Springtime Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hello I need advice. I rent a house which I have lived in for a year and a half now. Never given my landlady any problems with rent or anything else. Very happy in the house, even landscaped the garden, tidied up the painting which was peeling and gave it a lick of white paint as it was looking tired: all of my own time and expense. Things started to go slightly wrong when my gas fire got condemned around October and the landlady suggested I was making it up as she said there was nothing wrong and she hadn’t received any notices from the gas check to say there was. I left this, and dealt with the gas fire not working over the cold wintertime, as it seemed far too much hassle to ask her to come and fix it. There was leak upstairs from the boiler, with hot water running down the walls and all over my bedroom carpet, my landlady eventually sent a plumber but wasn’t happy at doing so then sent me a letter to say she didn’t expect me to call with problems on the weekend. My monthly rent was due on the 21st Jan, but I lost my job two weeks before this, so rang my landlady to tell her I was having this problem and I would prefer to end my tenancy, find somewhere cheaper as to not end up with rent arrears of more than a month. She agreed to it. I gave my landlady 1 months notice and arranged to pay her the one month’s rent, and an extra week taking me up to the 1st March, on the 1st March, to which she agreed. I have found somewhere else to live and been packing my things up for the last two weeks. I got a phone call from my landladies daughter (who actually owns the property, but I have never had dealing with her: only Christine, her mother) and she nastily said ‘I am coming to check the property and pick up my outstanding rent tomorrow evening’, I explained that I had no arranged to do this with her mother, and told her what we had arranged and I wouldn’t be home until late, this didn’t work for me and she would be better coming over, when I have moved out on the Saturday, to come over on the Sunday when I have cleaned the property and it is empty, sort out the checks, itinery, bond and outstanding rent, she wasn't particularly happy but said 'ok'. I got home last night at around 8pm to a letter from the landlady stating the date of the day before, the 23rd (this letter came on the 24th) saying ‘I will be visiting my property tomorrow at 5pm to do a check and received my outstanding rent, we have been nothing but sympathetic to your situation etc....and you will be vacating my property on Saturday the 28th Feb’. I rang Christine, the landlady who shouted ‘It is our property not yours, we can come round when we like’. I informed her that she could not and I had tenant’s rights etc... It ended in a spat to which she was shouting and threatening me to come over while I was at work, accusing me of not being house proud and the house is a mess and I told her she would receive a call from my solicitor and I hung up the telephone. Now, I know she has been into my house while I have been at work, as the house is a mess, it has boxes everywhere, I have dust all over the carpets from getting my boxes out of the loft: therefore with her accusing me of not being house proud, I KNOW she has been into my home with NO say so from me and no request for her to do so. So where does this leave me? I am moving out on Saturday but we had arranged for the keys to be given back on the Sunday (so I would clean the house beforehand) now I have her thinking she can enter my home when I at work. I am not up on the law of tenant’s rights but I am sure this is illegal. I just don’t like the thought of her entering my home, while all my things are packed into boxes and I am at work, what if she changes the locks? What shall I do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David- Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Set up a camera or something if you can, she definitely isn't allowed to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit guide Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Damn right its illegal im not all that up on it so everything i say here may have to be confirmed but i have had experience with the gas side of it...so your already a winner as she has totaly broken the law where thats concerned... Now its my understanding that the landlord has to give at least 24 hrs notice before comming to the house, i believe it is against the law for them to enter these days without ur knowledge as when u take on the rent payments the house is then treated as yours until u vacate... As for the gas fire, by law the gas has to be checked once a year or the landlord faces a hefty fine or imprisonment, so if you have reported an issue to her and she has done nothing about it then all you need to do here is threaten to report her.... My old landlord was selling up after us renting for 6 yrs, during that time the fire was not checked once by the landlord, my OH is a gas fitter so it was always checked by him, however the fact that my landlord did not know this and still allowed my family and I to live in it angered me, but it was a biggy and i was saving it for the day i would need it, i knew i would as the bloke who represented the landlord (his bro) was a big hefty bouncer who dealt with everyday issues by bullying people, and so when he started bullying me at the end of the tenancy, i mentioned where he had gone very very wrong, and who i was thinking about phoning, no bother after that. Good luck with it, the problem with some landlords is that they want the dollar, but they dont want the hassle off the person paying, and so will try anything, they think they are something, when infact alot of them are law breaking idiots, who have no idea how much bother they can be in, for essentially doing a crap job... Best of luck with... Soz if this makes no sense, i ant pre read it x x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*RTC* Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 If she hasn't given you prior notice of the visit then she has broken her terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement clearly. Have you paid the outstanding rent? You could get involved in a lengthy battle with her and try and claim against her but if you are moving out this weekend i would just pack up get out and if you've not paid the last months rent tell her to take it out the bond and get stuffed! PS. And take all the lightbulbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springtime Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 I haven't got the time or money to set up a camera, and I wish I could take days off to make sure she doesn't come in, but I am temping therefore won't get paid time off. Also a friend told me I should report her to the police for threatening behaviour as this will go onto the houses file and when they come to sell, it will show up. I don't really have the time or energy to do this though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springtime Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 If she hasn't given you prior notice of the visit then she has broken her terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement clearly. Have you paid the outstanding rent? You could get involved in a lengthy battle with her and try and claim against her but if you are moving out this weekend i would just pack up get out and if you've not paid the last months rent tell her to take it out the bond and get stuffed! PS. And take all the lightbulbs No I had agreed to pay it to her on the monday 1st March, have all the checks done then ring the DPS for my bond. I doubt i'd get my bond back after all this anyway. Pity I couldn't inform the new tenants, when she gets them of what she is like!! Not right is it! Stay away from ELR lettings and a 1 bed house near Totley! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Ahh, Springtime, I can only sympathise. It does all sound very difficult and it sounds like you've done everything right. You'd be within your rights to contact a solicitor and take it further but will it achieve much? If it will then ring them and the CAB. Assuming you'll be out on Saturday and good luck.. but take someone with you when you meet them next, as a witness and as someone who might help keep the peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I'm also tempted to agree with 'sod the extra rent, have the bond and clean it yourself' though be aware of any legal implications... not that they've extended the same courtesy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springtime Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 I'm also tempted to agree with 'sod the extra rent, have the bond and clean it yourself' though be aware of any legal implications... not that they've extended the same courtesy. I was playing mrs nice guy but now sod her, and I won't have chance to clean it anyway as seems she is taking the keys off me on the saturday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit guide Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 If she hasn't given you prior notice of the visit then she has broken her terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement clearly. Have you paid the outstanding rent? You could get involved in a lengthy battle with her and try and claim against her but if you are moving out this weekend i would just pack up get out and if you've not paid the last months rent tell her to take it out the bond and get stuffed! PS. And take all the lightbulbs not forgetting to put a couple of kippers under the floorboards:hihi: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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