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AIBU?

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Original poster

In thinking our landlord is being completely out of order?

94 replies

LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 17:27

Hi all. Wanted to know if I'm BU or not. Accidentally posted this in chat but meant to post here. So, our landlord was round today to fix the shower. He fixed it, but he then went around the other rooms, essentially doing an inspection even though he wasn't here to do an inspection! At least I assume he did (my partner and I were both at work), as I then got a text saying he wants a 'serious talk' with us when we got home.

I got home first, he turned up 5 minutes later and started berating me about how untidy the house was. His complaints were:

  • There was an empty cardboard box next to the stairs
  • The washing up hadn't been done
  • The kitchen was a bit cluttered
  • There were empty toilet rolls in the bathroom
  • The kitchen bin was full
  • The washing basket was overflowing
  • The WARDROBE was untidy? (yes he looked in the wardrobe)
  • There were three plastic tubs of clothes piled up in the corner of one bedroom. I was sorting my son's clothes ready to take them to a charity shop

Yes our house isn't spotless, but we have two young children (4 and 1) and both work full time. There is some clutter but he made out like it was a complete pigsty and it genuinely isn't. There are things like piles of washing (not on the floor but in baskets) He also made some nasty personal comments, one of them being "I know you have kids but maybe you shouldn't have had them if you can't cope" 😡 Basically talking to me like a naughty schoolchild. He also said "I don't want to evict you, but...". He cannot evict us for it being a bit cluttered, surely? I was in tears when he left. He has given us a week to tidy up. There is no damage or alterations to the property, it's not dirty. It is simply that it's a bit cluttered (mainly due to lack of storage as we aren't allowed to use the loft).

I should say we've been here for four years, always paid rent on time, never been any bother, always reported any issues etc. He has inspected before and never had a problem. He rarely gives any notice when he inspects, just turns up and then says 'I'm within my rights to inspect my own house'.

Is he being totally out of line or am I being too sensitive? Considering complaining to letting agent.

OP posts:
Goodadvice1980 · 23/05/2023 17:32

Contact Shelter for advice, well out of order!

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 17:33

To clarify, the bin wasn't overflowing. The lid was shut and there was no rubbish on the floor. It just looked full when you opened it.

OP posts:
Hazey19 · 23/05/2023 17:35

Wow that’s awful! He was well out of order. You are NOT being unreasonable x

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 23/05/2023 17:35

He’s bang out of order. He’s got no right to inspect in the way he has.

I’d speak to shelter and make sure you know the process if he does decide to evict. There are a lot of LL’s panicking about the rent reform bill that has been tabled in Parliament so he may be one that’s considering selling up.

He rarely gives any notice when he inspects, just turns up and then says 'I'm within my rights to inspect my own house'.

He’s completely wrong. He needs both to give notice and get your permission to just do an inspection.

MsChatterbox · 23/05/2023 17:36

Yes out of order. And know he isn't within his own right he needs to give 24 hours notice.

MsChatterbox · 23/05/2023 17:36

No* yes if you have a letting agency definitely contact them!

BelleMarionette · 23/05/2023 17:40

He needs to give 24 hours notice for inspection. Access is only allowed otherwise in an emergency.

He cannot evict you for being cluttered: no fault evictions are in fact being scrapped.

I would be cautious about complaining to letting agents as if you have been renting for four years you are likely paying under current market rates as rents have gone up a lot.

Lonecatwithkitten · 23/05/2023 17:41

Below is shelters description of your tight to quiet enjoyment:

This means your right to make use of your home without disturbance from the landlord or anyone acting on their behalf.
You have this right even if you never had a written agreement, or if your fixed term assured shorthold tenancy has ended.
It could breach your right to quiet enjoyment if your landlord:
comes into your home without permission
refuses to carry out repairs or safety checks
interferes with gas, electricity or water supply
is abusive, threatening or overly persistent about any issue
visits frequently without notice, appointment or agreement

Lovepeaceunderstanding · 23/05/2023 17:47

I’m a landlord, your landlord is bang out of order!

FunnyFox · 23/05/2023 17:48

You have a legal right to quiet enjoyment of your home. This means that, irrespective of what your tenancy agreement may say about landlord or agent inspections, you do not have to give anyone including your landlord access to your property, except in the event of an emergency and the courts have a high threshold about what they will accept is an emergency.

FunnyFox · 23/05/2023 17:55

Once the keys are handed over to a tenant, a landlord needs a court order to enter the property without the tenants permission except in the event of an emergency or a threat to health and safety - and this means something like a fire in the property.

Going in without a court order and without permission is a serious matter, in some cases a tenant can sue for damages or get an injunction to stop the landlord doing it again. Shelter has quite a lot of info about this including a form of letter you can send to your landlord about unannounced visits or going beyond the permission you gave

Fandabedodgy · 23/05/2023 18:00

Bloody hell he's completely out of order.

Agree with everyone else. Get up to speed on your rights. Consult with Shelter if you need more advice and then put your foot down

2bazookas · 23/05/2023 18:08

which country are you in?

ChopperC110P · 23/05/2023 18:08

So, yes tenants have the above legal right to quiet enjoyment and your LL was bang out of order to inspect without notice, to comment on clutter, to dp plumbing when not a qualified plumber, etc etc.

BUT the reality of the current situation is the landlord has all the power and you have none. No fault evictions, section 21s, are still legal and if you piss him off he can serve you notice to vacate in 60days (unless an exception applies depending on your exact tenancy agreement). You could refuse to leave and then he can go to the courts and under a new expedited process get bailiffs to toss you out in 2-4wks or so (depends on the court district workload).

All it takes is pissing off an already unreasonable prick of a landlord, so wouldn’t take much to do. So sending letters saying you have this right and that right and telling him how out of order he is, is going to risk your home.

So I caution you that while the above advice is legally and factually correct, the landlord still can legally revenge evict you and he sounds like the kind of prick who would enjoy doing it as he obviously got a kick over being the big man berating a woman and making her cry in her own home over nothing that was any of his business. He’s a bully. You’d be giving him an opportunity to bully you and your family- make your children homeless- if you pushed the issue.

I hate saying this, but I’d tidy to just appease him and if there are future small repairs, sort them myself to keep him from my front door.

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:11

Thank you all. Good to hear I'm not BU. We are viewing a property tomorrow with a view to moving ASAP.

OP posts:
Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:11

@2bazookas England

OP posts:
ChopperC110P · 23/05/2023 18:12

LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:11

Thank you all. Good to hear I'm not BU. We are viewing a property tomorrow with a view to moving ASAP.

That would be ideal. Not all landlords are tyrants. I hope you find a decent one. Xx

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 23/05/2023 18:16

He's being seriously out of order. His concern is the structure and general cleanliness of the property I.e not food or poo or something everywhere not the washing up or washing basket

Longtimelurkerfinallyposts · 23/05/2023 18:16

Hopefully the fact that you've always paid your rent on time etc means that your current lettings agents will be able to provide you with a glowing reference for your next landlord - it sounds like you might be better off not relying on your current landlord to provide one.
You may want to consider changing the locks in the next place (which is legal to do - you just need to hang on to the original lock and replace it when you move out) to avoid this kind of problem arising again. Landlords are supposed to give you notice of visits/ repairs/ inspections, and turn up at times that are convenient for you.

tulippa · 23/05/2023 18:19

Your landlord has no right to tell you to tidy up and shouldn't be 'inspecting' the property without prior agreement and especially not when you're not there.
However, when I know my landlord is coming round or one his contractors (not often), I make sure the house is spotless as I wouldn't want to give him ammunition or the impression that we don't care about the house.
Next time, try to make sure one of you is at home when any work is carried out.

ThankmelaterOkay · 23/05/2023 18:24

Ah give the guy a break. Haven’t you heard what a hard life landlords live? He must be so stressed not making as much money as he used to.

user1471538283 · 23/05/2023 18:25

I would ask him for written evidence in your contract that you have signed that says he has the right to do it. It won't be there. This is your home.

I've found that even a supposedly decent landlord is an arse when you give notice so expect it.

cobden28 · 23/05/2023 18:27

When my daughter was in a student rented house twelve years ago the landlord wouldn't allow the tenants to have locks on their individual bedrooms, nor a bolt on the bathroom door; his idea of giving the required legal 24 hours' notice of intention to enter the property was to arrive on the doorstep and text to say he's there and is coming in the house NOW. On more than one occasion my daughter was woken up by the landlord in her bedroom at 7am ( he was doing an illegal loft conversion, but that's another story ! ) . In the end the tenants took the landlord to court on a harrassment charge and won a considerable amount - but were unable to collect because the landlord had skipped the country after having put all his assets into his wife's name .

Do please check your legal rights as a tenant - CAB should be able to help out here - and if possible move house.

Arewehumanorarewecupboards · 23/05/2023 18:50

LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:11

Thank you all. Good to hear I'm not BU. We are viewing a property tomorrow with a view to moving ASAP.

I really hope you get it because you really shouldn’t have to put up with this!

Original poster
LlamaFace19 · 23/05/2023 18:53

I called the letting agent to complain and as soon as I said LLs name she said 'oh yes, he's known to be difficult' 😅 But they agreed that he's being completely out of order. They will call him and tell him he cannot come to the house anymore unless accompanied by someone from the letting agent. Wether or not he'll stick to that I don't know....

OP posts: