Help with eviction ASAP!!

preable

Hi

I am in rent arrers at the moment and my landlord came over yesterday and said he is changing the locks weather i like it or not and if i dont move my stuff out he will put it all in the garden.

Is he allowed to do this??

Am only in this mess because HB are investigating my claim saying they have paid £22 too much one month.

Please help

G_M

No, he's not allowed to do this. He needs a court order to evict you, and has to go through certain proceedures to get it. See Shelter here.

Change the lock yourself so he does not have access. Then write him a letter, sent recorded delivery, to tell him "I have changed the locks due to the threats you made to illegally evict me. I am keeping the original locks which I will replace at the end of the tenancy when I leave."

Keep a copy of your letter.

In giving the above advice, I am assuming you have an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). ie you do NOT live with your landlord as a lodger in his home.

Cannon_Fodder

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2264433

preable

Thanks i have read that and will refuse to move. Can i call the police if he starts throwing my things out??

adg1

No, he can't do this.

How far are you in rental arrears? If your 8 weeks behind he can apply for a Section 8 notice for posession but he can't turf you out. Even then, if you bring it back within 8 weeks I think he has to reapply for the S8 notice.

As a Tenant you are entitled to 'quiet enjoyment' of the property. It is your HOME and the landlords HOUSE - all he does, with you in situ, is own the property and act as your LL. He has very few rights to the property and you don't have to let him in.

If he goes down the routes he has to by law then you will find the notice takes a while, then, if you don't leave at the end of the notice he has to take you to court to apply for bailliffs to carry you out by your ankles. This takes time and it might help if you point your thuggish LL in the direction of the 'how to be a landlord' handbook.

Talk to your landlord and explain your situation, get a housing officer to talk to him and explain its their fault.

You are within your rights to change the lock barrels before he comes barging in which I would set about doing now.

Unfortunately this world is full of LLs who don't know the proceedures at all and how to deal with rental arrears and evictions.

Clutton and Artful will probably be along soon to expand and offer more advice from a landlords perspective.

preable

Cannon_Fodder wrote: »

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2264433

That was a few days ago i have since spoken to my landlord and says he is changing the locks on friday.

preable

How much will it cost to change the locks?? I only have around £120 untill next week?

G_M

preable wrote: »

Thanks i have read that and will refuse to move. Can i call the police if he starts throwing my things out??

Yes.

But better still, don't let him in the house. He has no right to come in without your permission. That is why I advised changing the locks yourself.

A locksmith will charge from £50 to £100 to come and do it.

But a new lock barrel and key ( not the whole lock - just the inside bit) costs about £5 - £10 depending what kind of lock. Quite easy to change if you have a screw-driver. Get one at a locksmith or B&Q or an ironmonger.

Best way is to unscrew the lock, take out the barrel, leave a friend at home (to protect the house!), take the old barrel to a locksmith and say 'I want another one like this'. Buy it, take it home, and screw it in! (Get a couple of extra keys when you buy it if you need more.)

If your front door has two locks, you don't need the friend. Remove one lock leaving the 2nd one locked while you pop down to the locksmith!

preable

Thanks My flat is in a house and there is a flat down stairs and he lets himself in through the main door. I refused to let him in the house before by leaving the key in the lock but he went to his car and got some sort of tool and pushed the key out and got in.

I was scared at that point. He is a bully and does not know that it is harrasment.

Fire_Fox

Call the police if your landlord does that again, he has no legal right to force entry into your home without a court order. If you have £120 can't you pay £80 to the landlord and live on £40? How hard are you chasing the council for your LHA to be restarted - have you advised them you are at risk of eviction? Have you been keeping in regular contact with your landlord so that he knows what progress has been made with your arrears?

G_M

If he tries to come in, threatens you, breaks in.... call the police. Screaming down the phone 'He's attacking me! He's attacking me!" makes them come quite fast!

But note that he probobly has the right to come into the house by the main front door - is that the one you tried to stop him entering?

It is your flat upstairs he cannot come in.