How often should the landlord visit?

melorablack

mlz1413 wrote: »

At least once in the first 6 months, if you stay on then probably 6 monthly to a year, always with written notice and at mutally acceptable time and day.

Repairs and maintenance are different and should be as necessary, ie once a year for gas safety and as requested for repairs.

Your LL sounds like a nightmare! The furniture you accepted the property with is the furniture that should be left there when you leave, you have been more than generous allowing her to move things in and out and I would put a stop to it now.

If she is popping in and out with handy men you should not be expected to have the house spotless, you are paying rent so it's your home and can live how you like and if you want you can fill every room with junk and tat its not your LL problem until you move out.

Re her request to visit I would write to her saying that she has already inspected the property and that you feel this is an infringment of your quiet enjoyment and you do not wish to have another inspection so soon as she has already inspected 9 times in 6 months.

Are you on a 1yr contract or was it 6 months and now on periodic? And do you actually wish to stay?

It was for 6 months which is why she came round in March, when it ended. But she hasn't issued a new tenancy agreement yet and to be honest we can't afford to move at the moment anyway and we would never pass a credit check.

The landlady is the daughter of a really good and old friend of my OH's parents. My OH's mum lived in the house before we did and she didn't visit once.

We have always paid the rent on time, paid a deposit even though none of their other tenants have done. Paid 4 weekly (£104 a week) because that was what they wanted (because their other tenants are DSS) for the first 6 months of the tenancy.

When we got our payments changed to monthly (£450 a month) because we get paid monthly so paying 4 weekly was just not practical beyond 6 months (we would have owed the rent before we got paid) she demaned £650 for the first month because of a 2 week discrepency which arose from changing from weekly to monthly and we paid it as soon as she asked.

When she does come round in July I am asking about this gas safety certificate I didn't even know about until now because none of her visits have concerned that.

And I don't think our deposit is in anything other than her bank account to be honest..... :rolleyes:

melorablack

superfran_uk wrote: »

I would tell her to get lost - it's not her home anymore. Obviously she is having trouble coming to terms with this! You can't have your cake and eat it too!

She has never lived here because she's too much of a snob lol :rolleyes: the house is in quite a "poor" area with a lot of DSS and the landlady lives in the "posh" part of the area. She is always going on about how rough the area is and has panick attacks if any kids walk past her car lol :rotfl:

She owns 3 houses in the street because her great-great-grandfather built them or something in the early 1900's and they have been in the family ever since (with the very same plumbing too I reckon lol:p)

ni_student

When I was an undergrad we had a landlord who let himself in whenever he wanted, at least 2-3times a month (that we knew of) there were times we were in the house & he would just let himself in without even knocking! He was a nightmare :mad: We were naive students though & didnt really know our rights at the time.

ss70

melorablack wrote: »

When she does come round in July I am asking about this gas safety certificate I didn't even know about until now because none of her visits have concerned that.

And I don't think our deposit is in anything other than her bank account to be honest..... :rolleyes:

You should have been given a copy of the gas safe/Corgi certificate when you moved in. (By law the house needs an inspection and certificate issued every 12 months)

http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqlandlord.htm#faq10

Without a certificate your LL is not bothered about killing you with carbon monoxide poisoning, she just cares about the rent money she receives from you.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme is a legal requirement, next time she comes round ask for the deposit back and If she doesn't comply report her.

silvercar

Deposit could be protected within one of the insurance schemes if it is still in her account. She is still required to give you the details of the protection. You can't ask for it back, but you can tell her that you will go to court if she fails to protect it.

Gas safety certificate is essential. Not that she would wish you to come to any harm, as that would effect her rental income, but it shows that costs are being cut.

ss70

silvercar wrote: »

Not that she would wish you to come to any harm, as that would effect her rental income, but it shows that costs are being cut.

It shows the LL is prepared to risk the tenants health for a quick buck.

clutton_2

i hate landlords who do this - you can get a safety cert for £55+ - no money - and i get peace of mind and so do the tenants

DawnW

clutton wrote: »

i hate landlords who do this - you can get a safety cert for £55+ - no money - and i get peace of mind and so do the tenants

Totally agree. It is even tax deductible for heaven's sake!

tbs624

ss70 wrote: »

You should have been given a copy of the gas safe/Corgi certificate when you moved in. (By law the house needs an inspection and certificate issued every 12 months) ..

It's not "the house" that needs to be inspected annually, but any gas heating system/ appliances.

Melorblack - don't put the gas safety cert off until July. Your LL is committing a criminal offence: to be more precise, she'd be looking at separate charges under the gas safety regs (a) failing to get an annual check completed (b) failing to provide the T with a valid gas safety cert and (c) failing to retain gas safety certs for the legally required 2 years minimum. Prosecution can be brought by either the local Council or the Health & Safety Exec.

Here's an example for you: link

On a wider note, it's right that your LL should get on with repairs issues but she has to arrange this at a mutually convenient time, and as the others have said, switching furniture around once the tenancy is underway is not on. Why the door re-hanging? Had there been problems with the doors, new carpets fitted etc? She is clearly having a struggle with the idea that when a T pays rent they have exclusive occupation of the property: provided that storing items there does not damage the property or invalidate the LLs building insurance ( if any of the items do not have appropriate fire safety status, for example)and you are not hiring a room out to others for the purpose, then she should have no say in the matter.

*Write*to the LL , formally requesting that a gas safety check is completed and certificate issued within the next 3/5 working days.If she complains about having to pay higher costs because of it being short notice that is not your concern: she should have properly planned to cover her legal obligations. She can set the bill against her rental income for tax purposes, as the others have highlighted.

Check for yourself with each of the three deposit schemes : link: whether your deposit *has* been registered and if it has not ( ask for written confirmation either way) , then you also request that she gets that sorted within a max of 48 hours. It can be done online, in 10mins and the scheme's prescribed information downloaded instantly to be given to you.

You *have* to protect yourself and stand up to LLs who behave like this: if you'd like to post back here with her reponses you'll get plenty of further suggestions

You could also ring your local Council's Private Sector Rentals Officer( may have an alternative title LL Liasion, Tenancy Relations but essentially same role) and make an appointment to discuss all of this with them. If necessary, they can talk direct to your LL and "help" her to understand her boundaries and obligations as a LL.

ss70

tbs624 wrote: »

It's not "the house" that needs to be inspected annually, but any gas heating system/ appliances.

Yes any gas appliances and flue which is in THE HOUSE.

You refer to any gas heating system/ appliances does this mean the landlord will have to inspect every gas appliance in the entire country!