Anyone else’s Landlord do this? AIBU to be irritated?

[Specksofwhiteallaround]

For context we’ve been renting this house from our Landlady for just over ten years now and she’s hands down the most intrusive landlord I’ve ever had. Can be very free with her opinions on how we live and has form for dropping in unannounced as she’s passing by, if she does let us know she’s coming it’s with as little notice as possible.
So fairly or not I find her very irritating generally but what’s really annoying me is the last couple of years she's developed a habit of scheduling in visits to the house every single time my son is off school. My son has autism and attends a special school, he really doesn’t like having strangers in our home which she is aware of. As my husband frequently travels for work at short notice I don’t work so she could come anytime during term time but she repeatedly turns up during the holidays, usually with one days notice and disrupts our plans. I just don’t understand why she herself wouldn’t rather come when my sons at school, everything is tidied away etc.
The last straw is her texting me at 6:30am on bank holiday Monday to say she wanted to call in at some point that afternoon to drop in some paperwork to us. She wasn’t too happy at being told we weren’t available that short notice but agreed to reschedule so now she’s coming today at some point between late morning and early afternoon so we’re wasting a day just hanging around waiting for her and I spent the hottest day of the year deep cleaning downstairs to circumvent comments on my not having hoovered over the bank holiday weekend and how my son really doesn’t need that many toys out…
Is anyone else’s landlord like this? Am I unreasonable to find this annoying and wish she’d try to schedule this in outside of the holidays?

Who? Your tenants? Yes good practise to ask your tenants to sign but there is absolutely zero legal requirement To do a thing as existing tenants just roll over

Incorrect. Absolutely nothing actually needs to be signed or recorded re the new renter’s right.

Good practise? Yes. Legally required… no

Because you get a good deal you should bend over and accept anything and everything by way of behaviour?

I bet you’re a… challenging LL

My point is there’s a difference between something a bit patronising and someone saying something really insulting, I think it’s fine for me to just correct her comments where I can then ignore it in these instances. I don’t understand why you keep arguing over it and also being quite rude about it. You’d obviously act differently and thats fine. I wasn’t asking for opinions on how to deal with her or how I should be reacting, I posted asking if I was unreasonable being irritated by it.

Channel this directness in real life! Especially in the house buying journey

Fact is you have posted post after post detailing all the things she has said to you over the years. So by raising it in your own thread, I thought that it was something you did not appreciate and wanted her to stop doing. But hadn’t actually ever addressed her about it.

But it would seem now you’re pretty chilled about it so…. If you’re cool with it, then I understand why you have not ever said something along the lines of “please don’t talk to me as a teenager” or “please don’t comment weirdly on my appearance”

The point is that if tenants do not sign to say they received it, the landlord has no proof they have fulfilled their statutory duty. When tenants lie in court and say they have not received a document it's very helpful to provide proof to the court. It's very poor practice to fail to obtain proof of the serving of any legal document, and often fatal to a case.

If you want professionalism from landlords, this is it.

Any inspection or attendance at the landlords property should give notice in accordance with the Housing Act.
The fact is I inspect my properties to ensure maintenance that is needed is not missed. I don't care how the tenant lives, providing when the property is returned to me, it is in the immaculate clean condition in which it started, barring wear and tear.

If tenants want the property to be kept in good well maintained condition, supervising trades, and inspecting work before payment is maintenance in action. Because the fact is tenants will say it's fine when it's not, then I have to have the job redone or put right and that causes more inconvenience.

Some landlords don't give a shit and they're the ones you never see.

So this is something you have hand delivered to your tenants and asked that they sign it in front of you with you witnessing? As the OP’s LL did?

no, because you can send it signed for delivery and also email a copy of the letter so there are two paper trails

Exactly
but I asked a different poster

You can send it in an email and that is proof of sending and receipt. Anything else is just personal fluff.

Exactly

OMG.
I'm a Landlord and would never ever dream of that level of interference.
Indeed, the only time I go is if I'm asked, and that is usually to have some repair, or attention that needs inspecting and seeing to. I would insist on a visit once a year though just to check everything is in order if I had not visited for a year.
I encourage this as it is obviously better to have any work completed before it becomes a bigger problem.
What to do.
Paperwork can be posted by hand or Royal Mail, there is absolutely no reason for entry.
She can visit the property only for a valid reason such as repairs or maintenance that may be required.
A visitation time must be at both your conveniences and an approximate time should be given and adhered to. She absolutely cannot come and go, or turn up whenever she feels like it. Yes! it is her property, but while you are paying rent you are in charge. It is your home.

One final piece of advice.
Make sure she maintains the property, and has a gas safety and fire check done every year (that is mandatory anyhow) Do report and insist that any maintenance issues are dealt with.
You said she visits, but does not check the property for repairs etc., yet will comment on cleanliness. Bloody cheek. Make the visits on your terms and for valid reasons only.
She is not your friend (unless you choose her to be) She is your landlord with great landlord responsibilities towards her tenants.