Annoyed about by our Landlady while we’re moving out.

[Weightwoes]

More of a rant really as I know there’s nothing I can do about this but curious if I’m justified in being annoyed by this.

We’ve rented this house from our landlady for just over decade now but having finally saved a deposit we have bought a house so are moving out. We contacted her to ask how much notice she required in light of the new renters rights changes even thought our contract said one month. She insisted on two months so we’re paying rent up to the end of September although we move on the 18th of August, bit annoying but fine, we figured that meant more wiggle room getting end of tenancy clean and garden tidying booked in. What we
hadn’t anticipated was that she was going to start bringing a seeming endless stream of tradesmen in while we’re packing as she selling up and now all the stuff she refused to fix for us needs doing.
We let in the first few as it was quick but then she tried to come on the day we are moving out and we told her absolutely not. My husband politely messaged her after that to suggest as she has a whole month and a bit of us paying rent where the house will be standing empty where she can do what she wants could she not just wait until then and she just replied with a comment about not doing conflict, whatever she thinks that means.
She was here this morning for the third time in fours days and as she was leaving she dropped in that she’d see me again tomorrow at 6pm. She’d never mentioned this before and when I questioned what it was for she said it was for a a decorator to come measure and eat for painting. I asked how on earth he’s going to manage that when the house is full of boxes etc and she was implying I’d have to make room. I said it wasn’t possible and could she not possibly wait until we’ve left for all this. Well she blew up at me about how her husband is ill and she has every right to come in as much as she wants and left slamming that door.
For the record I’ve met her husband many times over the years and genuinely like him, but I fail to see how waiting until next Wednesday is going to make any difference to his health.
She’s been here twice to measure the same taps and just lingers chatting at me while I’m trying to pack, on Friday she kept a poor plumber chatting in my door way for a good 30 mins. I’m just so stressed with packing and everything else for moving and utterly fed up of her so not sure if it’s just me over reacting and she’s being entirely reasonable.

Landlord here.

If your contract says 1 months notice that is it - that overrides the RRA.

You DO NOT have to have the oven (or property) cleaned professionally. Any professional cleaning is an illegal fee - you only have to clean to a good domestic standard.

You can change the locks as long as you put the original lock back before you leave.

Make sure you challenge anything she tries to claim on the deposit. If the floors are over 10 years old she won't win.

Tell her you are entitled to quiet enjoyment of the property as long as you are paying rent. She must give you 24 hours written notice for a work person to come in to do emergency work. I am a landlord and I think this LL is breaking the rules. You can report to council.

I think she’s got the gist of that already… After she’d slammed the door and gone I was ranting to myself out loud in the kitchen by an open window which is directly next to the front door, then the door went again, she’d left her bag in the bathroom. So that was awkward 😬

Also consider when you’re notifying gas and electric suppliers. If you move out on 18th August, it really should be then. You don’t want to be liable for tradesmen’s fuel usage.

This!
Landlord here, if your tenancy agreement (pre new RRA which commenced 1st May) says one month's notice then that is all you legally need to give (obviously one month's notice that expires on the day the next month's rent would be due)
While you still have the tenancy she should give you 24 hours notice of visiting etc but you are fully entitled to refuse the visit on the grounds of quiet enjoyment of the property.
Note that if you keep to the 2 months notice you will be responsible for all the usual utility bills and council tax.
She's taking the piss and doesn't have a leg to stand on legally. You're also entitled to change the barrel of the door lock (it's cheap to do) to stop her gaining access, but you must change it back again when you hand back the keys. It sounds as though she will do enter the property unless you change the lock, and will decorate and repair the place at largely your expense.
Make sure you take loads of photos and videos of everything room by room once you've moved out and cleaned or he'll be snatching your deposit too.
If you want to verify any of this your local authority will have a private renters team that you could talk to. If she gets really difficult you could call the police who would confirm your right to be there.
It's a very stressful situation and best to try to deescalate the situation whilst also being very clear to her about your rights and the length of the notice period. Maybe write her a polite email telling her all of the above and confirm that you've received advice and that your final day of the tenancy will be on such a such date (the one months notice date) and offer a time for her to meet with you to do the check out meeting.

As you’re paying September I’d ask to either get the full deposit back + ignore the end of tenancy cleaning requirements, oven etc as she’s having workmen bla bla

or she returns you the September rent and then she can do whatever she wants after August.

I had a landlord who’d just constantly let himself in too and it was mega stressful, especially as DD was often home alone during school holidays. I ended up having to tell him and make things awkward.

🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ if your contract says one month notice you send her a copy of that and tell her that you’ll be paying just one months notice.

If your contract had one month don't see why you've agreed to pay two, but seek legal advice as I'm not qualified, personally I'd find out if I could get that back.
She shouldn't be stropping at you, but if her husband is genuinely ill, it's probably more that doing all this is a real stress when she's wanting to focus on him. Not your fault, but depending on how old she is, her family situation etc, she maybe has no one to vent to, is trying to be strong and not fall apart in from of him, so it's all tumbling out on you.

Well, you can retract the offer of the extra month's rent right now. Why would you pay her an extra month's rent to keep the (non existent) peace?
You don't give her the keys back while you're still paying rent on the place, as you're still responsible for it. If there was a flood or a fire etc you'd be in a tricky legal situation, and you'd still be responsible for all the bills as I've already said above.
After 10 years, everything will be put down to wear and tear.
This sort of landlord is what gives landlords a bad reputation.

I wouldn't be so sure - our landlord kept all of our deposit having never touched the house for 10 years and having sold it prior to us leaving. Apparently, there was dust behind the radiators and other similar bullshit

That’s exactly what to send ! I’ve had a landlord like this before too . Wanted the cash , but wanted to sort out the issues whilst we were still in situ and paying . I’m afraid the law doesn’t work like that contrary to what these entitled people think .

Who does she think she is!!’

CFery at its finest

Ask for proof that your deposit was held in a deposit protection scheme. If it wasn't, you can sue for three times the original deposit. (At least, that was the case several years ago.)

"Sorry, we have had the property professionally cleaned and we won't be allowing anyone in to do any work until our tenancy is complete. Again, we'd be happy to end it earlier, as we suggested previously, with a refund of the security deposit on they day if you want to get your people in there earlier to start working on the property. If not, you'll have to wait until the end of the tenancy."

We left two weeks before our end date, paid up in full, cleaned etc, then after two weeks they wanted to take £50 from the deposit for dust on the window sills, after we had handed in keys two weeks prior.

Contact your council and report this.

oh op, I’m furious on your behalf. If it wasn’t for your current stress level, I would beg you to not let this woman take the piss out of you any further. But I get you just want rid. Be great if you could find the fire in your belly to let her have it

Then you tell her she can have the keys back and you will stop paying rent the day after the return of the keys, otherwise there is a blanket no and mean it. And don’t pay the extra month. You have a contract, which predates the RRA.

I’m a landlord and she sounds like an arse. If you’re at all handy, I’d be tempted to change the front door lock and leave the key in any other doors if she won’t agree to these terms, then change the locks back once the rental period is up. And I know you’re not supposed to change locks, but she really can’t do anything much about that.

I’d give her a very firm No! - and I say that as a LL myself.

You are entitled by law to ‘quiet enjoyment’ of the property, which does not include sundry tradesmen traipsing in and out.
In an emergency, or if e.g. the boiler needs its annual servicing, that’s different, but getting stuff done at her convenience, so she can let the place faster once you’re gone, a definite NO!

For the same reasons, I would not allow viewings until I’ve left, and would not, and never have, expected my tenants to put up with it, either.

Unless you have signed a new lease in the last 10 years your original lease still applied. That means 1 month notice.

Deposit schemes tend to heavily favour the tenant. Unless she has a full set of check in photos to prove the condition she does not have much hope of getting any of your deposit after 10 years.

I would send her a message that any attempt by her or a trades-person to enter will be viewed as harassment and the police will be called.