to think I have the right to live in peace in our rented house?

[FrameyMcFrame]

The landlords (a retired couple) seem to think that renting a house is a retirement project, and they just want to 'pop round' whenever they are bored.

We have given them access for all sorts of spurious reasons, such 'checking that the windows open ok' Getting things out of the garage and most noteably, so that they could pretend to be living in the property to fraudulently obtain free cavity wall insulation for the over 60s.

Recently they had the exterior of the property painted and they wanted to come round to check the job had been done ok (this was yesterday) I was at work at DP lost it with them when they said they wanted to go upstairs in the house again. He couldn't understand why they needed to go upstairs when the work was on the outside of the house.

so he said no... bad idea. Mr Landlord said I'm just going up there anyway you can't stop me, to which DP said yes I can and stood in the way of the stairs (while holdong our 14 month DS)
Mr Landlord got very agressive and said that the bedrooms were 'his bedrooms' and he could do what he wanted in his own home.

DP asked them to leave then, but they refused so he phoned the police. Police said unless theer was a breach of the peace they wouldn't come out.

DP asked them again why they wanted to go upstairs into our rooms, and they said they wanted to check the windows open. DP had opened all the windows anyway so they could see that they were all open from the front of the house.

In the end DP just let them go upstairs as they wouldn't back down.

Are we being unreasonable, wanting to live in peace and quiet without these unnecissary interuptions?

(sorry for long post, thanks for reading if you got this far!)

You could write, something along the lines of how much you enjoy living in the house, and the fact that you would like to stay there after your 12 AST finishes. However, you have taken legal advice and... (then quote what you've got here). State that in your opinion, and in any interpretation of the law, their constant demands for access are unreasonable, and if her husband tries to force access again you will have no option but to call the police.
You agree with her, it would be good to draw a line under the incident and move forward amicably from this point.
You are sure that their original letting agent will be able to advise them on this and confirm that what you say is true.

That was 12 month AST...
This lot give really good, forthright advice to landlords and tenants.
www.landlord-forum.co.uk/

Is it a 12 month fixed term AST or do you have a break Clause after six months?

Each agreement will be different as it depends on the letting agent/landlord.

I always put a break clause in the Agreements I have drawn up (and they run into the thousands) because it just gives you "a get out" route if you want to go after six months.

So check your Tenancy Agreement and see if you can do that. Then you can give two months notice and leave.

If you want to.

Or you could write to the Letting Agent and Landlord and advise them that you are considering going because of all that has happened.

The landlord will not want to pay for another Tenancy Agreement to be drawn up after such a short period of time so may well re-consider their future actions.

And you need to be able to stand up to this bloke if he comes around again.

"No you may not enter my HOME. I am refusing permission because it is not convenient right now"

Keep saying it. Do not get angry. Just keep repeating it.

And legally if that house is not his but his wife's he actually has as much right to demand entry as I do.

Sounds to me like she is so emotionally attached to this property that she cannot let go. And she is bullying him "they might be doing x y z. Go around and check. Go on... Go and check".

I had that once with landlords. She owned it and had done in a previous relationship. They came back and were devastated that the tenants had removed some wallpaper from a bedroom (that they admitted had been on the walls for 25 years). They wanted to know why I hadnt stopped them doing it. Er, do I sit outside all of the properties I manage and make sure they don't drive to Homebase?

It took me four hours, yes four hours, to explain that the tenants can re-decorate despite what a Tenancy Agreement says about needing prior permission. You can argue it and threaten to sue them, and ask them to paint it back but if they refuse where does that leave you.

Turns out this room was the nursery she decorated for her son who was then stillborn.

So I could see where she is coming from, as I can with your LLs.

But it doesnt make it any easier for you and it is not going to get any easier until somebody just stands up to them and points out that they cannot continue in this way.

Thanks BBM, it has no break clause in it at all.

we have made an appointment to see a solicitor now after we recieved this email from them. I did copy and paste it on to here but DP said I should remove it in case it identified the landlords and we got into trouble.
Needless to say it was total crap, she was quoting the tennancy agreement like it was the word of the lord, saying that as long as they gave 24hrs notice they could come round...
Also it said that DP threatened them with physical violence which is bolleaux obviously as he was holding DS, a baby while the whole incident took place!

I will update this thread, thanks for all the great advice.

My OH works for shelter, you should give them a call/drop in if you have a local one as they will be able to help you. Sounds like a letter directing them to the legality of their visits etc is needed. I had a LL like this once, I'm sure they only intended to keep an eye on the property but her father would turn up on the doorstep and want to come and check something out, they were notably less available when we had a problem, at the time we were unaware of our rights and put up with it but it escalated when we moved out and ended up in abusive phone calls threats (theirs not ours!) and they withheld deposit as I was 8 months pregnant we ended up letting it go as was too stressful, that wouldn't happen now as long as money is deposited in one of the new schemes (and if its not they will face a large fine) but it was not very nice. If you can stop this esculating in to bad blood it would be best for all of you, they probably think they are being good Landlords and dont realise not normal to maintain the property constantly.