Landlord let himself in.....

Silverbird

This actually happened to me yesterday. I got home to find next door's key in our door lock and the door unlocked. OH took it next door (where the landlady lives) and she didn't apologise for leaving our house unlocked or for even entering our house and he asked what she'd wanted. She said, "Oh, I'd ran out of milk so just went in to see if you had any."

I burst into tears when OH told me and felt like I was going to be sick.

She has been entering our property regularly since we moved in 3 years ago to empty an electric meter that uses coins (our electricity is connected to theirs, so they get the bill and use our coins to pay towards it). We were very umcomfortable about her doing this, but decided to let it slide. Last night was the final straw. If she hadn't left the key in the door we would not have even known. I dread to think how many other times she's been through our house and looking in our cupboards and belongings.

The feeling of encroachment and lack of respect is incredible and I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

OH is going to speak to the husband - the landlord - and I will be purchasing a silent alarm so that I know if she's intruded again. If she does, then I will be taking the matter further.

I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with her entering the house on as regular a basis as she wishes, but I do require notice and I would want to be there where necessary. It is her house, but it is our home.

OP - sorry for hijacking. Really hope you get things sorted with your note.

sooz

silverbird - that is awful. I'd wouldn't speak to your LL, but put it in writing that this is totally unacceptable. [Even as your neighbour, I'd consider this an intrusion! I have my neighbours spare keys, but wouldn't dream of doing this.] Also, that from now on she must arrange a time to enter, with your permission or you present, to empty the electricity meter. I wouldn't put a silent alarm up, but a LOUD burglar alarm, & don't tell her the code!
Ultimately, it's up to you how far you want to take this, & if you want to continue living there, as she's both your neighbour & LL. Personally, I'd change the locks (with the same type, so no damage, & replace hers when you leave).

However, this is (IMO) a totally different situation from the OP's, where she gave the LL permission to enter, although without either specifying a time. I suggest you start your own thread, for other responses.

GrammarGirl

I had a similar situation a few months ago, I posted about it on here actually, and got some great advice.

My landlady came round to do a covert inspection without our permission and it just happened one of us was in when she arrived. Obviously we were shocked and annoyed that no notice had been given. When she let on that she'd been into the house previously without our knowledge, we started to get worried. I also felt my privacy had been invaded and felt uncomfortable and unhappy with the situation.

We wrote all our concerns in an email and passed them to our letting agency, who passed them onto our landlady. I know this is disssimilar to the OP's situation as it's a private rent, but it worked the same way as the note under the door would.

Our landlady came back round last night with a bottle of wine. She apologised profusely for intruding and said she just didn't think properly. She described us as excellent tenants and said she was extremely happy with the way we had managed our relationship with her.

I think speaking to the LL is the best option. Don't go in all guns blazing - just keep calm and be polite and friendly. I know it's unprofessional and they shouldn't let themselves in, but they make mistakes just like everyone else and having a quiet word with them is much more sensible than throwing the word 'pervert' around and changing the locks.

Imp

poppysarah wrote: »

And whether it's with permission or not you need a CRB check. Just because I send my kid to school doesn't mean it's ok if they don't CRB check the teachers.

How did we cope before CRB checks? It's a miracle I got through childhood without being molested, abused or neglected. What do you recon, 1:1,000,000 chance of surviving childhood before CRB checks were invented?

So, from the post above, anybody who comes into contact with children should be checked. How rediculous, shop assistants, bus drivers, bin men, me because I pass children on my way into work in the morning.

At 16 your daughter is practically an adult. She miss judged your reaction to her making a sound decision, and just needs to learn how you react to things.

mlz1413

silverbird I think you are being too nice! It's your home.

I'd get a copy of the tenancy out highlight the bit about quiet enjoyment and notice to inspect, write a letter saying it is unexpectable to enter someones home. Say that to empty the meter needs an appointment and suggest a once a month date and time that suit you. Advise you are changing the locks and that a spare key for emergencies will be lodged with a friend and contact details will be forwarded.

In the mean time I would put notes inside all your cupboards saying things like 'do you approve of my eating habits - no well sod off then'. Also put a note on the stairs saying that they have gone too far and to turn back.

You may not want to fall out with your LL but they have taken liberties that are totally unacceptable and need to be told so.

barnaby-bear

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Silverbird wrote: »

This actually happened to me yesterday. I got home to find next door's key in our door lock and the door unlocked. OH took it next door (where the landlady lives) and she didn't apologise for leaving our house unlocked or for even entering our house and he asked what she'd wanted. She said, "Oh, I'd ran out of milk so just went in to see if you had any."

I burst into tears when OH told me and felt like I was going to be sick.

She has been entering our property regularly since we moved in 3 years ago to empty an electric meter that uses coins (our electricity is connected to theirs, so they get the bill and use our coins to pay towards it). We were very umcomfortable about her doing this, but decided to let it slide. Last night was the final straw. If she hadn't left the key in the door we would not have even known. I dread to think how many other times she's been through our house and looking in our cupboards and belongings.

The feeling of encroachment and lack of respect is incredible and I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

OH is going to speak to the husband - the landlord - and I will be purchasing a silent alarm so that I know if she's intruded again. If she does, then I will be taking the matter further.

I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with her entering the house on as regular a basis as she wishes, but I do require notice and I would want to be there where necessary. It is her house, but it is our home.

OP - sorry for hijacking. Really hope you get things sorted with your note.

Aside from the entering/leaving insecure nightmare. SHE CAME IN TO TAKE YOUR MILK :eek: :eek: :eek: I was always told taking things without permission was theiving.... I wouldn't go round to my parents house with the key I have and take their milk leaving them without - even though they are family.... she cam in TO TAKE stuff!!!!

Silverbird

barnaby-bear wrote: »

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Aside from the entering/leaving insecure nightmare. SHE CAME IN TO TAKE YOUR MILK :eek: :eek: :eek: I was always told taking things without permission was theiving.... I wouldn't go round to my parents house with the key I have and take their milk leaving them without - even though they are family.... she cam in TO TAKE stuff!!!!

Yep! Precisely what I'm most upset about to be honest. She was going to steal that milk - whether she planned to tell us the second we got home or not; it's still stealing (taking without our permission). Absolutely shocking and I'm still feeling the shock about it all and still feeling sick and shaky. I made that point to my OH too - that I would be as equally mad if my own mother had been in to see if I'd got any milk. You just don't!

poppysarah

Imp wrote: »

So, from the post above, anybody who comes into contact with children should be checked. How rediculous, shop assistants, bus drivers, bin men, me because I pass children on my way into work in the morning.

CRB protects vulnerable people when they are put in positions of being alone with adults.

I'm fairly certain taxi drivers have to be checked - do you object to that?

Head-Out-Of-Sand

Silverbird - that is outrageous!!! I can't believe she was so hardfaced to be like "Yeh, I let myself into your home without your permission to rob your milk. What of it?!" I don't know how you've kept your cool, I think I'd have been arrested for a breach of the peace after I'd finished telling her what I thought of that!!!

A robust written response to that is needed asap I think. You do not, under ANY circumstances, have to accept this behaviour. That's outrageous. I have two lodgers and they aren't on ASTs of course, but even as a resident landlord, I NEVER go in their rooms without their expressed permission, and would only do so in case of a health & safety emergency. What other purpose would I have to go in there?

OP - I'd definitely approach this assertively but friendly - by the sounds of it, he may not be aware that he is causing you to feel uncomfortable - it may be that he simply thinks he is being a good landlord and doing his best to get repairs done quickly, without realising that he is encroaching on your privacy. If you don't feel comfortable raising it, do it in a letter as you have said or get your OH to have a word with him. Hopefully this will sort it out & he may feel terrible that he's overstepped the mark! Sometimes people just don't think stuff like this through.

If, on the other hand, he doesn't repond in this way, and believes that entering your property without proper permission is his right, you then may want to reconsider your tenancy with him.

Good luck, hope you manage to get it resolved amicably

jstvj

princeofpounds wrote: »

I want to make one thing very clear here - there is a suggestion above that this landlord may be a resident landlord, which would make the OP a lodger rather than a tenant, and give the landlord certain extra rights whilst removing some from the OP.

This is almost certainly not the case. To be a resident landlord you do not merely need to be in the same building. You need to be sharing the same living space. The usual test is whether the landlord and lodger share bathroom and kitchen space. From what the OP has said, they appear to live in a separate dwelling that simply happens to be in the same building.

By the way, having an AST contract between lodger and resident landlord is not 'illegal', merely inappropriate. Many of the contractual terms as agreed would still stand, but the statutory law applying to ASTs would not apply (various forms of protection from eviction, quiet enjoyment, deposit insurance etc.). It is wise however to get it right so that both lodger and landlord are fully aware of their obligations and rights.

As for suggestions of cameras etc being over the top... I don't think *anyone* is saying this is the base case situation. They are just saying that it would be wise to check. It does, on rare occasions, happen.

The situation with the 16yr old and the repeated entry is certainly odd, and could fall either side of the dividing line between voyeuristic and kind concern to get things repaired. We simply don't know. Even if slightly nosey it might be entirely harmless. But the fact that the neighbour has seemed keen to warn the OP and mentioned it is part of a pattern of behaviour that drove out previous tenants would lead one to legitimately conclude it is not so normal, on the balance of probability.

The fact that the landlord may be working with the gas system without qualifications is also a concern. This is just as much to the landlord as the tenant, because it is an offence.

A change of locks and perhaps a firm word is all that is required to resolve the situation. Either everyone continues happily with appropriate patterns of access, or the landlord evicts (with the required notice) in which case it is clearly not a viable rental in terms of security anyway.

Thanks for your advice, but after legal advice from their Solicitor my Local District Council were adamant that I am a resident and as I said confirmed same in writing. You are correct in stating that a AST is not illegal, but many of the legal requirements would be apply to a Resident Landlord. The Council thought I had issued ASTs' in case my circumstances changed at a later date.

Reverting back to the original post, I think many of the replies are well OTT. So many Landlords are accused of failing to carry out repairs and now this poor chap is being accused of all sorts of perversions.The Landlord sounds a very kindly man to me.

If the OP is concerned about him speaking to her Daughter, then I would suggest she simply mentions to the Landlord that she is rather shy and therefore, they would appreciate it if he would only deal with them in future.