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AIBU to be totally miffed at my landlord

5 replies

muddledupmother · 26/11/2022 21:59

So, it's a long story, I'll shorten it to catch you all up. I'm after some advice on how best to go forward but also just to have a bit of a moan.

We (F26, M27) rent, our landlord (M70s) is our next door neighbour (didn't know until we moved in). He's for all intents and purposes been a decent landlord. Very nosey but no trouble.
Few months back we asked to change to a smart meter rather than an old style key top up meter. It was eating through too ups & out dated. We wrote to our agency but never heard back. Left it. The agency aren't the greatest.
3 months later (making it seem totally unrelated) we received a section 21 eviction notice. (Non fault). We panicked, looked at places. When we calmed we approached the landlord personally saying hey... what's going on?
His assumption was the agency had said our electricity meter would put us into poverty (not the case) and he wanted us out of our tenancy to protect him and ourselves (3 sons under 5). The agency since haven't contacted us. Not issued any apology.

Things had been going well and we had decided to stay. Then we had a leaky pipe in the kitchen which we think was knocked by a paint can etc in the under sink cupboard where the valves are. Water everywhere, floor ruined. Landlord came to look with insurance surveyor (looked like his mate, but I don't know officially). We've heard nothing from the agency nor had further contact about the floor other than it being ripped up earlier this week. When landlord came to rip the floor boards up for its to dry out, he's gone in and taken the fittings from the pipes (that I bought) that connect my dishwasher. I was in the house helping him with the floor and he didn't think to ask me or have a conversation about taking the connecting parts. He's told my husband that he doesn't want our dishwasher refitted as he thinks that's the issue for the leak, he took my attachments & has taken them apart so that I cannot put them back on or connect my dishwasher. He didn't deny taking them, gave them to my husband and said "this floor is costing me £1600 to replace" - now if that was insurance, surely that isn't the excess? And we had already said we would pay the excess for the floor as it's part of our contract.

I feel suitably uncomfortable in my "home" - I feel like there are zero boundaries.
Am I being dramatic to want to leave, or am I within my rights? This has been a really stressful few weeks and it's not like the market is great to buy right now. Is this me being over sensitive or is he in the wrong??

Sorry it's a long one. Thank you for reading.

OP posts:
Whiskyvodka · 26/11/2022 22:16

I let a house and your LL is totally in the wrong here.
Its your home.
I can see he’s cross about the floor but that’s the hazard of being a LL.
We had to pay to have a shower leak fixed.
I would ask him for the fittings back and make it clear that you will be refitting the dw regardless.
Also you do not have to let the LL into your house. His workmen don’t need him.
I haven’t stepped in my house since I let it 3 years ago.
If he does give you a section 21 then get it looked over by a solicitor, they’re usually not legal on a technicality.

Just to add we’re evicting our tenant because he’s refusing to let our agent inspect the property, make necessary repairs and has missed 3 months rent.
We started the process in March and he’s still there so you can, if necessary, string at least 6 months our before you move if necessary.

And you need to complain to your agent too. Your LL is too involved and needs to back off.

muddledupmother · 26/11/2022 22:19

Whiskyvodka · 26/11/2022 22:16

I let a house and your LL is totally in the wrong here.
Its your home.
I can see he’s cross about the floor but that’s the hazard of being a LL.
We had to pay to have a shower leak fixed.
I would ask him for the fittings back and make it clear that you will be refitting the dw regardless.
Also you do not have to let the LL into your house. His workmen don’t need him.
I haven’t stepped in my house since I let it 3 years ago.
If he does give you a section 21 then get it looked over by a solicitor, they’re usually not legal on a technicality.

Just to add we’re evicting our tenant because he’s refusing to let our agent inspect the property, make necessary repairs and has missed 3 months rent.
We started the process in March and he’s still there so you can, if necessary, string at least 6 months our before you move if necessary.

And you need to complain to your agent too. Your LL is too involved and needs to back off.

Thank you. This is reassuring to know. We accepted the fault for the floor and completely sympathise his frustration, and like I said we've said we will pay the excess as our contract states we should.

It states no where about a dishwasher and I made no alterations other than popping the correct connector on the end of the original pipe.

Gosh I don't believe I could ever behave the way your current tenant is. I'm sorry. Thankfully due to the mix up, the section 21 is no longer issued (at least we haven't had the paperwork meaning it isn't valid as far as I can tell.)

OP posts:
MetellaInHortoEst · 26/11/2022 22:25

Honestly if I was a tenant with young children in this economy I would move heaven and earth to get out of private rental. Into HA, Council, shared ownership, shared equity, market purchase anything with some security.

If your LL is like this, sooner or later you will need to move. What he said about the smart meter doesn’t even make sense. He’s nosey. He’s inconsiderate. He is on a hair trigger with tue eviction thing.

I would put those two thoughts together now and start looking at your options so you can start planning now for your next move. Shared ownership or HA have waiting lists.

muddledupmother · 26/11/2022 22:28

MetellaInHortoEst · 26/11/2022 22:25

Honestly if I was a tenant with young children in this economy I would move heaven and earth to get out of private rental. Into HA, Council, shared ownership, shared equity, market purchase anything with some security.

If your LL is like this, sooner or later you will need to move. What he said about the smart meter doesn’t even make sense. He’s nosey. He’s inconsiderate. He is on a hair trigger with tue eviction thing.

I would put those two thoughts together now and start looking at your options so you can start planning now for your next move. Shared ownership or HA have waiting lists.

With the section 21 council was our first option as we didn't have a deposit available, we now have sorted that. However with it no longer being issued, council is no longer an option. We are on the housing list but renting privately means we are a very low priority. It's awful the prices being charged as well as the redirections, but we are happy to work with landlords to keep everything amicable.

I'm glad I'm not alone in my feelings though.

OP posts:
MetellaInHortoEst · 26/11/2022 22:30

Well that’s something. Stay on the list. You’re racking up time all the while and if he serves papers against you again, you can easily be reassessed as homeless. I don’t think the private rental market is going to get any better any time soon.

I don’t blame you at all for your unease. I would feel exactly the same.

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