Landlord frequently turning up unannounced.....

DVardysShadow

clark24 wrote: »

I have had more than enough of the nasty man though and I have had enough of allowing him to do this (although I am glad he was like this to his many other tenants, it helps to know it's not me it's him) so we are going to get our lovely solicitor to write a nice friendly letter to the actual landlord asking he politely leave us in peace, and if he doesn't then we will take things further. In the meantime I will keep a look out in the local area for other suitable rentals, as if he is unable to stop harassing us we will find a way out of the contract and move.

I would suggest you save you money for the moment. Write your own letter covering the same ground to the LL and save the solicitor for later.

Although I think the behaviour warrants a solicitor's letter - [and if creepy-relative-agent was the actual Landlord, this is where I would be taking it right away] - your LL is probably largely oblivious to what is going on. So I suggest for LL's sake, your own letter first.

Remember that your objective is to drive a wedge between LL and creepy-relative-agent, rather than drive LL into the arms of creepy-relative-agent. Give LL the advantage of knowing that there is a serious issue without the pressure of legal threats at this stage. I think it is likely to get a more satisfactory result.

faerie~spangles

OP, I came across these today http://www.californiashutters.co.uk/Temporary-Blinds/

michelle2008

This man sounds obsessive - to the point that he may have other issues. It is not normal behaviour and I completely agree you need to flag this up with the LL. cite the examples - no LL I know would care if the path has been swept!!

The LL may have no idea that 'keeping an eye' has been taken to this extreme and will hopefully intervene. If he was my relative I would be very concerned about him.

He may well just be very lonely - however it may sound callous but that is not your problem to address. Explain in the letter that his unannounced frequent visits are unsettling for your school age daughter.

I hope this will be resolved.

Oh and if he turns up at night and you see him peering in the windows call the police. This is highly suspicious behaviour - and not something you or your daughter should have to tolerate.

looby75

faerie~spangles wrote: »

OP, I came across these today http://www.californiashutters.co.uk/Temporary-Blinds/

ooh they look interesting. Our house is having a full renovation in September (kitchen, bathroom full, new central heating system and full rewire of council house) and we have been told we have to take all the curtains and nets/blinds down for the 3 weeks it's going to take. Those blinds could be an ideal option so we don't have to have newspaper up at the windows.

(sorry to go OT, just wanted to say thanks for the link)

paddy's_mum

Like so many others on this thread, I too hope that a polite but to the point letter to the landlord will get this outrageous and very unhealthy nuisance stopped.

However, in the interval, if Slimy Jim turns up again, there is a very effective reply that you can make to impertinent or intrusive questions. You just look at the questioner and say, in tones of outraged astonishment "I beg your pardon...!" It's a very sick individual who repeats the question, and if they do, you say the same thing once again. Eventually, even the thickest plank gets the message and yet you have not been rude or aggessive.

I have to ask this but has it yet occurred to you that what this man is doing is tantamount to stalking. That is very easily escalated into a criminal offence. Perhaps you'd be wise to put that little 'fact' into your letter to the landlords.

Good luck.

chris_m

Mojisola wrote: »

But if the police storm round and it turns out the man is a regular visitor, the daughter could get a ticking off for using 999.

If she uses the non-emergency number and the operator decides to up-grade her call to an emergency response because she sounds so anxious, that's not her fault.

Cobblers, he's not just a "regular visitor", he's an unwelcome regular visitor - verging on being a stalker, TBH.
If a young lass who's already nervous about him is alone in the house and he turns up looking in the windows again an emergency call is perfectly justified IMO.

note_2

what a weirdo, he probably doesnt realise how weird he's being but still....

if it was at night and he was peering in and opening windows i might call the police because thats just scary!

but of course talk to him and be polite but dont give the impression you are a pushover...

dont bother with buying blinds etc. just talk to people instead of using knee jerk reaction advice like some of the idiots on here.

londonTiger

there should be a online landlord review site for this exact purpose. Unfortinately because landlords often are self employed it may be libel to have such a service and anyone running a site like this has a lot to lose and little to gain.

getting solicitors involved right now is pointless, as already pointed out^, the only person who wins riht now is a solicitor.

Write your own letters, send them recorded delivery etc. Build your case up. If the landlord does not heed the warnings and still continues to stroll into the property unannounced then you will have everything on record and the landlord route may be justified as you can sue them and get some money back.

Also get a formal procedure in place, tell him, if he comes onto the property any more he has to sign a sort of "guestbook", with date, time, reason for visit and of course a signature.

This will be a bulletproof journal so if there is a case for breach of quiet enjoyment you got rock solid evidence of all the incidences.

You will need this because he is pally with the neighbours, so there will not be any independent witness for you, they will take the LLs side or won't bother to testify if it's clearly the LL at fault.

faerie~spangles

The weirdo is not the owner of the home you are renting?

Therefore he is a weirdo/creeper/psycho.

The police have to be called every time the self elected LL appears.

I would withhold rent for every day Slimycreep invades your quiet enjoyment, and privacy.

mumonashoestring

londonTiger wrote: »

You will need this because he is pally with the neighbours, so there will not be any independent witness for you, they will take the LLs side or won't bother to testify if it's clearly the LL at fault.

But is he? I mean, he says he is but as he's clearly a complete whackjob can the OP really take his word for it?

But that's all beside the point really - give your real LL the chance to call their pet idiot off, and in the meantime remember, within the law and your lease, you can do whatever you want in your own home.