Gas Safety Check and annoyed LL (him not me)

Road_Hog

GotToChange wrote: »

OK - so I am the tenant. Been here 10 years. LL lives next door (not the most comfortable arrangement for a myriad of reasons).

Tell me, are you paying the same amount of rent as when you first moved in (or a very similar amount)?

poppysarah

To live there for 10 years has probably eroded your confidence if nothing else.

You have to make a decision and I think we have the same situation as we have in *so* many cases of people liking where they live so much they will put up with some pretty horrid stuff.

What do you want?
Peace and quiet and no mad landlord next door?

clutton_2

he has a duty under Health and Safety Legislation to provide you with a safe environment. A damaged stair carpet is not safe. He has a duty to replace it, but it sounds like he wont.

You do have the option of asking Environmental Health to visit and assess the property under the HHSRS regulations... but i suspect your landlord would go mental if you did that and he got a letter telling him to buy a new carpet....

As others have said... i think for peace of mind you might consider moving

Slinky

Reading through all this, sorry to hear what a horrible situation you are in. However if you've decided that come January you are off out of there, is it really worth rocking the boat now with the insistence on paying by cheque, changing locks, sorting stair carpet issues etc? It'll make life even more of a misery for the last couple of months. Surely your efforts would be better concentrated on finding a new long-term home with a better landlord than fighting battles with this one...........

With regards to the tree preservation orders and tax situation, remember revenge is a dish best served cold......

GotToChange

Slinky wrote: »

Reading through all this, sorry to hear what a horrible situation you are in. However if you've decided that come January you are off out of there, is it really worth rocking the boat now with the insistence on paying by cheque, changing locks, sorting stair carpet issues etc? It'll make life even more of a misery for the last couple of months. Surely your efforts would be better concentrated on finding a new long-term home with a better landlord than fighting battles with this one...........

With regards to the tree preservation orders and tax situation, remember revenge is a dish best served cold......

Agreed.
And there is only so much my poor little brain can cope with - so yes, priority efforts are going into finding a get-out.
(And of course the tax/TPO reports will come when I am looooong gone....:)).
HowEVER - I do believe that I have been walked on for a very long time and I should at least half-try to stand up for myself. It is a matter of my remaining - or trying to resurrect some - self-respect.

Just a thought: Am I wrong to think he should have apologised for his approach yesterday by now? Esp. as we are no further along with the really very serious (not) issues re. the appliances.

BitterAndTwisted

A reasonable person would be able to see why they should apologise but your landlord obviously isn't reasonable. Living next door for such a very long time appears to have changed your relationship from a strictly business one to something else. Very possibly reinforced by your own attitude of inferiority or helplessness. Not difficult to understand when someone has been bullied for so long.

In your place I would concentrate my efforts in finding somewhere else more suitable and put all this behind me.

sonastin

Until you get around to changing the lock, stick up a notice inside the house which reads something like "Letting yourself into my home without my permission is a criminal offence. Next time I'll call the police." Make sure it is positioned where a) he can't "accidentally" see it through a window and b) he can't miss it when he lets himself in. Might just surprise him that you know what he's up to and you know that he's not allowed. Might actually be a shock to him to discover he's not allowed but the shock might be what he needs. And if he acknowledges the sign in anyway, that's an admission on his part that he's been up to no good.

(oh, and make sure you have a copy of the relevant law to hand, just in case he decides to shout the odds about how he can let himself into his property at any time - always helps to have proof against idiocy!)

romanempire

Damn! Just read this thread and if you were my sister/friend/relative I'd be round like a shot to sort that cretin LL out.

I'm Midlands based and would be more then willing to help you change your locks. PM if that's any use to you.

I also rent and one of the first things I did when I moved in was change the locks. The LL has no legal right to let himself in willy-nilly so doesn't need a key as his visits will always be by arrangement. And who knows what key copies were given out by previous tenants so changing the locks was essential for the security of my son, myself and my property.

The other posters have given you plenty of clear information on your situation and that you are actually in a stronger position then you appear to believe. However some of your postings and concerns indicate that you misunderstand your relationship with your LL. It is a strictly business relationship. He gets money from you and you get a home to live in. Don't waste time on looking for apologies. Secure your home. Then either get your tenancy back onto a proper business basis or plan your exit to best suit you.

R.

Norman_Castle

Just a thought: Am I wrong to think he should have apologised for his approach yesterday by now? Esp. as we are no further along with the really very serious (not) issues re. the appliances.

I would use his recent behaviour as a reason not to speak to him. Explain this to him if he asks. If he is rude to you again tell him you will not talk to him unless he treats you with respect.