Landlord breaking Tenency Agreement

mattpenn

Last week I was not informed of an electrical-professional's visit to my house, which I have been renting for a year.

The only reason I knew was because they had moved the furniture, mesed with all my switches, dumped my neatly folded washing in a pile, and damaged my vacuum cleaner.

I read in the Tenancy Agreement that I must be informed if any visits are to be made.

When I wrote to the Lettings agency they said the landlord had arranged the visit and should have let me know.

I do not know what to do now. I at least feel like they owe me a new vacuum cleaner but have no experience in these matters. Does anyone know the right avenue for me to go down for this? I'm sure as hell that the Landlord wouldn't be so easy-going of I broke the Tanancy Agreement.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

poppysarah

Ring shelter for advice on how to claim for damaged property.

tbs624

mattpenn wrote: »

Last week I was not informed of an electrical-professional's visit to my house, which I have been renting for a year.

Matt - what was the reason for this visit: was there any kind of emergency repair/renewal needed?

mattpenn wrote: »

The only reason I knew was because they had moved the furniture, mesed with all my switches, dumped my neatly folded washing in a pile, and damaged my vacuum cleaner.

Can you give a bit more detail on all of this? What do you mean they had "messed with" the switches, and what sort of damage are you talking about?

mattpenn wrote: »

I read in the Tenancy Agreement that I must be informed if any visits are to be made.

You are entitled by law to at least 24 hours advance notice of repairs/inspections visits, except in the case of a genuine emergency.(even then a decent LL would try to contact you as a matter of courtesy).

mattpenn wrote: »

When I wrote to the Lettings agency they said the landlord had arranged the visit and should have let me know.

If they are managing the letting they also have a responsibility to let you know what the LL & his workmen are doing.

mattpenn wrote: »

I do not know what to do now. I at least feel like they owe me a new vacuum cleaner but have no experience in these matters. ...

Did you immediately inform the LL and the LA about the damage & disturbance to your property? If you did, what have they said about it?

mattpenn

There was no emergency. I had no contact through post, phone or any other means to let me know they were coming.

by 'switches messed with' I meant that they had switched some off and some on - but not as i had left it in the morning. My hot water switch was off meaning that I had no hot water when I returned, and some rechargeable batteries had been switched on. The lights in my bedroom were off at the mains.

The damage to my vacuum was that they had broken the attachments door off that houses the various brushes and so forth on the vacuum. The broken door was in the cupboard that they had 'rearranged' my laundry in.
They left the vacuum, for some crazy reason, in the middle of my lounge floor.

I immediately wrote to the LL and LA and the LA replied saying that they take security seriously and had been contacted by the LL to tell them that someone was coming to collect the key.
They apologied and seem to believe that i would be appeased by that. To be honest, it has only angered me a bit more!

Thanks
Matt