide nor hair of the landlord other than when there's been a problem to resolve. But I also don't want to piss her off or be unreasonable.

AIBU or should she not be doing this?

OP posts:
GabriellaMontez · 22/09/2021 18:50

She's rude and thick skinned. You may have to be quite blunt to get through to her.

TheCatterall · 22/09/2021 18:50

Tell her you’ll leave any mail for her on the step as you don’t want the interruptions from strangers disturbing your child. Actually screw that.

tell your neighbours that as they are such good friends they obviously won’t mind if you divert all Mail and direct all parcels to their house.

Or just have the Mail returned to sender.

Or just tell her that long term you’d rather she made alternative arrangements for her post as ‘its easier all round’.

If she insists on collecting Mail - I’d leave it on doorstep when you know she’s coming. If she still knocks on. Open door - slide out - stand on step with door closed behind you…

Many options to try. :) good luck.

Peanutsandchilli · 22/09/2021 18:52

I wouldn't keep her post. It'd be back in the postbox with return to sender written on it. Then pretend to be out when she 'pops round'. Cheeky mare.

Rosscameasdoody · 22/09/2021 18:52

This is not on. It sounds as though she’s not confident enough to be a landlord if she’s constantly popping round on pretexts. You’re paying her rent and you’re entitled to your privacy. Tell her she must redirect her mail too - it’s an intrusion. If you don’t nip this in the bud right now, it’ll escalate into a row because you’re effectively being monitored.

Flawedperfection · 22/09/2021 18:55

That would annoy the heck out of me after the 3rd time. Totally unacceptable and unprofessional of her. And would make me anxious which is not fair or right in any way.
As a pp said, text her and tell her it’s around the side of the house each time, or ask her to leave with her precious ex-neighbours. Then they can have a really good catch-up!

Headteacher412 · 22/09/2021 18:57

My landlord lives next door. In 7 years, she's not knocked on my door or set foot inside the property once; the letting agent does an annual gas service and that's it.

My previous landlord moved 200 miles away after I'd been in there a couple of years, and I didn't hear from him for nearly 8 years. No gas so no service visits needed, and quite a simple new build property so didn't need to call him for anything fixing.

So no, this is definitely not normal. It would make me feel very uncomfortable.

RadioSixMusicLover · 22/09/2021 18:57

@TemptedToSleepInTheShed

It’s her house and I’m afraid she can do as she pleases while you’re living in her house. Do you have a plan for buying your own?
Super goon alert.
YukoandHiro · 22/09/2021 18:58

OP I'm pretty sure by law you can actually change the locks as long as you give the landlord reasonable access (eg if they ask to come round to fix something with notice)

HisSplendidSilentSun · 22/09/2021 19:05

Present her with a list of 'to do' jobs in the house every time you meet her at the door. She'll soon stop coming round.

tofuschnitzel · 22/09/2021 19:05

@TemptedToSleepInTheShed

It’s her house and I’m afraid she can do as she pleases while you’re living in her house. Do you have a plan for buying your own?
Oh to have the confidence of @TemptedToSleepInTheShed, who clearly knows sweet FA about the subject, but carries on typing rubbish anyway.
Sparklesocks · 22/09/2021 19:05

@TemptedToSleepInTheShed

It’s her house and I’m afraid she can do as she pleases while you’re living in her house. Do you have a plan for buying your own?
Wrong. Not how it works being a landlord.
CBroads · 22/09/2021 19:09

@TemptedToSleepInTheShed

It’s her house and I’m afraid she can do as she pleases while you’re living in her house. Do you have a plan for buying your own?
Actually no she can't do as she pleases. Legally a landlord has to request access to the property 24hrs before entry is needed, even in this case the tenant can reschedule the visit or decline if they are not going to be at the property. Lastly, landlords can only enter the property with written permission from the tenant or the tenant being present.

Now shut up and you might learn something. Bellend.

Confiscatedpopit · 22/09/2021 19:26

This is very relatable. I rented a few houses in the past and all went well except one- it started just like this… popping her head over the fence and making ‘helpful’ comments about the length of the grass (two weeks after we had moved in and in February- not long at all), shouting ‘woohooo’ and ‘I’m just showing my friend my house’ over the wall, knocking on the door with her husband whilst jogging past- she may as well- just passing, thought we’d say hello (even though they were just stood in the doorway and hadn’t knocked- instead we just saw them through the glass and my husband shit himself as it was dark outside)… going into the garage and turning off a plug switch to a fridge freezer (no, I don’t get that one either)…

Progressed into her letting herself in when we weren’t there and just being generally horrendous. Get some ground rules ASAP.

BeaucoupFish · 22/09/2021 19:27

Is ‘tempted to sleep In the shed’ a PA new user name does anyone think ?
I think just attention seeking as nobody could actually think such a statement is true
Best ignored maybe ?
But who knows ?

KateTheEighth · 22/09/2021 19:39

@TemptedToSleepInTheShed

It’s her house and I’m afraid she can do as she pleases while you’re living in her house. Do you have a plan for buying your own?

Probably best not to comment on threads dealing with subjects you know nothing about

HTH

Crikeyalmighty · 22/09/2021 19:45

I once had a very posh landlord on quite a posh house we rented in Oxford simply let himself in several times— once when I was in, once when I wasn’t - but my work assistant was- his excuse was that he thought we were moving out without saying anything as we were 1 day late paying rent (was due on Sunday and it went through on the Monday) —

FinallyHere · 22/09/2021 19:54

This is not OK.

Stop answering the door to her.

Write to her, to let her know that you are not comfortable with the frequency of her visits and they are impacting your quiet enjoyment of your tenancy.

Let her know that any post which arrives after will be returned as 'no longer resident at this address'.

Send a copy of the letter / email to the agent.

I am usually all for giving the benefit of the doubt but three months in this is really not acceptable. Nip it in the bud right away

ThinWomansBrain · 22/09/2021 20:01

Start redirecting post addressed to her and tell you'll continue to do so until she can get the address changed. "Redirect to "
either that - or just return to the sender stating "not at this address"

pigsDOfly · 22/09/2021 20:01

@Thesandmanishere

I just feel like she obviously (having lived here before) feels like this is still "her home". I mean obviously it is, but you know what I mean!
Well no, it isn't her 'home' any more, it's your home and she need to keep away.

You're entitled to live in the home, that you pay rent for, without the constant feeling that she might pop in or that the neighbours are reporting to her about how you're behaving.

Absolutely not on.

Unfortunately, unless you make it very clear to her that it's got to stop she'll just go on intruding in your life.

You have a business arrangement with her, she's not your friend. You're perfectly entitled to be firm about with her.

Moneysavvymam · 22/09/2021 20:03

[quote CornishTiger]@Thesandmanishere in order to avoid conflict id send her a message saying each time she comes around It is disruptive for your son as he is aware she is the landlord and he’s wondering if you will have to move again.

Could she please set up redirection of the post so that you can have quiet enjoyment of the property.[/quote]
This is why mumsnet is pure gold dust. What an absolutely wonderful ideA. Nobody will have bad feelings, its a reasonable excuse and it will appeal to her better nature as she will fear she is scaring a child. thats actually the best advice on here do this

Cherrysoup · 22/09/2021 20:17

Next time she comes, please tell her it’s intrusive/too much, you will be re-directing the post and next time she wants to come round, she MUST give you 24 hours notice. She may not, by law, harass you in this way. I consider repeated unwanted visits harassment, yes. No way should she be popping round so frequently, or at al, in fact. I’m pissed off for you!

Pugsnotdrugs101 · 22/09/2021 21:28

My friend had this problem. Her landlord was an older man, think he was just lonely and she was far too nice to say anything. He would let himself in to the garden to do ‘maintanace’. All came to a head one day when she was doing a poo and heard a noise behind her at the window and he was up a ladder ‘cleaning the gutter’!

Zeal · 22/09/2021 21:34

I am just wondering how it might turn out if you talk to her about it.

frecklemcspeckles · 23/09/2021 00:02

We had this from an ex sellor. We moved in and he kept appearing every month or so ostensibly looking for post (ie he was too tight to forward his post as he needed to). We were polite for the first 2 or 3 visits (when he commented on the new flooring he could see in the hall, the big trees cut down, the new bushes etc) and gave him his post that had arrived but after that (C 3mths) we answered with "oh that's been sent back to royal mail" for everything he hadnt forwarded even if we had sent it back to adddressee. He thought it was still his house and wanted to comment. Once we said "no post" he stopped coming. We still get post for them 5 years down the line despite replying "not at this address" on all of it and sending it back.

HennyLenry · 23/09/2021 00:09

@TemptedToSleepInTheShed

It’s her house and I’m afraid she can do as she pleases while you’re living in her house. Do you have a plan for buying your own?
No she can't not while she's taking rent every month from her tenant. Do you have a plan to not be such a patronising bellend?