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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To report him to the police?

54 replies

ScroogewholovesChristmas · 08/12/2022 07:29

Name changed...

Ok so I moved out of my old rental property in June. My rental agreement with Landlord was "in the black". It was a old countryside property in a remote location. The landlord didn't want bothering with Landlord expectations so he offered us the property to rent cheaper than market value on the basis we didn't bother him at all. The interior of the property was awful when we moved in and we have to do a lot of work and whole house repaint ourselves. The landlord agreed to ofset the costs of this against the rent and so after a couple of months of work we text him all the receipts etc and we exchanged a conversation agreeing that we wouldn't pay the first two months rent to account for these costs.
A year later partner and I split up and we phone landlord to give notice of leaving. I then speak to him myself saying I would like to remain at the property but can't afford to pay that rent cost and would he be prepared to drop the monthly rent at all. We negotiated and dropped it down by £300 a month.
About 8 months later I give him notice that I am going to leave as want to move closer to family. He then came back saying I owed him loads of money for the first two months rent and also for the difference of £300 a month for the last 8 months. When I questioned this he became verbally abusive and intimidating and was calling me up to 10 times a day. I argued my side and he told me if I wasn't prepared to pay I needed to be out within a week. Which I did, with 1 DC I will add. I felt very vulnerable at this time. He kept ringing saying if I didn't pay he would take me to court and when I moved out a week later he said I would hear from him solicitors within a week.
That was in June. I've never heard anything UNTIL...

Last night he called my dad and demanded he pay the alleged outstanding money. He said that I've been and smashed all the windows of the property and left all my stuff there. (He has my dad's number as my dad rang him when I was going through a bad period, car crash etc, and dad paid a months rent for me, this was over a year ago).

For the record, I haven't smashed anything. I haven't been back since June. Nor did I leave my things...I made a point of leaving the place immaculately. I suspect he has not been to the property since June and it's either been broken into or he has had the squatters in.

I have had legal advice since June and know now that I was illegally evicted. There was and is no written contract of rent between us, it was all verbal or text. Plus he didn't attend to things like heating or hot water issues when asked, he made a point of doing things slowly as he hated being asked. I know he is unlikely to take this further as he has not done anything by the book as a Landlord. However him calling my dad and slandering me and telling my dad ive smashed windows etc...I'm inclined to report him to the police. Thoughts?? What should I do, if anything?

OP posts:
Naunet · 08/12/2022 09:14

ScroogewholovesChristmas · 08/12/2022 07:57

@Realitea I did transfer him £1300 as a deposit before moving in. Wasn't in a scheme though..

Sue him for it, you can get 3 times the amount back. Or just ignore him/tell him to fuck off. He’s absolutely taking the piss.

LikeTearsInRain · 08/12/2022 09:16

As judge tinder always says get everything in writing.

Do you have emails or text messages confirming the two months of rent allowed to be skipped? And the reduction once you were remaining there on your own?

If not he quite possibly has an easy legal claim to get you to honor the original contract (if there was one) and pay outstanding rent

PAFMO · 08/12/2022 09:17

AllOfThemWitches · 08/12/2022 08:34

(Him now being stroppy is the price you pay I suppose. He probably feels messed about.*

Stop minimising the behaviour of and making excuses for aggressive, abusive men?

This has nothing to do with sex. Nor have I excused anybody's behaviour.

The (legal) fact is, the landlord could, on the information given by the OP, be just as "right" as the OP. Neither of them has any proof against the other because it's clearly an informal "tenancy" agreement.

I'm a tenant. Of course this landlord shouldn't be threatening the OP. But the OP wouldn't have a leg to stand on in court.

OP- block the numbers and don't engage. The LL won't do anything based on what you've said.

Naunet · 08/12/2022 09:19

LikeTearsInRain · 08/12/2022 09:16

As judge tinder always says get everything in writing.

Do you have emails or text messages confirming the two months of rent allowed to be skipped? And the reduction once you were remaining there on your own?

If not he quite possibly has an easy legal claim to get you to honor the original contract (if there was one) and pay outstanding rent

Doesn’t even matter, there was no tenancy agreement.

Naunet · 08/12/2022 09:21

PAFMO · 08/12/2022 09:17

This has nothing to do with sex. Nor have I excused anybody's behaviour.

The (legal) fact is, the landlord could, on the information given by the OP, be just as "right" as the OP. Neither of them has any proof against the other because it's clearly an informal "tenancy" agreement.

I'm a tenant. Of course this landlord shouldn't be threatening the OP. But the OP wouldn't have a leg to stand on in court.

OP- block the numbers and don't engage. The LL won't do anything based on what you've said.

Show quote history

I don’t want to be rude, but with due respect, you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s him who wouldn’t have a leg to stand on, no tenancy agreement, no inventory and numerous laws broken. He could find himself in a lot of trouble.

SpotlessMind88 · 08/12/2022 09:27

Don't call the police. Block his number on your dad's phone and also block him from your phone. He can't do anything legally so go about your life and try and forget him

SantasGrotty · 08/12/2022 09:28

You don't have to sue him, but you do need to make him aware that you could sue him. And definitely still call the police and log the harassment.

KER90 · 08/12/2022 09:28

NCgoingdry · 08/12/2022 07:49

This is purely a civil dispute and not a police matter. Unless it snowballs into harassment, but even then it's sketchy if you're replying to him.

Block all methods of contact and forget about it. He can't take you to court. You have proof that he's a rogue landlord. He's not going to pay the costs to get this to court so just block and move on.

100% This!!!

PAFMO · 08/12/2022 09:28

Naunet · 08/12/2022 09:21

I don’t want to be rude, but with due respect, you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s him who wouldn’t have a leg to stand on, no tenancy agreement, no inventory and numerous laws broken. He could find himself in a lot of trouble.

Show quote history

Yes, all things being equal, I know that. But the OP says she has no proof of anything. The LL could simply deny she ever lived there. She says herself it was all done verbally or via text.
That's not going to stand up in court.
The only thing in her favour would be the "deposit" - if she paid him via bank transfer, but as he's a dodgy LL he'd have an answer ready as to why she paid him the money.
I'm genuinely not unsympathetic but really, legally, there's going to be little she can do with no proof of her tenancy, legal or otherwise.
Hopefully blocking him will be the end of it.

Sonyrecording · 08/12/2022 09:31

Op, talk to Shelter. Regardless of what some are saying your landlord has acted illegally. You very much have "a leg to stand on" in that respect. Personally I would also contact the police because you and your Dad are being harassed. I would do these two things.

Naunet · 08/12/2022 09:31

PAFMO · 08/12/2022 09:28

Yes, all things being equal, I know that. But the OP says she has no proof of anything. The LL could simply deny she ever lived there. She says herself it was all done verbally or via text.
That's not going to stand up in court.
The only thing in her favour would be the "deposit" - if she paid him via bank transfer, but as he's a dodgy LL he'd have an answer ready as to why she paid him the money.
I'm genuinely not unsympathetic but really, legally, there's going to be little she can do with no proof of her tenancy, legal or otherwise.
Hopefully blocking him will be the end of it.

Show quote history

She doesn’t need any proof, he does if he’s looking to take her to court. The onus is completely on him.

Sonyrecording · 08/12/2022 09:32

PAFMO · 08/12/2022 09:28

Yes, all things being equal, I know that. But the OP says she has no proof of anything. The LL could simply deny she ever lived there. She says herself it was all done verbally or via text.
That's not going to stand up in court.
The only thing in her favour would be the "deposit" - if she paid him via bank transfer, but as he's a dodgy LL he'd have an answer ready as to why she paid him the money.
I'm genuinely not unsympathetic but really, legally, there's going to be little she can do with no proof of her tenancy, legal or otherwise.
Hopefully blocking him will be the end of it.

Show quote history

This isn't correct or helpful. Speak to Shelter.

SamphirethePogoingStickerist · 08/12/2022 09:39

Today take, email your proof of that deposit payment to a no win no fee solicitor who deals in deposit disputes. There are quite a few of them. They will scare the shit out of him as, if my back of a fag packet calculations are right, he could be fined, and you get the money, a few thousand pounds for not having used a deposit scheme. Possibly doubled as you effectively had a contract change when your OH moved out.

And yes, HMRC would be interested too.

Do it right now and keep all of his threats, you never know when they could prove useful

SamphirethePogoingStickerist · 08/12/2022 09:40

And ignore the idea that you can't prove you loved there. Utility bills etc...

pechecreme · 08/12/2022 10:03

OP please ignore everything @PAFMO says about the landlord being 'right'. They're talking bollocks. He would have absolutely no leg to stand on in court. It wouldn't even get that far anyway.

If he is threatening you and/or your father ( any verbal and extortion threats) you should call the police and log it. Tell him to not contact any of you again and then block him.

OhIdoLike2bBesideTheSeaside · 08/12/2022 10:04

IncompleteSenten · 08/12/2022 08:05

Tell him to take you to court. You're sure they'll be very interested in all the laws he broke by not fulfilling his obligations as a landlord and HMRC will no doubt want to take a look at him too.

This is excellent advice

2bazookas · 08/12/2022 10:07

I'd contact police and say you're being threatened, harrassed and blackmailed by the LL.

2bazookas · 08/12/2022 10:10

@PAFMO "The LL could simply deny she ever lived there."

Then she was never a tenant, so he could hardly claim rent arrears or damages from her, could he? .

SantasGrotty · 08/12/2022 10:15

2bazookas · 08/12/2022 10:10

@PAFMO "The LL could simply deny she ever lived there."

Then she was never a tenant, so he could hardly claim rent arrears or damages from her, could he? .

🤣

Wakk · 08/12/2022 12:41

What does in the black mean?

SinnerBoy · 08/12/2022 13:25

In credit, as opposed to in the red, which is owing money.

KettrickenSmiled · 08/12/2022 13:31

There was and is no written contract of rent between us, it was all verbal or text.

Then don't worry about any other detail OP - he hasn't got a legal leg to stand on.

Againstmachine · 08/12/2022 13:35

*As judge tinder always says get everything in writing.

Do you have emails or text messages confirming the two months of rent allowed to be skipped? And the reduction once you were remaining there on your own?

If not he quite possibly has an easy legal claim to get you to honor the original contract (if there was one) and pay outstanding rent*

So now we are basing law on a Junk TV show.

All is irrelevant, id imagine the property isn't UpTo fire standards, boiler checks etc and he didn't protect the deposit.

He could go after the OP but it would be shooting in the foot.

Againstmachine · 08/12/2022 13:37

The LL could simply deny she ever lived there.

I'd imagine there is correspendce and bills such at council tax to that address so yes the OP could prove she lived there.

KettrickenSmiled · 08/12/2022 13:38

PAFMO · 08/12/2022 09:28

Yes, all things being equal, I know that. But the OP says she has no proof of anything. The LL could simply deny she ever lived there. She says herself it was all done verbally or via text.
That's not going to stand up in court.
The only thing in her favour would be the "deposit" - if she paid him via bank transfer, but as he's a dodgy LL he'd have an answer ready as to why she paid him the money.
I'm genuinely not unsympathetic but really, legally, there's going to be little she can do with no proof of her tenancy, legal or otherwise.
Hopefully blocking him will be the end of it.

Show quote history

It's the landlord who doesn't have the required proof - he didn't bother with a tenancy agreement. It's unlikely he used the protected deposit scheme. The only proof there is of anything is all proof in OP's favour.

Not that he will pursue any legal action - he just thinks he can scam OP's dad by threatening & harrassing him. He wouldn't want that behaviour examined by police/court either.

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