Do Landlords visit often?

MercilessKiller

I just hope he doesnt ya know come in one day while we're together or whatever and its obvious!! I hope your right and he does have to give notice contrary to contract.

newmoney_3

HI,

The following site has some good information in regards to this:

http://www.accommodationforstudents.com/info/Tenant%20and%20Landlord%20Rights%20and%20Responsibilities.asp

The phrase which is important is:

Landlord's Access to the Rental Property
The landlord must give the tenant at least a two-day notice of intent to enter the property at reasonable times. The law states, however, that tenants must not unreasonably refuse to allow the landlord to enter the rental when the landlord has given at least one day's notice of intent to enter at a specified time to show the dwelling to prospective or actual buyers or tenants. Tenants also must not unreasonably refuse the landlord access to repair, improve, or service the dwelling. In case of emergency, the landlord can enter without notice.

In my view when I was a student, most of the time they did come round whenever they wanted but I was lucky with my landlords as they rarely did actually come round.

I would expect that a landlord of a student property is well aware that there will be people staying overnight in the property at some times, but I expect the clause is there to stop you sub-renting part of your room or sharing the costs between two of you.

Anyway hope that helps.

Mr_Meanie

Both my son and daughter were each in rented accommodation for four years at Uni.

The landlord only ever came to see them twice in each property, the day when they moved in and the day when they moved out!

xycom1

^^ My experience is the same. My current landlord just looks around outside every once in a while and only comes in if I invite him in or if we have workmen arranged to visit to do repairs, etc.

My last landlord was always abroad (apparantly delivering boats...) - he visited once during the course of a year!

MercilessKiller

Brilliant

Well fingers crossed it'll be the same here!

kittiwoz

Your landlord cannot legaly turn up unanounced, whatever it says on your contract the law still applies. However actually seeing it is enforced may be a problem. Our landlord has been known to turn up and let himself in or send people round to do work unanounced who have let themselves in. In fact one of these guys was fortunate not to get whacked round the head with whatever blunt instrument came to hand by a female housemate who was rather alarmed to return home and find a strange man in the kitchen. Possibly if you do have any (legitimate) female housemates you could state this to the landlord as a reason for insisting he give the legally required period of notice and not just dropping in. The landlord doesn't come round that often though and we normally have an idea that he's likely to turn up some time in the next week before he does.

On the other hand if your landlord does seem nice you might consider asking him whether it's OK for your gf to move in. We have a clause in our contract prohibiting subletting but we asked our landlord whether a friend could move in with us (we had converted the front room to a bedroom so we had a spare room) he said it was fine but he couldn't be bothered drawing up new contracts for us all so he should just pay rent to us. I have a friend who moved into a student house where there was a spare room because two of the people on the contract were a couple and the situation there was the same. The landlord wouldn't draw up another contract but said it was fine for the existing tenents to take him in as a lodger.

MercilessKiller

Well its a house for 4 people and my girlfriend will be in the same room as me.. not sure if thats a health and safety thing on the tenancy part!!! either way, if he's hardly going to come round then there's no problem I dont think.

Its just i got scared at the thought he can let himself in any day of the week and go through our rooms/stuff etc... scary.

lellie

In our last flat our landlord often turned up with about 5 hours notice.. which wasn't really on, but they insisted that we let them in.. hmm..

I think our new landlord won't care as much.. student landlords are a !!!!!, but our new landlord is actually a lecturer at my uni so he should be understanding..

MercilessKiller

My landlord seemed ok in the interview. He was rather old and very open to ideas regarding decorations and networking (routers/wires etc)...

However obviously he was selling his property so had to seem good?!

Anyway, 5 hours notice is still prob enough! Enough time for me and Suzzi to run out to the pub !!!

Its just the on the spot entires im scared of.. but everyones seemed to reassure me this is illegal unless for an emergency of course!!!

Thanks for all your help!

xycom1

If there was any hint of someone just letting themselves in whenever they like then I would have something to say about it (and probably change the lock myself).