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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Landlord demanding removal of tenants belongings

27 replies

strawberrymilk7 · 15/02/2022 16:34

I am really annoyed about this!!

My mam moved out of a rented house in April 2020 so when lockdown was in full swing. Tonnes of issues with the LL, such as the loo was broken actually leaking out in the bathroom and they didn't fix it, she paid for it herself. Huge issues with the heating, dangerous issues, a pipe was broken and used to billow steam out of presses in the kitchen. They didn't do any upkeep of the garden, which they had agreed to do, I'm not talking landscaping just cutting the grass. The washing machine didn't work. The whole thing was a mess. This house which was supposed to be an investment property for them and they let it go into really bad condition.

Anyway, she got a new place, they said they were going to sell. With lockdown/ not allowed in places etc she couldn't get a moving van, they said fine. When she contacted 2/3 months after moving out to collect her stuff they didn't reply. So she sent a few text's and finally said she would go on x day at x time let her know if that didn't suit. She also tried to phone. She went (knew no-one else had moved as we have family on the same st) and they had changed the locks so she couldn't collect anything. Sent other texts/ calls. Didn't hear anything, so she let it go.

They text last week "house will be open on Sat from 9am-11am, to collect your stuff" that was it nothing else. Even after she replied. She told them she would be there at 9am with her BIL. They weren't there when she arrived, didn't answer the phone/ texts. Finally texted at 9.50 to say where the key was hiden. She went in and got the stuff she wanted. She left the beds (a v good one which I paid a lot for)/ couch. She said the bed was dressed with sheets that aren't hers and clearly slept in. Also damp/ smelly now as the house was so poorly insulated and hasn't been lived in properly for 2 years. She had to get new ones anyway so doesn't need them.

They have now text "you need to collect the rest of your stuff or arrange a skip. If you don't we will drop all belongings outside your new house".

I am just so pissed off at the cheek of them!! She is half thinking of going to remove the stuff as she knows the LLs sister and she doesn't want to cause agro. But I think the sister would be more embarrassed with her sisters behaviour if she knew. It's a small town, most people are only a degree or two separated from everyone. I love my mam and mean this in the best way, but she can be a bit of a soft touch and doesn't like confrontation.

Also they don't have a leg to stand on, LL can't prove my mam lived there as they didn't pay tax on their rental income. She always had to pay them in cash, and when she became serious sick (I mean ICU, touch and go) and I asked for details/ proof of rent so I could apply for help from the social she told me they couldn't give it to me as it isn't on the books. I then asked for a reduction to make up for not being able to claim assistance until she was better and was back working, which she also "couldn't" do. My mam was out of ICU by this point and insisted I didn't take it any further.

I do know skips are not cheap and they are doing up the house as they probably want to sell it. She said some work had been done inside. But they imo have missed their time frame by a long shot!! Thankfully she has a decent LL now, she pays him by bank monthly and he sorts issues as and when needed.

YABU - your mam needs to get her stuff
YANBU -The cf's after all this time and they way they treated her leave it.

OP posts:
CornishTiger · 15/02/2022 16:39

I’d reply they became your responsibility when you used them and had your bedding on. They aren’t required by me.

bluepeacock · 15/02/2022 16:39

Well, I suppose it depends on whether she actually wants her stuff?

If she's not bothered they will just get it taken to the dump - but they may keep her deposit if she doesn't pick it up (did she pay a deposit?) and will be within their rights to do this.

Alll the other stuff is just her word against theirs really.

strawberrymilk7 · 15/02/2022 16:57

I don't know if she paid a deposit, after 2 years I'd imagine that boat has sailed anyway.

She is happy for it to go to the dump/ where ever. She doesn't like the thoughts of a bed where someone she doesn't know has slept in. Anyway, after they wouldn't let her in to collect her stuff she replaced them

OP posts:
Palavah · 15/02/2022 17:01

I'd be tempted to reply saying there's clearly a dispute, would LL prefer that it went to court? He would need to provide a copy of the tenancy agreement and details of the deposit protection scheme. Any attempts by LL to dump items will be treated as fly-tipping and reported to the police along with copies of the LLs texts.

strawberrymilk7 · 15/02/2022 17:10

@Palavah

I'd be tempted to reply saying there's clearly a dispute, would LL prefer that it went to court? He would need to provide a copy of the tenancy agreement and details of the deposit protection scheme. Any attempts by LL to dump items will be treated as fly-tipping and reported to the police along with copies of the LLs texts.
I personally would love to do something like this. Also going to small claims court would mean they would be giving proof that they had the property rented out to her. I would love to bring that to the tax man! They have rented that house out since about 2008 I think and probably never declared it.
OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 15/02/2022 17:13

Why didn't your mother take her belongings when she moved out?

SamphiretheStickerist · 15/02/2022 17:16

@Aquamarine1029

Why didn't your mother take her belongings when she moved out?
It's all in the OP!
Crazykatie · 15/02/2022 17:30

Technically mum should have moved all her stuff wether she wanted it or not, probably taking it to her new place is legal, taking it to the tip would cost them money.

ThePlantsitter · 15/02/2022 17:38

Unless these people are actually scary, they need to fuck off. You could just call their bluff because there's no way they're going to bother dumping it outside your mum's house but I would be threatening them with court as pp says. She'd be due three times the deposit from them (I think) for not putting it in a protection scheme anyway! I'd be pointing this out but magnanimously agreeing not to forget it all of they do. That said, if they are scary types I would just do what they said tbh.

tempester28 · 15/02/2022 17:38

In these circumstances I would tell her just to ignore.

Pembertonrd · 15/02/2022 17:42

Tell them you’ll take photos of them fly tipping and send them to the council whilst also giving HMRC their details.
They’ll soon back off.

Midlander88 · 15/02/2022 17:50

Just ignore them, or maybe send a fake legal sounding message. They are being dicks. My experience with landlords like this is they do everything off the books, they are usually initimated/scared off by anything remotely official sounding. E.g you could warn them that you'll have to report them for flytipping if they bring stuff to the new house, as because they've clearly been using the items since moving out, they have assumed ownership of said items.

Not in a million years would I strip the used bed sheets of someone I hadn't met in that circumstance.

strawberrymilk7 · 15/02/2022 17:52

She should have, with it being lock down though and no one allowed into anyone's house etc she couldn't. The when she moved out she told LLs that she would get the rest when she could. When she tried 2ish months later they wouldn't respond. It has now been the guts of two years. She last contacted them approx June/ July 2020 to try get her stuff. They didn't reply then and she hasn't heard anything since.

No not scary people at all. I know/ knew the wife, we used to go clubbing when we were younger I thought she was ok. We were never great friends the house they bought (and my mam later rented) is v near where I grew up and I lived there at the time.

She lives on a busy terrace now, it wouldn't go un-noticed if they dropped everything at her front door. Also a few businesses on that st so everything would be on camera.

OP posts:
LIZS · 15/02/2022 17:53

When did she pay her last rent? Whereabouts in U.k(?) are you as laws may vary.

StaplesCorner · 15/02/2022 18:05

So basically the "landlords" acted illegally, then they acted illegally a bit more, now they are planning to do something illegal. Theres no way out of this unless someone tells them to get their act together and fuck off/threatens to report them.

If your mum wont let you deal with it, how do you expect it to be resolved? A simple message saying "you rented this house out without a legal contract, without recording rent and did not keep up repairs, you've used the tenant's possessions whilst not answering messages asking for access to collect them and now you are threatening the tenant. Please stop or we will involve the authorities".

hedgehogger1 · 15/02/2022 18:08

Tbh I think it needs to be reported. Who knows how many people they are taking advantage of and not paying taxes either. Contact your local council or shelter for advice

FairyCakeWings · 15/02/2022 18:24

Your mum shouldn’t leave that much stuff for someone else to deal with. The landlord doing wrong doesn’t justify her doing wrong IMO.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 15/02/2022 19:02

She should have (moved her stuff), with it being lock down though and no one allowed into anyone's house etc she couldn't

I think you'll find the guidance allowed removal companies to continue working (and many did) provided they observed social distancing, etc, so I'm not sure "she couldn't do it" washes

On the face of it they sound awful landlords, but all the same it would be interesting to hear their version of this - especially since it sounds as if she wasn't that bothered about having the stuff back

WouldIwasShookspeared · 15/02/2022 19:04

She should advise them to go to court.

saraclara · 15/02/2022 19:10

@Puzzledandpissedoff

She should have (moved her stuff), with it being lock down though and no one allowed into anyone's house etc she couldn't

I think you'll find the guidance allowed removal companies to continue working (and many did) provided they observed social distancing, etc, so I'm not sure "she couldn't do it" washes

On the face of it they sound awful landlords, but all the same it would be interesting to hear their version of this - especially since it sounds as if she wasn't that bothered about having the stuff back

I was about to say the same thing. Moving house was exempt from the rules. I know someone who moved at the very height of lockdown.

I'm sorry, but it seems that your mum either didn't try hard enough, or she used lockdown as an excuse to put off the harder bit of a the move. She's been quite happy to leave the stuff there for two years, so I'm guessing that she only took the stuff she really wanted, and left everything else, hoping that they'd just dump it for her.

That's nothing that that makes sense, given the time frame.

saraclara · 15/02/2022 19:11

There's nothing ELSE that makes sense

billy1966 · 15/02/2022 19:31

Why won't you report them?

Protecting them so they can go on and abuse another tenant.

I don't get this.

Report them.

strawberrymilk7 · 15/02/2022 21:40

We're in Ireland I know laws are a bit different everywhere. But I think them not declaring it as income would be illegal anywhere.

I'd love to report it but she doesn't want to, also not sure there is much to be done when we can't prove she did live there and pay rent. her word against theirs. It is a v small town. My mam knows one of the LLs sisters. They would 100% know it was us that reported them. I do know they aren't renting the house out to anyone else right now and that they don't have any other rental properties.

If they wanted her stuff out surely she would have contacted her a long time before now, or maybe when she was contacting them to let her into the house to go get it! They did agree to letting her leave the stuff there until she could sort it out after what we all thought would be a very short lock down. Regards a moving van during lock down, my mam said she couldn't find one I don't know if that is true or not. I have a horse box but couldn't leave my county otherwise I would have gone down and moved her stuff, police were actually out checking where people were going!

For what it's worth, if she had just moved out now and flat out refused to take out her furniture I would think she is in the wrong and would not be defending her. I lived in a place in uni that was jammed full of old tenant stuff and it was v annoying.

I suppose I think the solution is to ignore the text. They are bluffing. They can't do anything, and if they do they will be handing over the proof that they did rent out the house

OP posts:
purpleme12 · 15/02/2022 21:48

While I'm not saying the landlord is right and I'm not saying they've behaved correctly, if you choose to leave your stuff after the tenancy has ended (or even if you have to) I just think you must surely understand there's a good chance they might behave shittliy and not necessarily give it back
Because once she's not living there then of course there's the possibility that can change the locks

caringcarer · 15/02/2022 22:13

I have no idea why LL would be expected to.go across and do the garden whilst tenant is in situ. Tenant should do it herself. Also your Mum should have moved her stuff out when she stopped paying rent.

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