to be a little put out that letting agent had a key to my house?

[mumblesmummy]

I received a letter saying the letting agent is coming to check the property as we've been in it three months, and then from there on, they will come to check once every four months (pain in the arse. Baby on the way. We've decorated beautifully but without asking, feels like an invasion of space etc). However, I can cope with this until she said 'you don't have to be there, we can just use our key, let ourselves in and have a look around'....

Surely they're not meant to have a key? Let alone let themselves in for a poke about? Say money went missing or something? I think it's a little shady.

yes, of course they have a key. how else would they show potential residents a property without a key?
it's perfectly normal, and above board.
you don't have to agree to them coming round though, you can arrange a time when you'll be in

Of course they are meant to have a key! they are acting for your landlord - so it's just like the landlord having a key to his own house!

They shouldn't just let themselves in though. You agree (when you sign the lease) to give them access when requested for the purposes of regular checks; they should always do this by arrangement with you, so if you're not comfortable with them doing it when you're out you are perfectly within your rights to arrange an appointment when you're in.

From when I rented, I am sure that a landlord is allowed access to the property as long as they give you notice. The housing association quite often came in do do snagging etc when the place was new but I remember they gave us all the 'spare' keys back after the snagging was done.
You decorated without asking? If I was the landlord I'd want to come and check, and you may well lose your deposit over it and/or be asked to put it back to how it was before you leave.
If you have any worries then just try to arrange a time when you will be there.

IIRC think they are allowed to have a key, but they are not allowed into your home without your knowledge or permission. Just tell them when it is convenient for you, whether you are in or out.

It's just new cream paint over old ruined cream paint with big black marks all over it,so nothing to worry about there as the rest is just pictures, lovely furniture etc. It happened as the lady who said we could do it left the company that day and she was scatty and I KNOW she hasn't mentioned it as she was a show-around-houses lady, not an office worker.

See my previous letting agent said they wern't actually allowed a key (although I let them have one as they were very good). They informed me of this as 6 different members of the actual landlord's family had keys to my house and waited outside for me to go out and then entered the house whenever they felt like it!! They also moved things and a couple of things disappeared.. hense me being very warey after such a bad experience.

at previous landlords family!

My neighbour at housing association flat thought it would be cool to paint all his walls in different and very deep colours - lounge was black, red, purple etc etc so I tend to worry when someone says they've decorated without permission!!

Oh it's only cream over cream, i promise lol.

They probably won't notice other than on the inventory it says 'cream paint, black marks on wall'. The house was disgusting and needed a serious tidy up when we moved in.

When we were renting we had given them 3m notice of when we were leaving and the letting agents used to come in to show prospective tenants around whenever they felt like it.

One time I was on shifts and a whole load of people traipsed into the bedroom while I was asleep in the day.

Needless to say I was raging and bollocked them all the way out the door.

I suppose what I'm saying is at least they have given you notice.

Yeah i suppose. Oh my God that's awful. My DP works 12 hour nights at mo and so he sleeps all day and the letting agents ring him all day and piss him off, if they had people trapsing in the bedroom with no notice i think he'd go mental.

Message withdrawn

Ours kept a key , in case of repairs, emergencies etc so tenant would n't have to wait in. Inspections are normally at 24 or 48hrs notice minimum(check lease) and you can insist on being there.

We always get notice of inspections and the agents are happy to change times etc if not convenient to me. They wouldn't expect to come in if I wasn't here.
Actually, I'm quite glad they have got a key as it would be very handy if I got locked out! They are good agents though, have been very helpful and I trust them. I might not be so keen otherwise.

They can indeed have a key but have to give notice unless for emergency i believe. Your contract should include this. When i was renting with 3 friends the agent let himself in one morning showing some prospective tenant around ( we had given notice) We had been on a BIG night out the evening before and were not a pretty sight, bless him he was just a spotty teenager and he looked so embarrassed. he he - those were the days!

Ours dont have a key to my knowledge and I would go mad if they just walked in infact they are breaking there contract with you by doing so

I think they are also breaking it by constantly ringing you they must give you space to live in the house as a home

but they do come and check the property at regular intivals mainly to make sure that all the doors and windows floors etc are there not how tidy it is though!!

Its the pain in the arse about renting and I hate it but I wanted to come home more !! I will be checking our house that we own up north every 3 months too as I cant afford to have it trashed

p.s wouldnt mind anyone painting cream over cream dont hink anyone would its when they paint rooms dayglow orange it causes a problem

this is normal as far as i'm aware the man who lived downstairs from me had someone come check the property once a month to make sure all was ok

they have to inform youn in writing there for its all above board they dont go through your things they just have a check list of owners requirements for checking making sure property is not being mistreated

annoying i know he hate3d it as always left with cleaning requirements from them

but due to so many people abusing landlords trust and destroying place you acn understand why they do this

Oh well I suppose I've not got a leg to stand on. REALLY wish we could buy but got lots of DPs debts to pay off from a previous relationship before we can contemplate it. It's a huge reminder that it's not really a home but it sounds like we're lucky that it's only every 3-4 months. I'll definately make sure we're there though as if anything went missing it's be a huge problem, but also to remind them that we are actually trying to make it a home and it's not just someone's business transaction as the landlord is very reluctant to make repairs to the property(despite the fact we've been there less than 3 months and 2 doors have dropped off and we've been left without hot water numeroud times and had a flooded bathroom and no water at all to the kitchen!!!)

just out of interst mm what agency are you renting with we are with wsb in wiltshire and they have exactly the same inspection times as your agency if they are anything like ours though it will be a quick look round to make sure everything is as it should be and to ask if there are any problems. it always says in our letter that if we cant be there and we are ok for them to come in using the key then just to leave a list of any problems we may have. if however we cant be there and wish to be to just phone the office and arrange a convieniant time.

It is perfectly normal for them to hold a key, as a landlord I have a key to my property but will always give notice when I need to gain access.

It is also normal when you have given notice for them to show propspective tenants around, how else are they going to let the place?

HA or Council houses you can decorate without permission, in fact it's in your contract normally you will keep it decorated. Here they don't decorate unless they are refurbing or they have to carry out work (such as 2010) that will damage the decorating to an unreasonable level (just had my kitchen, toilet and bathroom done, it's gorgeous, I wouldn't have afforded it, so I'm chuffed). With the same I believe they are not allowed to keep keys (I work within residents involvement so I know a little about this).

In the block I used to be in the keys are standard and made to order for them, each key has a code so it can only be recut from the maker. The HA has a special key that can remove the barrel and on the reverse side of the barrel is another keyhole that is generic. When they are doing up empty flats the barrel is swapped and the generic side used. If there is a reason to need to gain access to the flat - if they think the occupant is dead (happened to me once ) - they can enter it, but it has to be extreme cases and with court involvement (they have turned the police down before now).

Private rentals are different, they are someone's property and their rights are different to that of an RSL so they do have a right to keep keys or say that you can't decorate. However, that is still your home, space and your things in there, as long as you are paying your rent there is no way they should be coming in without your permission. Even if you weren't paying your rent you will still be given enough warning it's coming that you will be stupid not to expect it.

Sorry if I've waffled, I hope it makes sense and helps, I can ask Dad for more information because he works in accomodation as well.

I am a landlord (or lady!) and its in my tenants contract that I can enter the address as long as I give them at least 24 hours notice unless an emergency arises. I also have a clause to say that as long as I give notice I can enter the property to show prospective tenants about. Every 4 months for a property check is a bit excessive in my opinion but it may be the landlords request. I check mine every 6 months and only go when convenient to all tenants.

Landlord is allowed reasonable access )often yearly) to check on state of house. The agent is acting for your landlord, therefore no surprise there. What they are not allowed to do I think is let themselves in unannounced. So all above board I'd afraid, even tho it seems like an intrusion.

Agree with holding a key - I had a property trashed, with thousands & thousands of ££ of damage, so I am careful to make sure to do regular inspections - but it should be at a convenient time for you - within reason.

Good tip - Flash do a product called 'Eraser pads' - they are like sponge pads, but they are magic at removing marks from walls - save you having to do any further painting.

Also, when I am renewing the tenancy agreement this time with my existing tenant, I will be incorporating standards of service which my tenant can expect in relation to repairs - ie non essential repairs aim to have completed within 6 weeks, essential services to have done within 3 working days if possible, and definitely within a week. (She is a PITA - expects instant action and harasses on a daily basis until action taken, and believe me, we are good & responsive landlords -actually, considering whether to renew with her at all, however she has a baby due, but I digress - for another thread!)

Anyway, my point is, maybe you should check your lease & find out what the conditions are for notice for access, and also suggest having standards of service for repairs.

Pedilia- Think people were just on about showing prospective tennants round without giving notice.

Micegg- 6 monthly would be more appropriate, I think you're right. Plus we've got the house looking absolutely pristine ready for the baby so hopefully they might not feel the need to come round quite so often when they see that it's being well kept and it's such an improvement from the dump they gave us.

Duchesse- it does feel like an intrusion, that's the perfect word, however, I suppose if that's the rules I'll just have to deal with it and start saving for our own house sooner than we wanted to.

tjack- it's just a local estate agents rather than a national.

Tinker- it's private. Thanks for all the advice. I think they must sort of get to make their own rules if it's private.

Bluesky- That contract sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately, ours have been quite biggys- the bathroom door fell off (and it's straight off the kitchen so it would have been fairly unhygienic for us to use the toilet), the back door fell off the house lol (obviously this was a HUGE cause for concern), the whole bathroom flooded because of a dodgy boiler with water pouring down the broken flu and guttering, the bathroom taps run constantly (as opposed to drip) and don't turn off so our water bill is going to be mega (still waiting on that repair at the mo) and we often have no hot water as the boiler's so knackered, and also had no water in the kitchen as the sink was very old and the taps had given up. I expect these sort of things to be fixed straight away. Others, such as the kitchen cupboard doors dropping off, we can wait for.
We've also done some things ourselves- my dad's an electrician and we'd been having problems with the electrics so he fixed them, and the nackered wall paint and lack of door handles, we've rectified ourselves. Though really I think he should have just sorted the property out before moving us in because it was up for rent for a while before we 'snapped it up' and it's not cheap. I know you said you're not keen on keeping your tennant and it's for another thread and stuff but please, please think carefully and compassionately before getting rid of her if she's expecting because we had problems at our last place and had to leave when i was 5 months pregnant and I was so stressed with it all I had high blood pressure and bleeds and awful stomach pains and kept having to be taken into hospital. It was horrendous. I'm sure if you give her waiting times for the jobs as you have outlined, she will realise that some things are not urgent and some things are, and she will hopefully stop harassing for none urgent jobs.

Our house is inspected every three months as that is what our very paranoid landlord wanted. However, the agents know we keep the place in good order so their visits have gradually got shorter and shorter. Now they just say "hi", poke their heads round a few doors and go again, max 2 minutes! The daft thing is, I still feel the need to spend hours cleaning and tidying before they arrive. Oh well, at least it forces my very untidy dh to make a bit of an effort now and again .

Mumbles, These sound like fairly major repairs which are needed! I would make sure you put requests for repairs in writing to the estate agent, that way it is easier to follow them up if they are not actioned. TBH, I would also get written permission from the estate agent for any work you plan to do, decoration, electrics etc. It keeps you right, and some landlords could try to withold deposits for things like this.

Also, I think there are minimum standards re getting boilers serviced - ask if they can advise you when it was last serviced. Especially important in light of impending baby!

Finally, some of these things sound like environmental health issues - boiler, lack of bathroom door, no water in kitchen. If you don't get any joy from them within reasonable time, I would consider contacting environmental health at your council.

I'll try not to evict my tenant! I think all I need to do is some expectation management.