Harassment by landlord

[iHeartTheoJames]

I had to phone the police due to being harassed by my landlord and I also logged the incident with the local council. The police warned the landlord to stop his harassment and after this he handed over the management of the property to a letting agent. The letting agent assured me they would manage the property and I wouldn't have to have anything more to do with the landlord.

There was some work that needed doing to make the electrics safe and I informed the letting agents. When the men came over to do the work one of them was very off with me and the other kept asking me probing questions. He kept asking me what the landlord was like and pushed for an answer when I was non-committal. I asked if he knew the landlord and he said he was his brother. He was asking my why my partner doesn't live with me, do I have a partner, do I work, do I work from home, do I have any family and friends who will also be moving this way and then was telling me what a good guy the landlord is. I felt really uncomfortable and couldn't wait for him to leave.

Does this count as further harassment? What can I do about this? The landlord is supposed to be leaving me alone and the letting agents are supposed to be managing the property

Should I log this with the police and the local council as they are also aware of the incident in May when the landlord was outside my house harassing me and I had to phone the police

Thanks for any help you can give

I would contact the managing agents iHeart and let them know what has happened. You ought to let them know that you are not comfortable having these contractors in your property and why. Although they are employed by the landlord, they also have legal obligations toward ensuring the tenant's peaceful enjoyment of the property.

I would probably log it with the police and council also, just to provide a comprehensive record should the situation escalate.

I contacted the letting agents and informed them of what happened.

Then the shower stopped working and I informed the letting agents. After not hearing from them and having to chase them up I went out for the day and came back to a snide email from the letting agents saying they had sent a contractor over but I wasn't in and berated me for going out, but I didn't know they were sending anyone over! The following day the contractor turned up again unannounced, I let him in and he said the shower lead from the fuse box had been disconnected and it must have happened when the landlord's brother came over to do repair work as the shower was working fine before that, and said he wasn't registered to repair it.

I emailed the agents and told them what the contractor had said but they did not get back to me. I also asked them to give me at least 24 hours notice in writing of any contractor attending the property so I can ensure I am in.

I emailed the letting agents again but they didn't respond to me so, following Shelters advice I sent them a letter advising that being without a shower was causing my family great inconvenience and I couldn't understand why the landlord's brother would disconnect the shower for no reason and I was concerned it was a continuation of the harassment, and that if it wasn't repaired within a week I would take the cost of repairs out the rent.

Today I went out and received a text message saying a contractor was about to visit the property to repair the shower but I couldn't come straight home so the contractor came and left. I then received an email from the letting agents saying they messaged me yesterday informing me of the visit but I received no such message. Just four text messages that I received after I had already left the property to do some calls.

They are claiming the contractor who attended the other day has said that the house is in a state of utter chaos and they have informed the landlord of such. I refute this and have told them it's nonsense. All there was was a pan and some plates on the side from lunch and a train set in the lounge that my son was playing with.

What can I do about all of this?

I'd just move if that was me, I had a bad landlord once (although nowhere near that bad, just two faced and unpleasant) and she refused to extend the contract, which I imagine yours might since he'll probably not be happy at being reported to the police (although it was the right thing to do). We only stayed there 4 months.

my contract doesn't expire till November, I would be liable to pay rent until then if I move out sooner

He's already made it clear he's not renewing the tenancy. When the police arrived he told me he wanted me out that day until the police set him straight. After that he employed a letting agent to manage the property, but they are just as bad :(

They have emailed me back and said they are not repairing the heater in the hall, which I have been waiting since May for and the house has no central heating, so we need that gas heater.

THey have also accused me of housing an animal here. We have no pets, so I don't know why they are accusing me of this

And they have served me notice

Bloody hell. Are they regulated by anyone? If so then report them to their ombudsman or whatever it is.

They sound like absolute criminals who have been told to get you out by whatever means possible, and are behaving outside of the law. I would be packing and keeping a log of everything including video evidence of your property, as it is, in case they refuse to give back the deposit which sounds very likely and you need to take it further.

Don't stand for it, and take it above their heads if you can. I also wonder if there is anything the local council can do, or a national regulator for letting agents etc as they are clearly harrassing you.

Take dated photos of every room, keep a careful log of everything, then when you have left bring a small claim against landlord for failure to repair, harassment and breach of the covenant for quiet enjoyment.

Shelter can talk you through it.

Also, your local council should have a private tenants section and they are usually excellent about advising and dealing with crappy landlords and this kind of nonsense.