AIBU that a unit I rent is NOT the landlords family home?

[xania2022]

I live in a country where landlords cannot ban pets. They are protected under lease laws and landlords can only ban pets in a very few limited circumstances. None of these apply to me.

I got a cat and messaged the landlord informing them so they are aware in case they ever need to access my unit in emergencies. He got upset, stated he doesn't like animals "in his family home" and operates a no pet clause. Obviously there is nothing he can do under the law of the country I'm in and he should be aware of this.

AIBU to be annoyed by this? He chose to be a landlord in a country where pet exclusion clauses are illegal and tenants have a wide variety of rights and protection. He should be up to date with basic laws and procedures. It is his property and I will take care of it, return it in exactly the same condition and of course I would pay for any damages if they occurred, whether it be cats, children or anything that is my fault.

However, it has rubbed me the wrong way the way he has called it "his family home." I pay an extortionate amount of rent, I pay my rent on time and I'm a good tenant. I have all the necessary insurance, report issues promptly and make sure I do routine maintenance to keep the property and appliances in order. It is his property, but whilst I am renting, it is my home in a sentimental sense and legally mine to exclusively occupy. He does not live here (or anywhere near here, to be exact) and I resent him for not even being up to date on basic residential tenancy act laws.

He's also previously tried to access the unit on the basis of, "it's my home, so why can't I fix things without giving you notice?" (Again, a basic tenancy right.)

AIBU to think you shouldn't be a landlord if you're not going to obey basic residential tenancy laws? AIBU to think that whilst I'm lucky to live in a country where pet exclusion clauses are illegal and unenforceable, owning pets isn't a "luxury" reserved for those who own property, especially in light of my generation (mid 20s) being pretty much f*** in terms of owning property until either I inherit a house or can afford a massive downpayment?

It can be his family home, even if you're temporarily paying for use of it.

I wouldn't want to be a landlord in the country you're in. Landlords should be able to decide whether or not they permit pets in their property.

I am a landlord... I think your landlord is unreasonable. Its your business not your home when its got tenants. You need to abide by the rules, whether you agree with them or not. If in your country landlords can't ban pets, that's the rules. Access rules similar, emergencies aside.

@CorporateBull you should return the property just as it was when you moved in though?

Renting out a house is a business. Do not run a business if you do not like the laws in the country.And what you personally think the laws should be is irrelevant.

Nothing more needs to be said.

My parents home was my family home even tho I haven’t lived in it since I was a teen…

A property can still be a family home even if they don’t currently live it in.

He sounds like a knob. Presumably you're in a country where, legally, it is not his family home if it's rented out? I have had a couple of LL (in England) who acted as if this came as news to them, and they are a pain. I would always avoid anyone who was letting out a house in which they'd previously lived/intended to live. It is just not worth the hassle. A few people manage to detach emotionally, but many still feel as if it's their home and it's just uncomfortable all round.

If you're not too afraid of eviction, personally, I would be awfully tempted to get passive aggressive and write him a (polite) letter drawing his attention to the law, and referring to the house as your family home.

Entitled for having a cat? Or for not wanting someone to enter her home without notice?

There's a difference between how something feels/how you might refer to it colloquially, and the law, though.

In England (for example; I don't know where the OP is), a rented property is the home of the tenant, not the landlord, whether or not the LL has previously used it as a family home or intends to do so in the future.

The law is on your side. But do you want to die on this hill and risk him not renewing the lease?

Maybe OP isn't in the UK?

Do your parents pay you to live in it? That's the difference... contracts, legal rights and money.

I have the same opinion about children.

I used to rent out two flats within my home (a triplex) in a very high cost of living city with an serious affordable housing shortage. Sadly after years of dealing with damages, entitled tenants, loud tenants, unauthorized pets and constant repairs due to tenants lack of care for the property we no longer rent. Our flats were affordable, well maintained and we were responsible landlords. Now one is empty and the other we've taken over for our own use.
And people wonder why there is such a shortage of affordable rental housing .... 🙄

Yep, with a reasonable amount of wear and tear, which is set out in guidelines that a leasehold tribunal will adhere to. Both my landlords wanted to use our deposit to make it nicer. One wanted to fund extensive garden landscaping (eg a tree removed) and one to paint a house that wasn’t freshly painted when we moved in. That’s called betterment and it’s not allowed. Unfortunately the country in which we lived had laxer tenancy laws so both got away with it to some extent.

Property should not be returned as it was when you moved in. There is reasonable wear and tear. A newly painted house will not look the same five years later.

@Sleepingbabies2021 I think lots of landlords underestimate wear and tear from families. You can't expect things not to get broken.

This very much.

When you pay rent and have a tenancy agreement, it’s your home. Someone who sees that still as THEIR home is emotionally involved and as I have repeatedly experienced (including unfortunately my current landlord) it can lead to inappropriate and/or disproportionate requirements on tenants, and overreaction to minor day to day issues. It’s also really tricky when someone is telling you that your home is their home - it subtly affects your sense of security in the place you live. Tenants have every right to regard the place they live as their home.

It’s not great to rent out a house you haven’t emotionally detached from. It doesn’t lead to good decision-making.

Poor tenants are poor tenants, but poor landlords are poor landlords too.

I did ask OP to clarify where she lived @Dragonskin

As regards to someone identifying a property as their home/family home, isn’t a matter of laws, contracts and legal rights etc….. is a statement of personal feeling/opinion.

That clearly and obviously doesn’t mean a landlord overrides the law, contract or legal responsibility’s towards their tenant, just because they identify a property they own as their former family home.

In this case going by what the OP has advised he’s expressed a feeling/opinion that they’d rather not have pets in their property they rent out which they identify as their family home.

Personally I don’t see an issue with either and the OP reaction is OTT.

But it often is a matter of law, isn't it? In the UK, it is.

Sorry, that should be: in England it is a matter of law; I believe elsewhere in the UK but might be wrong.

And it’s inappropriate to share his feelings with his tenant because legally she is in the right.

The issue often is that the emotional attachment can easily lead to a landlord overriding the law and tenants not understanding their rights when that happens.

He can think it all he wants, but it’s irrelevant to the OP other than to make her feel uncomfortable in her home.

@xania2022 I’m allergic to cats, much as I love them. So I would want someone without pets. That said, I probably wouldn't take the risk letting a property if there were a chance someone would decide to have a pet.

It’s entitled to expect your landlord to act within the law?

Christ some folk have low standards!

I ban kids from our rental for the same reason.

Lol. Whit??

@xania2022 Are you sure this is the right rental for you? Regardless of the legalities, it must be surely be a chore to be the tenant of someone who thinks rules and for loserz and attempts to gain entrance to the property with no warning.

No she doesn’t, every property will have wear and tear. If a house you rent was freshly painted when you moved in, and you move out 10 years later you don’t have to repaint it etc