URGENT advice needed. Letting agent threatening to change locks on my door

angrypirate

You said you have an address for the LL - is it local to you? If it is can i suggest you go round and knock on his door for a chat? Be friendly and polite - no need to be aggressive with him. If he doesnt want to talk to you then walk away - nothing lost. On the other hand he may be interested, potentially upset and angry with the LA on how he is treating you. Have all paperwork to hand and maybe even your last couple of bank balances to show you have been paying rent (it may be entirely possible that the LA has been telling the LL that he is evicting you for not paying rent and then keeping the rent himself - i really wouldnt put anything past this LA). It can do no harm! As long as you only call the once and keep it polite its perfectly acceptable and would work for you if it goes to court (a judge likes to see it when someone is trying to work it out for themselves - but wont like the other party if they are being stubborn and refusing to communicate)

d.ross_2

angrypirate wrote: »

You said you have an address for the LL - is it local to you? If it is can i suggest you go round and knock on his door for a chat? Be friendly and polite - no need to be aggressive with him. If he doesnt want to talk to you then walk away - nothing lost. On the other hand he may be interested, potentially upset and angry with the LA on how he is treating you. Have all paperwork to hand and maybe even your last couple of bank balances to show you have been paying rent (it may be entirely possible that the LA has been telling the LL that he is evicting you for not paying rent and then keeping the rent himself - i really wouldnt put anything past this LA). It can do no harm! As long as you only call the once and keep it polite its perfectly acceptable and would work for you if it goes to court (a judge likes to see it when someone is trying to work it out for themselves - but wont like the other party if they are being stubborn and refusing to communicate)

I'd just like to add that you should take copies of all correspondence from the LA in case the LL wants proof to dump the LA

QuantumSuccess

angrypirate wrote: »

You said you have an address for the LL - is it local to you? If it is can i suggest you go round and knock on his door for a chat? Be friendly and polite - no need to be aggressive with him. If he doesnt want to talk to you then walk away - nothing lost. On the other hand he may be interested, potentially upset and angry with the LA on how he is treating you. Have all paperwork to hand and maybe even your last couple of bank balances to show you have been paying rent (it may be entirely possible that the LA has been telling the LL that he is evicting you for not paying rent and then keeping the rent himself - i really wouldnt put anything past this LA). It can do no harm! As long as you only call the once and keep it polite its perfectly acceptable and would work for you if it goes to court (a judge likes to see it when someone is trying to work it out for themselves - but wont like the other party if they are being stubborn and refusing to communicate)

Hi I do have an address for the LL and it is outside of London and I'm not sure how I'd get there. I did send a very pleasant letter along with copies of the LA's correspondence to me. I sent it first-class Recorded Delivery on Monday and it's still not arrived (another letter to somebody else I also sent that day first-class Recorded has also not arrived). Bit annoying as it means that LL does not have all the info yet. If it's not arrived by tomorrow I might re-send it using Next Day Delivery

dancingfairy

It seems you really need to wait for a reply from the LL before you can begin to establish what is really going on.
In the meantime I guess you are getting on to the tenancy person at the council, the fire brigade officer, the police and also Shelter?
I also suspect that the LA may well start sending you further random emails as they seem to have so far and almost certainly when the LL gets involved and rattles their cage.
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jamie11

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned yet that your contract is not with the letting agent, but with the landlord. While the letting agent can actually issue notices to you on behalf of he landlord, he cannot instigate court proceedings, that has to be done by the landlord. There are always 2 contracts in a 'letting through agents' situation, one with the LL and LA, and another with LL and you.

So do not be frightened of this bully.

When you do contact the landlord I will be surprised if he even knows about this, who would want to get rid of a long standing tenant over such a petty issue?

The bit about threatening to make you pay all those expenses is pure bull puckey.

d.ross_2

Correct me if I am wrong, but I understand from the OP's posts that they are a single female living in the property? If this is the case then I would be very concerned about the LA trying to gain access.

QuantumSuccess

d.ross wrote: »

Correct me if I am wrong, but I understand from the OP's posts that they are a single female living in the property? If this is the case then I would be very concerned about the LA trying to gain access.

Yes that is correct. And I do feel very frightened indeed. If he does try to get in I will call the police. Does that sound reasonable for me to do that?

DON79

QuantumSuccess wrote: »

Yes that is correct. And I do feel very frightened indeed. If he does try to get in I will call the police. Does that sound reasonable for me to do that?

Yes! just call the police and say someone is trying to force your door. They will be out asap!

GDB2222

QuantumSuccess wrote: »

Yes that is correct. And I do feel very frightened indeed. If he does try to get in I will call the police. Does that sound reasonable for me to do that?

Yes, of course call the Police, but in practice they might try and poke their head round the door if you are not in, but they are not going to come in and molest you.

If you are in and he sticks a key in the door and lets himself in, just tell him to get out or you will call the Police. You know perfectly well that he will go. You don't need to become frantic about this.

anselld

QuantumSuccess wrote: »

I think that time has come. Anyone know what laws he might be breaking in terms of the harassment? It's well worth spending money on a solicitor giving this pratt a warning.

The Protection from Eviction Act 1977
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1977/43