Landlord keeps registering fake companies to my house

[Snoopibird]

Hi all

I'm quite annoyed. The landlord has registered a company to the house address i rent. He lives in France. He has a website set up for it and used our landlines!!

He denies it but the company y is registered in his name on companies house.

Cue to today a second one has just started!

Can I do anything? Estate agents acting stupid and saying they don't understand. I'm getting daily phone calls and post. I don't want to change my phone number really but will have to at this point!

Can a time advise what I can do? Or aibu and this is ok?

Registered address - cheeky but not that annoying as he does own the property. Phone, not on.

Write not known at this address on any letters, phone is really bad, can you set up a call divert system if you have his number

It's his address, I guess, but you should have been consulted first and arrangement made as to what happens with the post.

Telephone not so.

We don't use the landline that often, but dating back to when we did, we have caller ID so we can see who is calling.

If you predominantly use your mobiles, then turn the ringer off to the landline.

Is it definitely your landlord that's doing it and he's not a victim of ID fraud? There was a thing in the BBC a while back about fraudsters setting up multiple companies in real names and addresses as some sort of front to tax fraud. I'll see if I can dig up the link.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-62494987

How do you know the companies are fake?

Yes definitely fake. They have the exact same lay out on website for both businesses goggling shows they are linked to his main business. I'm sure it's some tax dodging he's doing. He's an awful landlord and doesn't fix anything or does it on the cheap. Estate agents equally as bad! But I'm not in a position to move. I can only contact him via the estate agents.

He's just set up a Facebook page for the new page which has all my home details and address on it and my home landline.

Both websites have a footnote showing they are part of his original company. They are the same lay out, same text but stock images.

It's just very annoying. I told the estate agents yesterday again. And they said oh how strange and that was it. So now I have unplugged my landline phone as its driving me mad.

Return all post as not at this address. The phone is really annoying. Are you getting calls? If it’s say a painting/decorating business, if people actually ring the number looking for a painter/decorater, it will come to you, which is totally illogical. It’s so easy to just register to a mobile. He must surely have a UK mobile from when he lived here at some point.

Call divert is expensive for the account holder. How it works is the person calls your line and your line basically calls the landlord and connects the two, so the person calling your number pays and then you pay for the phone call to the landlord. In France.

Return all post "return to sender, not at this address"
and report to Companies House using their online reporting
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-company-using-your-personal-details-without-your-permission

He probably doesn't want "genuine" customers contacting him if it's some kind of tax evasion/money laundering scam, where the whole purpose is to give the appearance of a genuine company, but which doesn't actually deal with genuine customers.

I know you said you can’t but my real advice is MOVE! or at least make a plan to do it rather than thinking this is it. I live here no matter how bad it is.

I would go to shelter and contact both companies house and the hrmc for advice about it. Other than that I don't know nearly enough to advise you.

BUT

how is he using your landline? That is yours. You will be in contract in your name and pay the bill for it don’t you? It’s nothing to do with him!? This is some you definitely can find a way to put a stop to, first step calling your provider for advice. Possibly change the number and don’t give it to him.

if it’s his and was there when you moved in and you just use it then I suppose that’s different but very weird! If that’s the case unplug any phones attached to it and change the number you use personally to your mobile number with anywhere that has it gp etc.then act as if you don’t have a landline. If you don’t have a mobile. Make it a priority to get even a cheap pay as you go to cover phone calls only.

If it’s his landline unplug any phones. Then you won’t have to deal with any calls or have it ringing all the time.

Thank you everyone. Yes my landlines as I pay the bill and it's registered in my name. I just took over the number when I moved in
I have unplugged it as I was getting gardening calls and cleaning calls. The cleaning business even has photos of the whole Inside of my house advertising cleaning services.

I know it's fake as I saw him asking on our local Facebook page for a local cleaner for an end of tenancy clean about 3 months ago for another property of his.

I will move but I just can't afford another deposit just now, as you don't get your deposit or whatever he will hand back until after you have moved out.

Do you know where he lives in France? Send everything to the French local tax office with his name , address in Uk etc. They will want to investigate if he is legally living in France.

Could you change tack and email the estate agent saying you believe that fake businesses have been set up in his name with your address and contact details, so you've contacted companies house and the police and so you want him to know this is going on in his name too. That might make them take note.

Plug the phone back in, then when calls come through arrange to provide the service requested. Hopefully the disgruntled clients will then leave bad reviews when no one turns up...

@Everybodywantstoruletheworld2025 I do actually! It's registered on companies houseto his original company! That's a good idea! But he will know it's me and I don't want to be kicked out either. Maybe I will do this when I know I'm moving!

What does it say in your tenancy agreement about the landline?

If it doesn't specify that you need to keep it then end it.

At the very least you need to keep a very detailed log of all this!

Can you change your landline number and not give it to the landlord?

@Flossflower why didn't I think of this! Yes I will speak to BT. Thank you. I have had a couple of people knock as well. But that's ok 2 times.

https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/reporting-fraud/

Report the websites if you think they're fake.