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Landlord having people access my room and his constantly wanting to charge me for something

42 replies

Pepperanderson · 18/11/2023 21:07

I moved into a room 3 months back which was recommended by someone i knew as i had just come out a bad situation and on benefit. It was a difficult process as The landlord was very rude and lack constant communication throughout , but in the end i was able ro secure the room. Prior to that i had a home for over 11 years but was forced to leave because i was racially harassed and targetted.
Anyways since living in this one room, the landlord has tried to find ways to get extra money from me. He increased my rent on 4 occasions within a period of 2 monfhs stating his original prices was a typo The room came with old half warn funiture. The wardrobe door partially handling off, which i immediately reported ro him and also the dressing had chips marks , which again i reported. He claimed the furnitures was not old and tried to blame it on me in attempts to extort money from me.
He has also been letting people in my room withiut prior notification. Someone had told me that a man who lives close by had been going into my room on a few occasions( which i sensed was the caes). Within a month of my arrival, 3 police showed up and spoke tp a flat mate claiming they where looking for a previous tenant who lived in my room ( which clearly they should know of their wearabouts as they know everything right?)anyways the housemate told them th had left , but the police was insistance to want to come into my room, until the housemate told them that a lady now lives there . They had keys( i heardvthem jiggling as he tried to entet) and askee the name of the room i waa staying ( all the rooms are named). my housemate stopped them and a lady lives there now ans was in . The housemate later told me said he did not think the police where looking for the previous tenant.
Now let me say this before any assumptions are made. I am not on the run or anything dodhy like that . I terminated my tenancy with the housing i lived in for 11 years snd they did all ways to try to prevent me from securing a home and the police was instrumental in the racial hatred that i faced at the time and supported the housing , so it pretty coinscidental they would shpw up within a month of me moving in claiming to lool for someone whom they will hsve knownno longer lives there. I was homeless aftet leaving the house snd tried to get my life back on track.
Suffice to say. I find that the landlords emails have recently to been sharp and somewhat rude when i accidently lockrd myself out of the room , he did not want me to know they hwve a spare key snd was running down a list of costs, until a housemate found a spare. HE was nor happy that he did snd the next email followed was extremely rude.

Some please advise. I sense whatthis is looking like to me, i would just like yall opinion?

OP posts:
MrsMoastyToasty · 18/11/2023 22:33

Are you a lodger in his property (where he lives too) or a tenant in a HMO?

henrysugar12 · 18/11/2023 22:46

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Pepperanderson · 19/11/2023 04:49

henrysugar12,

Maybe you need to take a leaf out of your own book. If you did not know that coming on the internet for the sole purpose of trolling is problematic snd is a sign that something is not right with your mental stability. The fact you have chosen to diagnoise withoit being a certified psychiatrist and have chosen to zoom in a segment of my post and not the question in hand is really telling of your own mind 🤔

OP posts:
Pepperanderson · 19/11/2023 04:52

Hi MrsMoastyToasty,

Do you mean a lodger with the landlord?..if that is what you mean. No, he does not live at the property

OP posts:
Pepperanderson · 19/11/2023 04:59

MrsMoastyToasty, sorry i miaread your post. I am a tenant 🙁

OP posts:
sleepawakesleep · 19/11/2023 06:06

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Believeitornot · 19/11/2023 06:11

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StBrides · 19/11/2023 06:15

I don't think you come across as paranoid or rambling. Some posters just don't dislike posts with spelling mistakes and no paragraphs.

Facts seem to be that in 3 months you've lived there, the landlord has increased your rent 4x. The room is in poor condition.

I suggest you contact Shelter for advice as I believe they can advise on these matters.

  • No one should be entering the property you live without your consent and the landlord needs to give 24h notice of visits.
  • did you have an inventory when you moved in? Any evidence of the condition of the room when you took it?
  • did you give a deposit?

Normal wear & tear is to be expected in any rental and the deposit covers damage etc. From the little you've put I'd suggest there's a chance the landlord is acting in breach of tenancy, possibly even illegally and you need independent advice.

Contact Shelter.

Orbitolld · 19/11/2023 06:24

Sorry you’re going through this. I’d do as others have suggested and contact shelter for proper advice, but also I’d go to your council and tell them what you’ve said here - there are new duties toward anyone at risk if homelessness - they should help you to work out how to relocate. You shouldn’t have to put up with this t all.

MintJulia · 19/11/2023 06:31

I agree with @henrysugar12 The police don't know everything (or all the criminals would be in jail and their clear up rate would be 100%)

A local policeman will have been tasked with tracking someone down, and your room just happened to be their last known address. Of course they will come and check. That's just coincidence. Don't worry about that.

The snarky landlord is a different matter. He isn't allowed to increase the rent 4 times in such a short period of time. If there is a typo in the lease, that is his issue, not yours. And he should not be going into your room without your knowledge. Do you have evidence of that?

Furniture doesn't have to be perfect so marks are ok (if documented on the paperwork), but a wardrobe door hanging off is dangerous and down to him to fix or replace.

Agree, you need to talk to Shelter, for some advice.

Gazelda · 19/11/2023 06:38

You lived in your last place for 11 years which suggests you are a good tenant. Contact shelter for advice, but mine would be to move out.

unlikelychump · 19/11/2023 06:47

I'm sorry op, it sounds like a difficult situation to be living in. I agree you probably want to move if that is possible. Maybe just try to keep your head down until then

Pepperanderson · 19/11/2023 09:18

StBrides · 19/11/2023 06:15

I don't think you come across as paranoid or rambling. Some posters just don't dislike posts with spelling mistakes and no paragraphs.

Facts seem to be that in 3 months you've lived there, the landlord has increased your rent 4x. The room is in poor condition.

I suggest you contact Shelter for advice as I believe they can advise on these matters.

  • No one should be entering the property you live without your consent and the landlord needs to give 24h notice of visits.
  • did you have an inventory when you moved in? Any evidence of the condition of the room when you took it?
  • did you give a deposit?

Normal wear & tear is to be expected in any rental and the deposit covers damage etc. From the little you've put I'd suggest there's a chance the landlord is acting in breach of tenancy, possibly even illegally and you need independent advice.

Contact Shelter.

I took pictures and videos, also reported it to the landlord. As one of the other furnitures began to show signs of wear and tear ,he tried to assume i had damaged it and said it waa in good condition when previous tenants lived there and it was showed signs now that i had been an occupant.

OP posts:
Pepperanderson · 19/11/2023 09:21

StBrides · 19/11/2023 06:17

Am assuming you're in England- this is Shelter:

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice

Shelter is truly a waste of space. They help whom they want to help . 9 times out of 10 they are blue eyed and blonde haired people. Believe me i know, as they were of zero help to me when i was homeless . Will not be contacting them 😡

OP posts:
Pepperanderson · 19/11/2023 09:31

Orbitolld · 19/11/2023 06:24

Sorry you’re going through this. I’d do as others have suggested and contact shelter for proper advice, but also I’d go to your council and tell them what you’ve said here - there are new duties toward anyone at risk if homelessness - they should help you to work out how to relocate. You shouldn’t have to put up with this t all.

The housing association and council made sure that i was not able to obtain social housing again. This was told to me when i termimated my tenancy - and it evidently waa the case.

The harassment ( over 5 years) i suffered cost me dearly - emotionally, financially etc and i was no longer going to financially pay the HA to endure more abuse , since they breach the agreement.

My immediate landlord possibly is aware of this hence why he is taking advantage

OP posts:
theunbelievabletruth · 19/11/2023 09:40

This is not 'the council' as in council housing. It's an entirely different part of the council that deal with housing regulations. Especially the regulation of private tenancies such as you are in.

They are normally called something like 'housing advice' . There are laws that protect private tenants from landlords like this. You need to go to the council with your complaints.

Pepperanderson · 19/11/2023 10:03

theunbelievabletruth · 19/11/2023 09:40

This is not 'the council' as in council housing. It's an entirely different part of the council that deal with housing regulations. Especially the regulation of private tenancies such as you are in.

They are normally called something like 'housing advice' . There are laws that protect private tenants from landlords like this. You need to go to the council with your complaints.

I would only be digging myself a grave. Councils have a tendency to stick together.

For 8 months i have provided photo, video evidence of the racial hatred i suffered at the hands of my previous housing to several councila and EVERY single one of them supported one another and only cared about the fact that i refuse to continue to pay the HA for the abuse and damage i suffered.

I found this place on my own after a 6 month struggle, having being homeless, going from hostel to sleeping on floors.

My current landlord is aware of this ( i think) and because i am also on benefit he is taking advantage as he knows i have no where else to go 😭

OP posts:
Gazelda · 19/11/2023 16:28

Is there a local charity that supports people with housing and/or homelessness issues?

Do you have a housing officer (apologies if you've already said and I've missed it).

It sounds as though you've tried many agencies but not been able to get help from them for whatever reason. Do you have a friend or colleague who you trust to help you get into a more comfortable home?

PseudoBadger · 19/11/2023 16:43

It's residential environmental health you can complain to about housing conditions in private rented

MrsTerryPratchett · 19/11/2023 16:49

For 8 months i have provided photo, video evidence of the racial hatred i suffered at the hands of my previous housing to several councila and EVERY single one of them supported one another and only cared about the fact that i refuse to continue to pay the HA for the abuse and damage i suffered.

It sounds, and I might be wrong, that you were evicted for non-payment. I understand the temptation to stop paying rent when there are issues but I NEVER recommend tenants do that.

Are your roommates nice? Because there are solutions to some of the issues that involve them. Door stop is a simple way to stop entry when you are in the room. I'd buy a cheap plastic one immediately. When you aren't in the room you can get nanny cams, alarms, all sorts of things. Some will irritate your roommates (alarm) so letting them know first is a good idea.

The best thing is probably keeping your head down and documenting everything and looking for another room. And judge the Shelter staff on the legality of their advice, not their skin colour or whether they are nice enough. Sometimes the legal advice is shit (for example, keep paying your rent regardless) but correct. And assuming they aren't supporting you because they're blonde rather than because the system is blonde will end up with you getting bad advice. I work with someone whose support worker is always doing an advocacy/supportive thing which is pushing her closer and closer to eviction. They are right-fighting when legally they are in the wrong. It will end up with homelessness. Even though they believe morally they are right. It;s incredibly frustrating.

Pepperanderson · 19/11/2023 17:39

Gazelda · 19/11/2023 16:28

Is there a local charity that supports people with housing and/or homelessness issues?

Do you have a housing officer (apologies if you've already said and I've missed it).

It sounds as though you've tried many agencies but not been able to get help from them for whatever reason. Do you have a friend or colleague who you trust to help you get into a more comfortable home?

All of the charitable bodies have been incredibly unhelpful throughout . I recieved no help throughout the ordeal and thereafter.

OP posts:
Gazelda · 19/11/2023 19:49

I don't know what other help to suggest OP. All of the usual agencies that are suggested in these sort of situations seem to have fallen short, from what you say.

Do you really think that everyone is against you OP? Or do you think it's possible that they're simply not helping you in the way you want them to?

You said ". I sense whatthis is looking like to me, i would just like yall opinion?". What is this looking like to you?

itsmylife7 · 19/11/2023 20:08

Did you stop paying your rent to the Housing association and they evicted you ?

lasswibenefits · 19/11/2023 20:14

OP did you stop paying rent in your previous property?