Landlord inspection making me anxious.

[MotherofBingo]

I know I am being unreasonable because it's not my home and I just have to get to used to it because I can't afford my own home but the flat I live in is apparently due another inspection (only feels like a few months ago since the last one) and the thought of it is making me more anxious by the day. My mental health is bad at the moment, to the point that I can barely function, I don't even like having my own relatives come to the flat because its my safe space.

On top of that there is damage to the property that they're going to blame us for but it's not our fault - things like bad damp around the windows because the windows need replacing (which they are aware off) and now a huge chunk of wood has ripped off one of the windows from when the workmen came to look at them. The woman last time took pictures of everything and had a really nasty look on her face the whole time as well. If we get evicted then I have nowhere to go, there are no other flats in the area and we don't have a deposit.

I must admit it's not the tidiest at the moment either but I should be able to sort that out, it's just hard to clean when your minds constantly battling with other thoughts. I don't get any help from my crisis team when this happens and my psychiatrist still hasn't rescheduled the appointment she cancelled back in November so I'm not going to be any better mentally by next week when the inspection is. I am just feeling sick about it. Can I refuse the inspection? The email just said they'd let themselves in if I wasn't home.

Is there a DH in all this? It's very concerning.

So I should lose my children because I'm struggling? Even though my children are not being neglected or mistreated and I'm engaging with services when they do contact me? The flat isn't as bad as some I have seen it's just not wonderful.

Your posts are getting worse.

No SS won’t give a fuck that she’s on ADs and seeing a Psych, they don’t have time for parents that aren’t abusing or neglecting their children.

The mess OP describes is absolutely normal and the vast majority do not live in a show home 24/7.

I would report to Environmental Health, the state the windows are in is completely unacceptable.

I am a responsible and caring Landlord so these are my suggestions:

Try to get the washing-up dried and put away. Cleared drawing boards look best. Wipe & tidy kitchen surfaces. Sweep floor,
Hoover & put toys away as much as you can.
Make your beds properly. Pick clothes up from floor. Fold & stack or shove in the wardrobe. Cleared floors look better.

Put washing on an airer in bathroom with window cracked open & door shut.
Take washing off radiators.

Landlord is definitely, with adequate warning, allowed to inspect. If you have a condensation issue they should give advice to overcome this. Drying washing indoors on radiators is NOT recommended as it adds to moisture in air so for the inspection, clear off the rads.

Try to see an inspection as YOUR forum to point out issues. It’s a two way street.

Do you have a certificate to show your deposit is protected? Ask for it, or ask for scheme name and registration number to see it on line.

If your landlord or agent has not given you the name of the deposit protection company and therefore have not protected it, you can screw them for £thousands in court if you have to fight eviction.

Go onto the Shelter web sight. It’s a helpful site & it’s important to know your rights. Also go onto Gov.uk & type in “Tenants” or “Tenancy rights.” There’s loads of info there too. You must gen up on all of this. Knowledge is power.

Landlords or their agents have a lot of legislation to obey. They can be in deep legal doodoo if they don’t comply.

So long as you pay rent regularly and are seen to be trying your best to keep on top of condensation, a decent landlord has a duty to look after you. Ask if they can loan you a dehumidifier? Put a bit of pressure on them to help you!

You’ll be fine! You can only do your best. Offer the Landlord a coffee. Use it as a catch up. Don’t worry.

Landlords need to be aware of how their property is being treated. It is not uncommon for tenants to set up cannabis farms in rented property.

however, the window issue is totally unacceptable, it should have been repaired properly, by the landlord and this needs to be pointed out upon inspection

I know it's expensive and not sure if you can afford it it but is there any way you could pile all the laundry off to a laundrette and not collect it until inspection is over. It would be one less thing to worry about. Is there any mental health charity who might help you if you are getting little support from your crisis team.
Could you be out when they come so they are not looking around at everything making your anxiety spiral. Maybe leave a note explaining about the wood around the window. I am sorry you have to live in such bad conditions.
Having an inspection in those circumstances is very stressful.

PS:
it may be your Landlord’s property but it IS your HOME.
Never lose sight of that.
Fight your corner to get those windows and damp fixed. Nag and nag.
Get the council Environmental Health involved. Go to the media….
You can do this! Chin up.

Loads of different issues going on here.
First of all SS don't want or need extra children to care for and their not out to get them. They can actually really help with things, like pushing for appointments getting your child/children extra time at nursery/school if you need it, help sort things to make your life easier, so if you feel string enough maybe think about them if not then not.
Your mental health is going to have a impact on you which I'm sure you know but your admiting you struggle and your trying to get help, not sure what else you can do.
The landlord probably just wants to make sure his property your home is safe, secure and well looked after. He's not worried about a bit of washing. By the sound of it he probably wants to see what else needs fixing if last landlord neglected it.
Are you getting DLA , if so could you perhaps use a little to get a cleaner to come in or to take all the washing to a laundrette to dry.
Good luck

I cannot be without a dehumidifier, I don’t know how I managed beforehand tbh

I'm assuming that's comments regarding a previous suicide attempt. I am open about that, I am not planning on doing that again. The hospital did actually contact SS back when it happened and I never received any further communication from them. My health visitor at the time said that's because they didn't have any concerns regarding my children. While I'm not well, I'm not in that place so I didn't think it was relevant here.

Inspections are there to see the actual property, not your household mess. Don't worry about it. Long as they can get where they need to (by the windows etc) and clutter isn't piled up to the celling they can't say anything.

Your lucky I wish I had inspections, my LL hasn't inspected mine once and I've lived here 6 years and it's beginning to fall apart!

Just start slowly one room at a time, leave window open when you tumble dry.

i once lived somewhere that did inspections. It was helpful in the end because when I left the landlord tried to charge us from deposit and I had lots of proof that I’d raised issues of damp causing damage to our stuff multiple times and that made them backdown pretty quickly.

clean any dishes, put washing in a basket and pick up the floor. Then make sure you use the inspection to point out all the mould and tell them you’re going to environmental health if it’s not sorted asap

Would it help to reframe the issue in your mind?

The previous LL neglected the property, so there are issues like the windows to sort out. This LL seems to be trying to rectify these issues. There are more frequent inspections, hopefully to identify and make a plan of how to make your living conditions better.

Don’t be afraid.

That’s not true. Contracts can’t override the law. You don’t have to say yes to inspections. You don’t have to agree to them taking photos if you do let them come round! Just say no…

This is your chance to show the landlord how bad it's got. And push for repairs.

Take all the clothes to the laundromat. Ash and dry them, and that's one big headache out the way. How long until the inspection? Can you concentrate on one area at a time, for half an hour at a time, and break it into smaller chunks? Did you record the damage with the LL when it happened as it was a contractor, not you who did it?

Nope, tenants still have the right to refuse. Tenants even have the right to change the locks, as long as the original ones are put back upon vacating the property.

The only time this doesn’t apply is in an emergency; such as a fire, a flood, dangerous structural damage and so on.

@Sublimeursula As someone who also suffers from depression and anxiety, I do not find your posts in the slightest bit helpful and supportive.

Sometimes it is near on impossible to have the energy to even wash the dishes, never mind clean a whole flat. To people with depression, it's like running a marathon and needs support, not criticism.

My house is a mess but that's just how it is. I do what I can but it doesn't look like a show home.

But @Bepis this isn't about you. It's the op's thread and about her