To make a fuss - landlord one

[spanieleyes22]

So I am wfh today and had the front door open as the dog likes looking out at the parents collecting their children from the school next door. I'm sat in room at front just next to front door. Next thing a huge black van reverses onto my driveway. And the driver runs up to the front door and calls out. I dash out to hold the dog (he's on a long lead) and he says he's a friend of the landlord and they said he can park in the driveway to collect his kid from school. So I said well I don't know who you are. I didn't even recognize the name of the landlord as everything is done through an agency . He kept saying landlords name and I said I don't know who that is. So he insisted it was the landlord but she is away at the moment. Then he said he was her fella. So I say well I don't know you. And say I'm going to ring the agency. I locked the front door. I felt scared. He started shouting into the house who are you phoning . What's the problem . He was large and tall and quite aggressive. So I rang them but they were no help just said nobody was due to visit today and if I was worried I should phone the police.

He's gone now. I took a photo .

Not sure whether to just leave it. Or to send email to agency asking them to clarify with the landlord. Or will that just annoy her. I think it's a bit much ???

He might have parked there before as I work in the office some days so am not wfh every day.

It doesn’t matter if he’s a friend of the LL, he’s no right to do that. I’d report it just in case it happens again but maybe he won’t now as you made a fuss.

Yeh made me feel vulnerable. Like the house isn't mine. Well I know it isn't but ...!

Anyone

Landlord or their agent / friends should not do this. You are entitled to enjoy the property you rent. Definitely complain to the agent about this.

I'm only on 6 monthly renewals though . If he is the landlords fella will she be annoyed with me and evict me

I'm a landlord and I would absolutely report to agency

That is not acceptable at all. Regardless of the fact you don't own the property, you pay rent to have 'quiet enjoyment' of it
Which does not include random shouty strangers parking on your drive!

Check your contract for something along the lines of: “Quiet Enjoyment - that the Tenant may peaceably and quietly hold and enjoy the Premises during the Term without any interruption or disturbance by the Landlord or any person rightfully claiming through or under the Landlord”. It is definitely unacceptable for him to do this without your permission but that is “school-run parents in areas where parking is limited” for you - they would park on a parade float if it stood still long enough

That is not acceptable as the LL has rented the property to you . Yes she could evict you, but that is the risk you will have to take if you don't want randoms parking on your driveway

I'd be asking the LL. They shouldn't be giving anyone permission to park in your driveway. You're a paying tenant, and should not be being bothered by randoms.

It's very sweet that your DDog enjoys people watching

Even if he was the bloody LL himself he has absolutely not right to park on your drive, thats YOUR drive while you are renting unless there is an exclusion in your contract or similar, and even then they would be on dodgy ground.
Get a cone or similar and email The Agency telling them that you do not give permission for the LL or anyone else to use it

Can you not shut the gate / park your car / put some kids toys there so he can't do it again?

Not really . Maybe I could put some plant pots across the drive though! I did email the agency just asking them to clarify the arrangement with the landlord. Just annoyed me. But at the same time feel vulnerable as a tenant.

I don't park in the driveway as it doesn't have a ramped curb like the curb is pretty high to get onto it and it bumps the underneath of my car so I don't bother. But big vans can get up there more easily

I sent an email to the agency. They cane back and said they didn't know anything about an arrangement but they were copying in the landlord. I'm just hoping she isn't annoyed with me . Thinking that I'm making a fuss about nothing

Well hopefully the agent would put her straight, she's renting the property to you and accepting rent for your use of that property - including the drive. She can't just randomly allow other people to use parts of that property while accepting full rent from you. It doesn't work that way.

It'll be interesting to see what she comes back with. She either has no idea, or did know. If she's sensible she'll deny all knowledge regardless and won't do it again.

Unless it has a dropped kerb it's probably not even an official driveway.

I would go for the plant pot option as well.

Bloody cheek (I'm a landlord too)

@theeyeofdoe yes I don't park in the front except if I need to get the car close to the front door on odd occasions. It's the only house in the cul de sac that still has a curb around it. All my neighbours have had it removed so they can easily park in the driveways / gardens

if not dropped kerb then its not a driveway and nobody should be driving over the pavement. Can you park across it or turn it into a patio with plants etc?

Evictions are not that easy they’re very expensive and take ages landlords not going to do that

Landlord here. Unless there's an explicit term in your contract that you will allow use of the driveway then they can bollocks.

Even when we're visiting our tenants, we ask permission to park on the drive! You are entitled to quiet enjoyment and I suspect the landlord might not even be aware of this friend taking the piss.

Id report to the police, and also local council if they're blocking the access. Years ago we had a neighbour who used to park in front of our garage and they ended up with a parking ticket. Stopped that behaviour right away.

If you felt intimidated ring the police and also send an official written complaint to the agent about how their behaviour was intimidating and threatening.

If you don't use the driveway, definitely put a few big planters there. Hopefully now the guy has seen you have a dog he won't try it again. The landlord has no right to offer the drive (that you rent along with the house) to anybody.

I also love that your dog likes watching people.

Also. No landlord in their right mind evicts a tenant who pays their rent and doesn't trash their property.

Landlord here too and this is spot on. Bang out of order, I'd not dream of doing that. It may not be 'your' house but it is your home, not mind and I'd be incandescent if anyone I knew tried this sort of thing! Definitely speak to the agency. I'd not be surprised if landlord didn't know anything about it.

As pp have said - it appears that it may not be a drive without a dropped kerb and as such you can use the hard standing as a place to put your plant pots and perhaps a bench. Use the space as an extension to your garden.

I’m obviously in the minority, but I wouldn’t really care too much if he wanted to quickly park in the driveway to pick up his kid (as long as it wasn’t inconveniencing me).

But I can get why you have a problem with it. And he definitely has no right to park there if you don’t want him to, as others have said. Landlord doesn’t really have a leg to stand on there.