Landlord turning up unannounced

[Crazyhousewife]

So I moved house recently and my landlord seems to be coming round a lot. He comes round more then my own family. He is trying to get my family to do repairs had to do a few as he hasn’t done them and it costs me for the things that needed buying to do the repair. I pay quite a high rent for my area and I’ve noticed he seems to hang around more when rent is due. He was supposed to be coming by for something yesterday but then turns up randomly today. Am i in the wrong but I’m kind of getting sick of it. I just want privacy is that so wrong.I homeschool so the constant disruption really isn’t good for learning. I honestly dread him messaging or calling because I can’t deal with the constantly coming around. I’ve got enough to deal with financially so I don’t need him hovering over stressing me out more.

Your ll sounds incredibly dodgy. Can you speak to shelter, the cab and the local council? You should try and get a refund on your rent for the total days you were not there. And please, stop buying materials and paying for work.

My whole area has massively bumped up the prices for housing as there has been a huge surge in houses sold. There was hundreds looking at this house at the same time as me. I honestly didn’t think I would be entitled to anything back on rent he just said he would reduce the rent I paid upfront after I’d moved in. Anything that’s normal price in my area is gone the same day it is advertised due to high homelessness. I have tried to contact my senior housing officer but no luck on the matter as I’ve asked her for advice

This is absolutely right.

I used to work for a small HA, and we had to take legal proceedings to get access to a tenant's property to do the gas safety check. There was much muttering about how the legal requirement to get safety certification didn't come with a legal right to gain entry to do the inspection.

@Crikeyalmighty , my late DP once had a landlord like that! He wasn't a toff though, he was a very working class but absolutely loaded old guy, and we created a whole backstory for him in which he was a retired gangster who'd invested all his ill-gotten gains in property (he owned loads of property!).

He used to let himself into tenants' flats when they were out, and snoop. He used to read their mail and everything, and then gossip about them to other tenants. We knew that the man in flat 1 had MH problems, another had lost his job and was now on benefits, another was involved in an acrimonious divorce etc.

He once let himself into DP's flat when DP had gone to work and I was in the bath. The bathroom was just inside the front door and I had the bathroom door open, so I could listen to the radio. He immediately apologised, and later told DP he'd only come in because he was concerned that something might have happened to him, because he could hear the radio but got no answer when knocked, but he never bloody knocked!

And he once proudly told us that he wasn't renewing another neighbour's tenancy because she had a black BF and he didn't want "that sort" in his flats. Grrrr....

When does your contract end? He's not going to change and he's going to keep exploiting you. You need to move out.

I know what else I'd do but it's high risk you have children and you sound vulnerable. So, find somewhere new now, ready to move when your tenancy ends. And STOP paying for repairs IMMEDIATELY.

You have been incredibly naive. It is a legal requirement to provide the paperwork, and he's in breach if he doesn't, and he can't evict you either. Plus your deposit needs to be in a protected scheme. Stop writing on here get yourself to the suggested agencies ASAP.

Update so my landlord has given me notice via text stating he wants his house back as payment of rent wasn’t made by the council by the 1st and they pay in arrears of the 18th so I can’t force them without paying myself which I can’t afford to keep doing. Someone at our local authority has apparently told him he doesn’t need the electric and gas certificates so he’s now not gonna do the certificates. Still no smoke alarm or anything. No idea what to do as my local authority are a waste of time

So I know that obviously he would need the certificates done to evict me which he hasn’t got and then there’s the fact my deposit isn’t protected so I’ll be pulling that. I mean I paid from the 1st but he wouldn’t let me move in until the 9th/ 10th of the month and is literally sat with my deposit in his bank too. Which I’m amazed he hasn’t said I’ll be taking the deposit but he hasn’t mentioned it at all so I honestly don’t think I’ll be getting that back

Did you speak to Shelter?

www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection/if-your-landlord-doesnt-protect-your-deposit

Contact those links at the top and see if your deposit is in the schemes. Don't ask LL about it yet just see if there's a record. Then go from there, you can get more than your deposit back usually if the court finds they haven't put it in the deposit scheme

Your landlord is in breach of about everything and telling you via text you have to leave with everything else he has done sounds like this harassment. He hasn’t served notice btw. He’s sent a text, which is not a legal document. He would need to send a section 21 for starters.

How long have you lived there? Have you spoken to shelter and the citizens advice bureau? You also had a link from shelter posted above.

Here is a bit of advice about what to do if you are having issues. www.gov.uk/private-renting/complaints. Your council should have a housing officer to talk to. You said the council is useless. Did you contact the housing department? You can also contact shelter and the CAB or your local MP or a councillor.

You need to start getting yourself help. It looks as though he may eventually try to evict you if he’s serious about serving notice. But it’s going to take quite some time because he’s in breach of so many regulations.

If the deposit isnt in the scheme take him to court you will get 3 times the money back as it's against the law.

Land lord here.
Next time text him and ask him to arrange a mutually convenient time for said repair. Stop offering to do his job for him.
If he comes round. Say its not convenient and ask that he let's you know 24 hours as per contract.

Someone at our local authority has apparently told him he doesn’t need the electric and gas certificates

No, they really haven't - I know some LA staff can be beyond useless, but can't see even them getting something like this so wrong

Moving out of this nightmare is actually the right thing to do, but do it when you're ready and make sure you report all of these issues on the way out

Your LL is in breach of everything!

The 24 hours are rubbish, I go to my rental house if the people whose home it is ask me to look at something. I get repairs done when they ask and have all the relevant safety checks done as required. Carpet and decorating are done when needed and are never left to become tatty, the house I rent out is maintained better than my own!

I don't change rent charges while people renew their contract and own it outright so they aren't at the mercy of me being able to pay a mortgage.

If your deposit is not protected and he has not issued you with the prescribed information, his notice is worth nothing. Only a court or a tenant can end a tenancy. He would be laughed out of court because his paperwork is so poor. He would need to return your deposit in full and hand over copies of EPC and gas safety certificate before a court would even consider it. The courts are pretty backed up now so you would have a decent amount of time.

The only way he could get you out is if you owe more than 2 months' rent in which case he could issue you with a section 8. However, if you can keep arrears below 2 months, you should be fine.

Please contact Shelter. I wouldn't tell him about his lack of paperwork and inability to stick to the law. Let him find out the hard way.

How much would you need to be able to move out? It is not normally good advice to withhold rent, but given his utterly lax attitude, I would discuss it with Shelter. It is also worth contacting your local council/environmental health as they should have someone who checks up on private rentals.

This makes me so angry:
We are landlords and spend money on keeping things legal and in 15years have never had complaints from tenants that we didn't fix ASAP.
Insurance and deposit scheme more work for us. These cowboys do nothing and we get the law changed again to make it all more restrictive.

Yes and I got sent back to speak to my homeless department at my local authority but they were like you aren’t homeless so we can’t help you until he gives you a section 8.

Served with a section 21, you would be eligible for a council house.

If your deposit isn't held securely then he can't evict you. If you find out that is the case, get in touch with housing standards at your council and they can force him to get repairs done.

No council houses in our area. We have a high homeless for band 1 and 2 at present so the council can’t house anyone else. My landlord is now turning up tomorrow and demanding rent apparently not going through the same issues as with the last tenant. My neighbour stated so many tenants have been in and out over the years here and I never understood why. The council won’t pay the rent yet and I can’t force them to pay it earlier as I’ve just moved in last month. Rent paid upfront and couldn’t move in until 9/10 days after tenancy was done as landlord kept saying there was more to do to the house and I had paid a month upfront. Rent is only two days late and I’ve pushed at the council as I paid it myself last month upfront and can’t keep doing that as my family has to live.

Ok so my landlord is now messaging stating he is coming round and disconnecting all services. I honestly don’t want to call the police but I mean this is like the 7th message in 2 hours. I’ve ignored them as he seems to be getting more abusive with each message but also feel like I could be wasting time reporting this. Just wondering what services he could disconnect as I’m paying for them all. So I’m presuming he is gonna try and turn the gas and electric off

I know you've said you don't want to call the police but that's exactly what I would do. And don't delete any messages. Don't take phone calls, email only so you have a papertrail of what you have said.

I would call the police and let them know he's threatening to come round to deliberate intimidate you.

I also think you should call the police and tell them that he is sending you abusive messages which are escalating and you don’t feel safe. What he is doing is entirely wrong and you should expect support.

You need to contact Shelter urgently for advice on the whole situation, but firstly make sure you get safe and stay safe tonight.

Police, defo. He has acted illegally although its a civil matter so police may well refuse to come. Tell them he's threatened you (if he has) Don't let him in, he has not done the right thing at all. No deposit protection certificate or electrical /gas safety certificates means you can sue him for 3x the deposit afaik. He can go to court to evict you but he has no right of entry. Trouble is, he sounds like he won't care. Be careful.