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Original poster

Nosey landlord

44 replies

SparklesAndUnicorns · 16/11/2021 17:08

My landlord keeps just turning up and sorting my front flower beds without telling me. I honestly don't mind because I'm a crap gardener but I'd love a bit of warning, just a text to say "I'll be sorting the front today and I'll be right outside your living room window" would be nice. I've been here a year and I can't seem to get rid of her, she'll drive past my house or just text me saying she's coming over or sending someone over to do maintenance without the 24 hours notice. I understand it's her house and she wants to keep everything in order but I never get a heads up and I feel like I can't live in my house peacefully without her just turning up. She's retired and probably bored and I don't want to be rude and tell her to go away and give me a bit of space because I don't want to seem rude but it feels like a bit of invasion of privacy sometimes.

OP posts:
Jng1 · 16/11/2021 17:16

No you're right and she shouldn't just be turning up, even if it's just outside.
Just drop her a line with what you've said here. Keep it light and professional. What does it say in your Tenancy Agreement? Quote that back to her:

"Hi Landlord
Thanks for keeping on top of the maintenance jobs for the house and the garden - I appreciate it. However I'd like to request that, as per the tenancy agreement, you give me at least 24 hours notice (or whatever it says) before attending the property or sending tradespeople to do work. It's not always convenient when you or they arrive without notice and often makes me feel uncomfortable.

Many thanks
Your Tenant

Original poster
SparklesAndUnicorns · 09/12/2021 17:51

@Jng1 I've already asked her to give notice and she's still popping by I know she did today while I was at work because she's thrown away some decorations I had on my front porch without asking me or letting me know she would be outside my house. I'm really annoyed because I spent money on those items and they've just disappeared and I just know it was her I'm sick of her interfering in everything. They were only plants but they still cost me money. If she had text me and asked me to remove them I would have done but she's clearly come and thrown them away without my permission I'm sure she isn't allowed to do that without asking me first. She needs to realise it's not actually her house and she can't just come by and take my stuff.

OP posts:
whataboutbob · 09/12/2021 18:09

Of course she’s not allowed to throw your stuff away. Any clued up landlord would know that. While we’re at it, is there anything else she’s done ( or not) eg Gas safety check, protect your deposit, do electric check every 5 years? She needs to back off you have a legal right to quiet enjoyment of your home. She may have ideas as to what looks nice but it’s not her prerogative to over rule what you do with your home while you are reading ting it ( providing are not damaging it or doing anything illegal). I say that as a landlord.

whataboutbob · 09/12/2021 18:09

“While you are renting it”.

RedWingBoots · 09/12/2021 18:13

Message/email her and ask her where the plants/decorations you bought are and say you have to report the fact they are missing to the police as things keep going missing.

KittenCatcher · 09/12/2021 18:16

I would text her and tell some decorations have been taken from the front, say they must have been stolen and you are about to contact the police as you are concerned about theft this near to Christmas.

Original poster
SparklesAndUnicorns · 09/12/2021 18:36

@whataboutbob she got the gas safety check done but it was late, she let herself into my garden to put my bin away and she's sent roofers too my house without telling me, I looked in my garden and there was some random man with a ladder out there. Not to mention she gets her post sent to me so she has an excuse to come by and pick it up. She also made a comment about my Halloween decorations outside my house nothing rude but I hadn't seen her over Halloween so she had clearly been scoping out the house while I was either in with my children or out at work which is so weird to me and makes me feel really uncomfortable.

@RedWingBoots yeah I'm thinking about texting her and saying someone stole them and see if she confesses to doing it herself

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Original poster
SparklesAndUnicorns · 09/12/2021 18:37

@KittenCatcher definitely I really hope it would make her back off I've purchased a camera for my front door aswell which might deter her cus I'll be able to see how often she's outside my house trying to peek in

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JesusSufferingFuck22 · 09/12/2021 18:42

Do we have the same landlord?Hmm
I'm not sure how to remedy it. We've been in the same house for 10+ years and to begin with it was an absolute nightmare. Rearranging our bins. Turning up outside our patio doors when I'm having my morning cuppa in my jammies. Tradesmen turning up with little to no notice. Tidying up OUR stuff.

I started drawing the curtains if she showed up outside. Telling trades people they'd need to come back as it wasn't convenient.

We are landlords ourselves and would never treat our tenants like that. (The house we own is in the city where we don't want to live, and renting is convenient....mostly.)
We let all the shenanigans go on for far too long. I wish we'd put our foot down a little earlier. Yes it's her property but it's your home.
Good luckDaffodilSmile

Original poster
SparklesAndUnicorns · 09/12/2021 18:47

@JesusSufferingFuck22 omg sounds exactly the same!! I've only been here a year the house is perfect for me and the kids and she was one of the few who would also take on my pets so I was so happy when I found it and moved in but it's making me want to move out she's far too involved. She persistently texts me aswell, surely she doesn't need to be in touch with me that often it's ridiculous

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KittenCatcher · 09/12/2021 18:53

Did she used to live in the house, she wounds very over bearing and unable to let go. With the post can you just keep putting it back in the postbox with not known at this addess. Is she on some scam pretending she still lives there to avoid 2nd home taxes.

Riskyrice · 09/12/2021 18:54

To be honest I'd be looking for somewhere else to live as in my experience landlords like this don't change.

We had a landlord who would give us notice, but the frequency was ridiculous, and the constant back and forth emails trying to reassure him that the house wasn't falling down around our ears/we had mown the lawn/etc etc was endless hassle. We moved a few months back because it was driving us mad, and still havn't got our deposit back. He's deliberately holding up the process by not responding so we've had to get a statutory declaration to request our £1000 back.

You can try politely requesting and pointing out your rights, but unless it's the most wonderful house ever or your paying well below market rate, I would move.

RoseRedRoseBlue · 09/12/2021 18:59

Why are you putting up with this?

Original poster
SparklesAndUnicorns · 09/12/2021 19:02

@KittenCatcher yes she used to live in the house she raised her kids there so she's definitely overly attached to it. She should have just stayed there and not rented it if she's so obsessed with it 🤦🏻‍♀️ she's had previous tenants tho so she hasn't lived in the house for years, the previous tenant was a man my dad knows and he's said he never had any issues with her I don't know if she didn't dare say anything to him because she's an elderly woman and she thinks I'm an easier target cus I'm a younger woman. When I went to look around it was so messy, I keep it in a much better state so I'm not sure why she's so over bearing with me

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Original poster
SparklesAndUnicorns · 09/12/2021 19:03

@Riskyrice defo I'm going to start looking but finding a house at a better price and somewhere that will take pets is so difficult 😭

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Original poster
SparklesAndUnicorns · 09/12/2021 19:04

@RoseRedRoseBlue good question I've sent her a few texts asking for notice etc trying to hint I want some more space and she agrees then carries on it's too much I'm going to contact citizens advice

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KittenCatcher · 09/12/2021 19:10

How old is she, does she have her own family nearby . She sounds like she is overly anxious about it, does she still have a key. What does she text you about. If she is mentally stable and just being a pita I would look to move, she will only get worse.

RoseRedRoseBlue · 09/12/2021 19:11

@SparklesAndUnicorns good 🙂🙂 you just have to really spell it out for some people.

whataboutbob · 09/12/2021 20:03

Interesting that she didn’t bother the male tenant. She probably wouldn’t quite have dared. I’d start pushing back hard. Sounds like you are a decent tenant she’d be stupid to really alienate you.

Original poster
SparklesAndUnicorns · 09/12/2021 20:21

@KittenCatcher I think she's in her early 70s and her husband is in his 80s her children all live close by but she definitely bored and can't think of anything else to do other than come by my house and check up on it. She has a key but I have 2 dogs that wouldn't be impressed if she just let herself in so at least I know she isn't letting herself inside, just the garden and out the front
@whataboutbob yeah I keep on top of all of all the cleaning and any top ups of painting on the walls etc I'm going to have to really spell it out to her that she's making me feel uncomfortable even my children have started commenting on how often she's about and wondering why she doesn't leave us alone as they're getting to the age where they notice things more it's not on

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KittenCatcher · 09/12/2021 20:28

Seriously she should not have a key, she could let herself in when you're out and this could also invalidate your contents insurance, her children or tradespeople may also have copies. I would change the lock, change it back when you move. If she doesnt listen to you could you speak to her children if you know them. Did you sign a contract which outlines each others responsibilities,

MissCrowley · 09/12/2021 20:52

Wow this sounds exactly like my old landlady. You're not based in Cheshire are you? Ours was constantly round checking on the house, doing the gardens, never giving us notice. She was an absolute pain in the arse, so much so I ended up with severe anxiety.

Original poster
SparklesAndUnicorns · 10/12/2021 07:57

@KittenCatcher I thought landlords had to have a spare set in case of emergencies? Or am i wrong? My back door always has a key left in it so she could only get through the front and she knows my dogs aren't very friendly so I assume she wouldn't try and get in while I wasn't there although the door is usually shut to the stairs so I guess she could go into our bedrooms but not sure what the point of that would be for her.
@MissCrowley no I'm not based in that area seems like it's a common occurrence to have over bearing landlords it's not right in the same after I know she's been outside my window I feel really on edge

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MissCrowley · 10/12/2021 08:03

My advice would be to get out of there as soon as possible. I have long lasting anxiety because of mine and though I’ve been out of that house for a year I still suffer with it.
Mine was constantly round doing the gardens, collecting things from “her” shed and wanting to do maintenance work. For 5 years we had no access to the shed as it was padlocked and only had all her garden tools in it. That was until she started to put my childrens garden toys in there and we couldn’t get to them.
I never got a full 24 hours notice for anything, sometimes she’d turn up when she said she was and other times she didn’t.
Even during lockdown last year she was insistent about coming round to do the gardens. I told her if she came I’d have to ring the police. I did the gardens and sent her pictures.
She was a fucking nightmare and made my life utterly miserable.
Best one was when she was trying to get in my house to move a gas meter when a parent had died that morning. I asked her to not come and she said she couldn’t cancel the works.

whataboutbob · 10/12/2021 08:08

It is normal for a landlord to have a key to access in case of emergencies etc. If coming round and you are in they should of course knock and if you don’t answer, using the key is not ok. @MissCrowley your experience sounds horrendous. I used to be a tenant and now realise I put up with stuff I’d never impose on a tenant ( not without compensating them anyway) such as tradesmen letting themselves in with no prior warning, heavy duty incredibly loud work on the property while I had a newborn etc. I think renting is more regulated now and these dinosaur landlords who think the home is still theirs and the tenants are an inconvenience will hopefully die out.