Nosey landlord

[emmapenny]

I live in a private rented house. My landlords mother is driving slowly by my house every week an staring in the window. I have 3 kids here 1 is only a baby.
A few times she has drove by I have been changing my son or dressing him after a bath. This is stressing me so much I want to move. Am I being silly?

If you are changing him upstairs, or dressing him after a bath upstairs, how is she seeing you?

Buy net curtains.

tension rods like this www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/lightweight-tension-extendable-curtain-rod-12---21m-782400 will hold net type curtains eg ikea or even heavier curtains so you can fit on most windows wihtout involving screws or ll

look at the range of ikea nets

www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/textiles-rugs/curtains-blinds/murruta-net-curtains-1-pair-white-art-30292078/

www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/textiles-rugs/curtains-blinds/lill-net-curtains-1-pair-white-art-10070262/

The OP has blinds - it's on one of the other threads she has started on this.

Net curtains are a bit irrelevant. She ought not to be staring at you. Does your LL ever bring up any of the things his mother has witnessed? Whether he even knows about her behaviour, the first step is to inform him of what's happening and ask for it to stop.

My Mum drives by the house we let out as she has friends in the village. As it's a 20 mph zone where my house is, I do hope she is driving slowly. Nothing sinister at all.

If the lady has a taxed and insured car she is allowed to drive on the road surely, and it's good that she is not speeding where kids could be out playing.

I think you are being a bit silly OP. Unless she is stopping in the car, getting out and peering in the windows, then she is just out and about and happens to be in your vicinity.

We live at the back of a cul de sac she has been seen many times driving in and straight out of it again she only slows past my house and never stops anywhere else. I know it's not illegal but doesn't mean it makes me feel any less uncomfortable.

Is it at a certain time each day?

Can you stand out front and wave??

It's random days/times sometimes every week sometimes more.

Have you said anything to your landlord?

He was at it too last year and had climbed the back gate to get into the back garden although I rang the letting agency at that time and told them and he hasn't done it since now the mother just does a drive by every bloody week.

Get the registration number & report the car to the police as someone is casing the joint and acting suspicious - which she is. You are not to realise it was your landlords mother.

Sounds weird as fuck if you're a genuine law abiding tenant who pays rent on time. I'd be asking them what the frig they are watching you for - and if they think their behaviour is normal be moving house (and telling them to fuck off)

So tempting though I don't want to cause any trouble

Not quite the same, but I rented a flat that had previously been the subject of an eviction order (previous tenant stopped paying rent, eventually got evicted etc). The landlord had obviously had his fingers burnt and once I'd signed the contract, said he would "pop by" once a month to check things over (ie have a good nose around and make sure I wasn't wrecking the place). I was a mature student at the time, with good references and a steady part-time job; not exactly a nightmare tenant.

I consulted a friend who is a housing solicitor as I believed I had the right to 'quiet enjoyment' of the property, ie free of harassment from the landlord, among other things. Solicitor friend confirmed that I should expect landlord visits at most every three months and ideally every six, to check flat condition, read meters etc., unless I reported a problem.

Told landlord this (it was also stipulated in the contract) and after a bit of bluster he backed down. I think you could also argue this with your letting agency - weekly drive-bys are completely OTT and it is invading your privacy.

That's very strange. I'd take kermow's advice. Complain to the letting agent. Make it clear that your children need to be able to dress without some weirdo peeking in.

So you called him on his intrusions last year. Could that give you the confidence to call his mother - explicitly connected to the LL - on this, too? Make sure your complaint is in writing, IN CASE you ever need a paper trail (standing up to him in the sight of witnesses (the agency) had at least some impact last time)!