Landlord asking who I’m bubbling with and spending Xmas with

[Shirleyvalentine2020]

I live on my own and I currently rent a property.
I have no personal relationship with the landlord.

The landlord has randomly emailed me out of the blue asking how am I spending Christmas and who am I bubbling with?

I have not replied to the email as I find it intrusive and non of his business. What do you think to this questioning?

I’m also in tier 4 so even if I wanted to do something I couldn’t as everything and everywhere is shut.

Yes the agreement does include quiet enjoyment and privacy clauses. This does not stop him. The fencing on the garden was purely decorative and you could see straight in so I changed that about a month ago. Caught him behind the garden gate listening in when I was on the phone to my doctor a while ago discussing a health issue dating back to when I was a child.
I was not happy about that.

The only possible reason for asking a tenant's plans during Christmas/ the pandemic would be to ascertain if the property was going to be empty for longer than perhaps 3-4 weeks, as this is often a clause in insurance policies. However if this is the case, he should simply have said that!

Why is it always a weird or bad thing ?

Perhaps they are concerned as they know you are alone ? Perhaps they wanted to check you are ok ?

@fuzzymoon

Why is it always a weird or bad thing ?

Perhaps they are concerned as they know you are alone ? Perhaps they wanted to check you are ok ?

@fuzzymoon Eh, have you RTFT?

I would say you need to contact Shelter or the Citizens Advice people to see what you can do regarding his surveillance of the property as it’s not at all compliant with quiet enjoyment. You could play ignorant and do a non emergency report online about the suspicious activity of a “man in a parked car looking into the properties along the road” but that might not be the best approach.

@MistyMinge2

I actually think they have emailed because they are concerned that you will be all on your own and lonely and it comes from good intentions. Not from being nosey or trying to catch you out.

Lol how naive are you? Landlords don't do this, it's completely inappropriate

You look after good tenants and more so now in this time of uncertainty.

I do think it is reasonable to not reply and maintain your privacy.

@Shirleyvalentine2020

Yes I have set the timers for the lights. It’s really funny you should say about him being pissed off he can see in anymore. He only lives 2 Roads away and he used to drive from his house and park outside my house 3 times a week every week for over a year. Once parked he then would walk very close to the garden fencing and peer in. I’ve caught him doing it! I had curtains up and used to close them when I went out but then I saw mrs hinch recommendations for renter blinds and bought them. Covered every window including the window on the front door!! He can’t see in at all

What are renters blinds, do you have a link please?

I'd be changing the lock if he has a key. If he's skulking round peering through windows, I'd not be suprised if he wasn't letting himself in whilst you were out.

I’d rent somewhere else pronto

Mrs Hinch recommended these which I bought

Wilko Non Woven Blind White 120 x 200cm

www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-non-woven-blind-white-120-x-200cm/p/0468114

You need to go in store to buy them. The small one is £4 and the larger size is at £10. They look nothing in the packet but once up they look like expensive blinds from the street. You can either stick the blind up however it could damage the paintwork. I used a curtain rod and wrapped the blind top which is sticky around the top etc.

I thought if they looked bad I could just throw them away but everyone has commented they look really good so I keep them up

I am guessing he doesn't want anyone else staying over at your place without his permission. Is there anything to that effect in your rent agreement/lease?

A tip if you don’t measure your window first the £10 blind will fit the majority of windows. It’s about two metres plus long. It can then be cut to suit the size of the window etc. No damage , no holes in the wall or mess.

Completely out of order.
By law (and morally, too!) you have a right to that property being your HOME. He may have the right to make profit on it etc. But your right is to feel safe and live in that property as your home.

It fucks me off when landlords do this. I’ve been on the receiving end - lived in a house share and the landlord used to come every week and clean the place. He told us (all girls) that we weren’t allowed boys in our room and used to come and switch the heating off to save his bills. I was very young at the time. Very strange.

Now I am a landlady myself. I wouldn’t dream of this behaviour. We never go near the place as don’t need to. We collect rent. We immediately pay to put right any issues they have... they had an infestation of ants recently due to the brickwork in the living room and as soon as we were notified by the letting agent, I was stressing about getting it put right immediately!

So many landlords seem to miss that it’s so important that your tenants feel at home in your property. You’re providing a service, after all and if they’re looking after the place, paying your mortgage etc for you then you’ve a moral bloody right to treat them well.

Nothing specific in the lease about visitors. I would not tell him anyway and as my family live only a few roads away they would go home and not stay over. He knows that already. Odd really.

This is not out of concern. I rented houses out myself. If the tenant is a good tenant you leave them alone. You don’t try and peer through their window either.

Honestly I think this passes ‘concerned landlord’ in to stalking you.

Because you blocked his view he his now pushing in to personal contact. He may treat all his tenants like this but I suspect it the lone females he only does it too.

Record when you see him near your house. And start looking to move OP.

From what I hear he does this to other tenants too. His wife told my neighbour that he does not have enough to do now he is retired and he drives her up the wall with all the pottering around and getting under her feet. Too much time on his hands I guess.

The behaviour you describe in the thread is very strange and I would be finding somewhere else to live in your position.

I think your right about forcing contact. The other day he parked so close to my car I could not even open the door let alone get in and drive it. Since then I started reversing into my space so he can’t block me in or force contact. My tenancy is due to finish in July and as I’ve just lost my job I’m not in a position to move. In tier 4 so the area is dead - nothing is moving!

@Shirleyvalentine2020

A tip if you don’t measure your window first the £10 blind will fit the majority of windows. It’s about two metres plus long. It can then be cut to suit the size of the window etc. No damage , no holes in the wall or mess.

Thank you so much for the link. There are great, will defo be buying one for my bathroom, that has nothing on the window. Yes glass is frosted and I live in the middle of nowhere but still nice to have a little privacy xx

He’s been watching the house? That’s very strange. I would make sure house alarm is always set and fit CCTV maybe a doorbell camera and one you can put looking out the window he’s been known to look in. Hopefully he’s harmless.

Id ignore the email

A ring doorbell i think be good investment.
Then you can see if he's entered whilst you were out.
Feel sorry for you he sounds like a proper nut job.

So strange. Totally intrusive and none of his business.

I'd be looking for a new place tbh. His peering through your windows and listening to your phone calls isn't ok.

DH and I lived in a house a few years ago where the elderly landlady lived nearby. She used to let herself into the house when we weren't there and cut our house plants down. She had given us permission to plant in the garden borders but then used to come round, get our gardening tools from inside our house and pull up what we had planted. She also cut down the larger plants in our pots which we had bought for the garden. Bizarre.

She wasn't happy when we pointed out that she wasn't allowed to let herself in the house without notice except in a genuine emergency. At least she was just annoying though and not scary as she was an elderly woman and there were two of us. If I was a woman living alone with a male landlord who was peering into the house and loitering to listen to my phone calls I would find that quite alarming.