Tenant rights?

[Wellfuckmeinbothears]

Not sure if I’m posting in the right place but hopefully someone can give me some advice.

Dh and I have been renting for a year. We’ve given notice and will be moving out in September because we need to move back in with dh’s dad as he needs some care. Also the property we are renting has some ongoing issues the landlord hasn’t rectified. The landlord said he’s going to sell. We are now getting constant emails and phone calls from the letting agent telling us they are coming round to take photos and do a floor plan. Dh isn’t happy with this. He says they have no right to demand to take photos, show around prospective buyers etc. Landlord says he has a key so if we decline he’ll either let the agent in himself or give the agents the key.

So where do we stand? Are we required to allow viewings etc? Is the landlord allowed to let himself in? Is it unreasonable that we’re uncomfortable with strangers in our home? We have always paid our rent in full before it’s due and landlord has said we have been ideal tenants so why so much pressure now? Dh and I are both quite shy and I have some health issues which mean my home is my sanctuary. We’ve just found out I’m not pregnant after a miscarriage last month so both trying to come to grips with that and the idea of having the agent etc in our home is really stressful. The agent informed me over the phone just now he will be coming at 4 to measure up for a floor plan and will be moving our furniture to do so. I’m not sure if I’m being unreasonable but the whole thought of it is really upsetting me!

Thank you in advance for any advice.

No, they are not entitled to come into your home. If you have a yale type lock, you can pick up a new barrel for about a tenner and it's a five minute job to change it. Change it back when you move out.

You are entitled to peaceful enjoyment of your home by law, which supercedes anything written in your contract. LL wants not to have an empty property/lose money when you go, but that's their problem and nothing to do with you. If you let EA in to take photos, will they also expect to show it to prospective tenants when it suits them? To impose plasterers, painters, plumbers on you before you go?

Sorry, not potential tenants, buyers. And I'm sorry for your loss, should have said that first but arsewanker LL and EA really piss me off. (Not all LL or EA are like that, my own LL are brilliant.)

Thank you. It’s been a long couple of months with the miscarriage etc and the pressure from the EA is incredibly stressful. Dh works shifts so often they call me and I’m so rubbish at being assertive. The info you have given has been really helpful so thank you so much. I was just unsure of our legal rights as the EA and landlord have made it sound like I don’t have the option to refuse entry and say if I do they can just let themselves in anyway which is a really distressing idea as I’m having a pretty awful bleed. I’m going to get my brother to come over now to help me fit a new lock (dh is at work and I’m feeling a bit faint) so thank you for that advice.

The Shelter website has some information you might find useful.

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/landlord_responsibilities

Even if there is a clause in your tenancy agreement regarding showing people round, it is a legally unenforcable clause. Refer to your right of quiet enjoyment of the property is needs be and fib a bit. Tell them there is cctv if they let themselves into the property unauthorised. We had this problem and got a cheap door alarm that went off like the clappers if the code wasnt put in within 20 secs of opening it. Try to be positive, i hope you are ok, miscarriages are hard to deal with.

I'm a LL we have absolutely no right to enter the tenants home unless we have permission.
Outrageous that you LL thinks that it's his house. It isn't until you move. If it was a gas certificate or something like that you'll have to accommodate for your own safety.
If he wants access he'll have to either give you a sweetener or wait until you go.
He cannot have his cake and eat it. If I were you I'll use text to communicate so everything is in writing.
This LL it's massively overstepping and he is wrong. Not his house until September.

Thank you everyone. The EA and ll had led me to believe they can and will enter as they wish so it’s really reassuring to know they can’t.