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.

@Bepis was using her own experience to convey how difficult it is as and empathising with the OP.

I know, which is why I am standing up for her and explaining that those comments are not helpful to OP whatsoever.

OP many LL are now forced to sign up to council schemes and these schemes insist on regular inspections and reports.

my tenant is fine and I didn’t bother inspecting but now I need to do it at least twice a year. It’s a good opportunity to see if anything needs replacing so I can organise things.

you sound terribly unwell but try to think of it as a two way process. Is there anyone who can be with you during the inspection (and help clear up before hand)?

That sounds like perfectly normal living conditions to me.

I don't have children, yet my house sounds like it looks very much like yours only the toys are cat toys, not children's

Do the washing up, put some toys away, put the washing in neat piles (or take it to a launderette as per a PP's excellent suggestion) and it will be fine.

Make sure the bits that are bad (window and damp) are visible and easily seen and point out again that the leaky window has caused the damp and damage and ask if there's an update of when it will be sorted.

The damp will be contributing to the fact that your washing isn't drying so quickly, so is having to hang around for longer.

OP please try not to worry.
I am a landlord. I don’t tend to do inspections after the first one or two, but I always try to reduce stress by saying something along the lines of I’m not bothered if the washing up hadn’t been done that day, etc.
It is a 2 way process. I need to know if anything is happening which affects the fabric of the property. If there is I will get it attended to or discuss any measures I need the tenant to take.
( a horrible case in point was a first visit to a new tenant after 6 months to a property which had been let with no issue for nearly 10 years. The place had so much condensation it was dripping, had black mould and the paint was coming off the ceiling. The tenants had been drying multiple loads of washing inside and never opened a window. They had also blocked up an automatic extractor fan in the bathroom).
In your case the inspection could be very positive as you can highlight the problem with the windows. There is no excuse for water coming in. Even if there is a delay getting new ones installed ( often in a flat permission is needed from the Freeholder) a temporary fix should be possible in the meantime.
You can ask to reschedule the inspection if you feel having more time to prepare would be helpful.
You could refuse the inspection as it could be interpreted as interfering with your right to ‘quiet enjoyment’
Speaking purely personally I wouldn’t try to evict a tenant who lived in a bit of a mess, but would be very worried about not being able to gain access.

Hey lovely, I just want to say that I hear you. My brain has not been in a great place and my house is actually disgusting now.

I want to blitz it but also…mental health. I’m going to go around the house, gather dishes etc and put a dishwasher load on. Want to join me but at your place?

Sorry as I've just read your updates only.

Is it worth a bullet point list of the issues that are not caused by you and in fact you expect the landlord to resolve? Either sending by email in advance or providing a list when they arrive. Also worth listing which ones you have already flagged to the letting agency as it does seem that some general maintenance has been missed.

The inspection should be mainly be so that they can also see what needs fixing by them also I guess that you're not trashing the place and it doesn't sound like you are.

Report this to your local authority environmental heath team, with as much info as possible about the conversations you've had with landlord/agents/workmen. The LA can serve and improvement notice, and you are protected from revenge eviction for 6 months.

With the inspection - you should probably allow it, but legally you don't HAVE to. It doesn't have to be on their timetable - go back and say the date doesn't work for you, offer something that gives you a bit of time to get the tidying sorted. But the mould etc is not your fault, and you shouldn't worry about pointing this out to the landlord, because there are legal protections in place for you.

Also - have you got the EPC, gas safety certificate and proof that the deposit is protected?

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/damp_and_mould_in_rented_homes

This is from Shelter. Your landlord does have a responsibility to deal with mould/ventilation problems as well as tenant not having lots of wet washing hanging about. There are some guidelines on here. Both parties have rights and responsibilities.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this stress. It's really hard and like trying to walk through treacle when faced with tidying when you're living with mental illness. Like others say, break it down into small chunks of time. I'm a list maker to help prevent feeling overwhelmed (but realise it doesn't work for not everyone)

You sound like a wonderful mum. Your children are lucky to have you.