lodger making my life difficult

[Landladyissues]

about a month ago I came down to find my freezer door wide open. I opened the doors to check that not too much damage had been done - I am the only person who used the freezer. My Polish lodger had helped herself to frozen black cherries and raspberries. The packets were in the bin. I had noticed that she had previously taken odd bananas and used washing tabs and conditioner but hadn't made a fuss. They were small items. She had been with me for 5 months. Anyway, her room is above the kitchen and the following morning she complained that had woken her up in the morning by noise in the kitchen. I explained why that morning I had had to check the freezer contents etc. She immediately deflected by saying that her room was too cold. The house is centrally heated and there is a radiator in her room. The room is also above an aga - but apparently the windows are too big and the laid wooden floor is cold. She has a rug!! I said that was she really telling me that the room wasn't suitable for her needs - she said yes, and followed this up with a lot of texts saying that I was keeping her in an unheated room etc. Then she asked for a reference which I gave - saying that she paid her rent and kept the room clean and tidy. She said that she wanted to give notice for 30th November - her next rent due date - but she didn't know how long it would take for her to find a room so it might take a bit longer. she told my other lodger it would take 6 months for me to get her out. I took legal advice and gave her a month notice. Since then she has been generally a nuisance - minor issues. Small scratches on the back door glass (which was newly put in) constant use of the washing machine - leaving the washing in while she goes off on her motorbike - today she rode off leaving a single item in the washing machine on 'hold' blocking it for everyone else.

I know she is just trying to needle me - and use as much of my electricity as possible - I am counting the days for her departure and have already arranged for the locks to be changed.

and I thought I'd sound off here!!!

... knew others like her.

This woman may be too young for that, but culture/parents habits may persist.

Anyway,leaving them on hold sounds intentional and malicious because she's having to move out.

🤔

Yes xenophobia.

Just a couple of things concern me.

From the OP you clearly didn’t witness this lodger steal food, or scratch the door.

If you choose to evict a lodger there really is little stopping you from doing this, but as you don’t actually have to give a reason maybe don’t inflame things further by issuing a list of faults, especially whilst she is still there and in a position to cause damage.

What is the other lodger’s position in this matter? Is she supportive of you?
There will be little point in changing locks if she then allows the other one in.

Have you had legal advice about dealing with her possessions if she does not willingly leave 30/11/22?

You will need to ensure she has access to them. Packing them up yourself and leaving them outside and insecure could leave you open to claims of theft/ damage.

But if you come to live in a country not where you’ve been born and brought up surely you familiarise yourself with what’s acceptable or not especially re heating and washing and bills.

Its a flimsy argument stating communism if other practices giving you carte Blanche to use facilities recklessly.

These are the kind of reasons I’d never contemplate a lodger. If I found myself with 2 or more spare rooms like you, and couldn’t really afford it, I’d downsize to a 2 bed property in a slightly cheaper area rather than share with randoms

www.gov.uk/rent-room-in-your-home/ending-a-letting

You lost me at Polish. Cba with reading on because her nationality has bugger all to do with anything.

Sometimes people from different countries/cultures have different expectations of what is involved and what they expect.

Or they are just piss takers.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/letting-rooms-in-your-home-a-guide-for-resident-landlords/letting-rooms-in-your-home-a-guide-for-resident-landlords#introduction-to-letting-rooms--some-important-principles

Most pointless comment I have ever read on here, if you'd bothered to read everything it does have some relevance but a slow hand clap to you, well done...

HunBabesSweetieVom

MrsSkylerWhite
You lost me at Polish. Cba with reading on because her nationality has bugger all to do with anything.

“Most pointless comment I have ever read on here, if you'd bothered to read everything it does have some relevance but a slow hand clap to you, well done.”

OK, read it. Absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with nationality. Hand clap back to you.

The lop said the lodger was Polish.
As far as I am aware we still have ( some) rights of Freedom iof speech in this country
She has not committed a crime, just asking for advice so, in the original spirit of mumsnet can we please provide the latter and not attempt to curtail the former? Thank you

Comprehension is not your strongest point @MrsSkylerWhite .
@Landladyissues have you managed to speak to her yet?

How do you know that it has nothing to do with it if you are so judgey you CBA to read the post?

You don’t need a court order to get her out ( looks like she’s confusing tenancy with lodgings.) Info here www.rocketlawyer.com/gb/en/quick-guides/how-to-evict-a-lodger?PMAX&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8eiY7Pu5-wIVAp7tCh3jTw8pEAAYBCAAEgIyuvD_BwE

I wasn't making an argument.

I think.mlst of her behaviour is (originally) brass necked CF, and now is malicious.

I was just saying, in a related but separate subject that Polish people might have or have had some cultural idiosyncrasies due to energy supply/past communism.... But doubt they're relevant here.

I always did wonder why there were not more complaints about lodgers.

Didnt know that they can be told to go immediately.

The OP started with (entirely justified) complaints about her lodger helping herself to things from her freezer and leaving the door open. Only when called out on this did she mention the house being too cold. The temperature of Polish homes has no relevance to the situation.

Swiping someone else's stuff without asking and leaving freezer doors open is as culturally unacceptable in Warsaw as it would be in Birmingham. It sounds like the OP's lodger would be an inconsiderate nightmare in either.

Agree

People this isn't a thread about "Eastern European people" or racism, it's a thread about a lodger causing a nuisance and who has been given notice to leave and asking about false information said lodger seems to be intimating to her about needing 6 months court eviction .

OP has made no issue about lodgers ethnicity other than for info in original post. If you RTFT and other PPs comments, you will see that !

For those that CBA to RTFT and are nitpicking, please stop derailing the thread

*causing a nuisance by alleged thefts, left freezer doors open, behaving in a difficult and nuisance way ...