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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to want to tell my landlady she can't come in!

37 replies

rosiejoy · 21/04/2010 16:28

We are moving out on the first of May.

At 3.45pm today and found missed call and answerphone message from my landlady saying she probably should have rung yesterday, but the boilerman is coming between 4-6 today. She is going to let herself in if I'm not here!

So, 10 days til we move out. I work mon, tues weds, so by weds night house is usually mess, and i put it back together on thursdays. If I knew she was coming I would have stayed up last night getting house tidy.

Normally I would just be a bit embarassed and it wouldn't matter too much, but because we are moving out and I am very aware that she will want to see what state we've left the house in.

Oh, and after rushing home to get here for 4 still no sign of her!

OP posts:

MrsC2010 · 21/04/2010 16:31

She'll see it when you move out though I assume, and will be judging on that?

If it makes you feel better, when I have been to my place and the tenants have left it in a tip (you know, messy as against ruined) I see straight through it, it is up to them how they live in it as long as the fabris of it is looked after.

bintofbohemia · 21/04/2010 16:33

Doesn't she legally have to give you 24 hours notice? Surely shse can't "just let herself in"?! I'd be cross whether the house was a tip or not.

larakitten · 21/04/2010 16:34

YANBU. Although you rent the property, surely you should have some control over when/if your landlady can access the property. You have a right to some privacy!!

bibbitybobbityhat · 21/04/2010 16:36

Yanbu! No, the landlady cannot just "let herself in" it is absolutely not on.

YesYouMust · 21/04/2010 16:36

She's not allowed to do that, she could get herself into a lot of trouble for it.

Original poster

rosiejoy · 21/04/2010 16:37

It's the privacy thing.

I know I have the right to 24hrs, she should have rung yesterday. But in reality how would I actually turn her away when a workman is arriving to replace the boiler for the next tenants?

I am quite a private person, and very stressed at the mo with the move, plus dp away.....just really could have done without this today!

OP posts:

YesYouMust · 21/04/2010 16:38

Tell her to do it when you've gone, it really isn't your problem.

Just tell her it isn't conveniant, end of story really.

BlingLoving · 21/04/2010 16:40

I don't think you should worry about the mess - it's her problem and I assume when you move out she'll do some kind of inspection.

However, wandering in whenever she feels like it is not acceptable. it is still your home. And she should give you 24 hours notice, and the option to say no, before enterining the property.

Estate agents and landlords who do this drive me absolutely nuts.

Original poster

rosiejoy · 21/04/2010 16:44

Actually, every landlord/lady I've ever had has done this!

I hate it. My heart is racing because I just feel really uncomrfortable with people coming into my space unannounced.

The absolute worst time of day too! kids hungry, can't get dvd player working to keep them quiet (no telly here).

I am a big wimp! Just rnag her and didn't no how to say no. She is a real business woman and very difficult to say no to

OP posts:

YesYouMust · 21/04/2010 16:54

They've done it because you let them, you have to learn how to say no, you don't have to engage in a conversation after that, in this case i'd have said no sorry you'll have to deal with it after i've moved.

Any other time no, x,y, or z is fine for me which works for you.

BlingLoving · 21/04/2010 16:57

I am very good at making it clear to landlords and estate agents they don't have a right to just come on in. Want me to call her for you?!

MrsC2010 · 21/04/2010 17:02

Don't feel bad, one of my 'beast friends' lived with me in my flat before I moved out to live with then boyfriend (now DH). Her brother moved into my room, I kept the rent low, no contract, left all of my furniture etc. But then one day I texted and said I was popping over in a few days time to collect a few bits and did she fancy a cuppa. She said she'd be out, so I said 'oh well, I'll just nip in and get these bits (bag of clothes etc) and I'll catch up later'...she texted back to say she didn't feel comfortable with me being in 'her' flat without her there so I was to wait until the following week when it was suitable! We hadn't had a falling out or anything. I replied telling her that I was amazed at her attitude, but that I needed these bits. And if she wanted to be technical I had given enough notice etc.

Anyway, my point being you shouldn't feel bad about this! When I need stuff doing to the flat I contact them to discuss potential days, and then (having got their permission) I pass the contractor their details and they arrange a suitable time between them.

Original poster

rosiejoy · 21/04/2010 17:03

I know, you're right. Normally I'm much better at saying no.

She's caught me offguard, I'm v.tired and stressed and tearful (not because of this!) and just can't face the confrontation!

Anyway, will be interesting to see how me, landlady and boilerman get on in the galleykitchen whilst I prepare dinner and the kids hang off my trouser legs.

OP posts:

JaneS · 21/04/2010 17:37

Pretend you didn't get the message! You're busy moving after all, she should give you 24hrs.

She is being very rude, she must know you'd be busy packing.

JaneS · 21/04/2010 17:40

If I were you I'd be dead tempted to answer the door wrapped in a towel and tell her you're in the bath with DH and 'busy'.

(Mind you, I say this as one who lacks all modesty and once gave her landlady an eyeful just to make her stop walking in unannounced. )

Missus84 · 21/04/2010 17:43

Call her back and say today isn't convenient - you need 24 hours notice so she'll have to reschedule for tomorrow.

MunchMummy · 21/04/2010 17:45

You're entitled to 24 hours notice!! And don't worry about the mess - I'm a landlady and it wouldn't bother me as although its my house its your home and as long as theres no holes in the floor etc a bit of mess is nothing. Heck, our own house gets messy sometimes so ca't expect any different of others.

bintofbohemia · 21/04/2010 17:49

An ex-landlord did this to me once, only he didn't give any notice at all, he clearly thought there would be no one in the house but my flatmate was ill in bed. She shat herself, thinking we were being burgled (I think she was coming down off mushrooms but that's another story) and I called them up and went ballistic at them. The might own the brocks but it's your home.

I really sympathise rosie. If you can't say no, make it as difficult for them as you can.

bintofbohemia · 21/04/2010 17:49

Brocks? Bricks...

Original poster

rosiejoy · 21/04/2010 17:57

Well she got her karma in the end.

Basically she wanted to replace the ancient bolier for free under some scrappage scheme. The British Gas guy told her straight away the offer had finished and whilst I was next door with the kids I could hear it blow up into arguement?

AIBU to be a little bit pleased??
Althoguh, I feel really bad for the family moving in after us, I got the feeling they were promised a new boiler when they took the house

OP posts:

JaneS · 21/04/2010 18:00

That is kind of amusing really. Not checking/paying attention to the details of a tenancy agreement, not checking/paying attention to the details of a scheme ... they're kind of similar, aren't they, so I guess she was caught by her own carelessness.

benotafraid · 21/04/2010 18:02

You have the right to quiet enjoyment of your home, even if it is rented and it's illegal for the landlord to just let themselves in.

emsyj · 21/04/2010 18:14

When my sister was moving out of her rented flat, the estate agents called around to show it to some prospective new tenants without asking her or informing her at all and when they knocked on the door she was in the shower, so didn't hear the door, and the agents just let themselves in!!! My sister stepped out of the shower and wandered into the hall to find the agent and a very shocked young couple gawping at her and it scared the living daylights out of her. She was .

Good job she was wearing a towel, eh?

YANBU to expect reasonable (i.e. at least 24 hours) notice.

sonearandyetsofar · 21/04/2010 18:19

We had similar problems with a landlord in a student house.
5 girls sharing, and there were several occasions where we found the landlord or other strange men wandering down our hall having let themselves in. 1 girl had just got out of the shower and only wrapped in a towel, was confronted by a strange man . She threw a FIT!
We spoke to the landlord about this asking him to ring before he or other people were coming, which he never did. He told us he needed to access the property for maintainence, and like the OP's Landlady said he would let himself in or give keys to his contractors.

We bought a yale chain lock for the front door that you pushed into place and used a key to release. Therefore nobody could get in without permission whether we were in the house or not.
He didn't like it, but it was completely legal. He rang to make appointments after that.

FairyCakeBump · 21/04/2010 18:26

Sonearandyetsofar, that's a really good idea. Our landlord doesn't have keys for the front door (we replaced the broken lock with his permission and he didn't want the key!) and we've put the same type of chain on the back door so he can't let himself in there either.

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