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.

Which is why I think we need to make clear to her she cannot begin any works. Bit harder to say she can’t come in and get quotes from the work etc, I really don’t think I can ban her access completely.

I would have thought she’d have rather waited until it’s empty, the decorator won’t be able to see most of the bottom half of every room with the boxes and furniture in front of them. Seems such a waste of everyone’s time.

You know she'll tell the decorators to start the moment you've moved out, but still responsible for the council tax and the utility bills?
She's going to screw you for every penny she can get out of you.
I don't understand why you don't tell her that SHE made a mistake about you having to give two months notice, and you've since learnt that it is legally only ONE month, and therefore you plan for the tenancy to end at the end of August, not September.
then you do your meter readings and inform the utilities and council tax that you no longer have the tenancy there. End of story.

Yes we do, hence why now we’re probably not giving her the keys until end of September. How to stop her using her own keys knowing we don’t actually live there is a different matter. So far people’s advice is to just tell her not to which she’ll probably ignore or ring the police which I’m not doing. So we’ll have to have a think about it and maybe ask that she changes notice to end of august and then we’ll give her the keys. Not sure what come back we actually have if she refuses.

If it's 5 mins away I would be calling daily to check she's not there and her workmen are not there. Every time she is entering calls and emails her to explain she's intruding and must stop. This will support your case for any utilities costs or damage.

Or just bury your head and hope it's goes ok because you are paying until end of September and she's bullying you.

So what was her reply when you said she does not have permission to access the property until the end of the tenancy? Did she agree to end it early?

Personally I'd put a camera in the house to record any attempted entry.

Can you bolt the front door then use the back door?

She doesn't have every right. She is being unreasonable and is basically looking for a hasty flip. Bottle her out don't let her in and contact your local tenancy relationship officer. If you're not careful she'll be bringing in trades people while you are still there. Also the notice required.... she needs to give 2 months notice

As you said, she has keys and you have no realistic way of enforcing things once you have moved out.
However to protect yourself you need to write to her to say

• she asked for 2 months notice (not 1 per the original contract)
• as such you are responsible for the flat under the contract until that date and therefore you do not agree to any access to the flat for any tradesmen as you are still legally renting the flat untol that date and therefore liable
• that you are prepared to be reasonable around access for quotation, despite this not being a landlord's right (because it isn't her right, only for emergency works) but require unless adequate notice in writing and a mutually convenient date
• if she requires access to the property prior to the end of your lease then you would be happy to negotiate an earlier end date

You need to get this in writing OP to protect yourself. Or else if for example the tradesman cause damage and she blames you then you have nothing in black and white saying you did not agree to it (and she's got form.for lying on this)

Op wanted to leave- the landlord didn't serve notice

No but the tenant did has been bullied into 2 months which is incorrect.

Just to reiterate in case you missed it, can you secure the front door from the inside and change the lock on the back door so that she no longer has a working key?

You guys are suckers! Sorry, but you’re paying her rent, for a house that you don’t even need, for longer than you need to legally, just for her to turn up whenever she wants breaking the law. I would literally tell her that you’ve had enough. You’re paying until the end of August and you’re leaving.

PPs advice to tell her in writing that you will not be allowing access until the end of your contract and to quote the law on peaceful enjoyment (quick Google) is good. Stop worrying about her saying she will ignore it. She might stop when you quote the law or if she doesn't just reply, ok I'm taking legal advice. Quick contact to citizens advice and restate. Stay firm. She turns up, sorry Mildred, we didn't agree to today and shut the door.

Hopefully when she sees she can no longer intimidate you she will back down or agree to reduce the notice period.

Moving is stressful, but she isn't allowed to add to that stress like this.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/eviction/harassment_by_a_private_landlord/letter_templates

There you go, letter template from shelter. Just change the words "gas safety check and repairs" to emergency repairs that need to be completed urgently for the benefit of our immediate wellbeing or safety.

Honestly, just change the lock barrels on the doors and then change them back at the end of September. It's perfectly legal and relatively inexpensive. You can always reuse them in your new house.

This LL sounds like she has been ab absolute pain up the ass so I would use the opportunity that I am moving and don't need a reference to really stick it to her.

Bolt the front door and change the lock on the other door so she has no working key. Change them back on the day your lease/notice ends.

And leave some prawns somewhere she wont find them. Like behind the baseboard in the kitchen. They will stink the place out in days and the workmen wont work. Or they will blame one another.

But then I am a bitch and love a bit of revenge.

Regarding your worries about her contractors coming in after you move out, and causing damage which you are then blamed for, @Weightwoes - could you do a detailed video tour after you’ve moved out and your cleaners have been in, and email that to her? Ask her to confirm that she has seen the video and that you have left the house in a decent condition to ensure the return of your deposit.

Just seen what you said about the front door. It would be odd if the lock wasn't changeable though.

I’m probably not going to describe this well but the front door is locked with a big brass key, it’s either unlocked and unsecured or locked. There’s just a keyhole, nothing we can change if that makes sense. The handle is purely decorative, its just a round brass knob. Ironically the last workmen here were to measure the door up for replacement, maybe she’s finally getting a modern door.

We plan to do that with the house and garden anyway.

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall in their home yesterday as we actually got an email this morning from her husband to say that they will accept the end of August as our notice and to just arrange a date for a final walk through and to hand keys back, he said they will wait until after then for works etc. It’s very weird because A: I thought he was very ill, and B: we’ve met him many times but he has never dealt with us as tenants before beyond coming to do some diy and dropping in a Christmas card each year. Contact was always with her as until a couple of years ago he had a full time job.
He’s always seemed a bit more reasonable so my husband reckons he’s told her to stop harassing us but who knows. I’m just glad to be almost done with it all.

That's great then, at least you have saved a month's rent anyway! Plus you won't have to worry about her getting up to stuff in the empty place YOU would have been paying for, throughout September.

Sounds like he is the reasonable one of the couple!

good result seems the husband is the
sensible one

Already agreed notice periods shorter than the 2 months, are legally binding after the law changes. Only pre-existing notice periods that are longer than 2 months are void, and become 2 months instead.

Why ask the person with biased interest to not help you, instead of just looking it up or asking the many legal forums that will answer with references.

Sounds like they realised it wasn't helping them as much as they wanted, and getting rid of you when you were always entitled to be gone by officially was easier. And just pretend it is out of the goodness of their hearts.