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Landlord has taken my belongings

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Comments

  • RAS
    RAS Posts: 36,622 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    get hold of Shelter in the first instance.

    They may know if there is a tenancy relations officer with teeth in your area.

    OP - is it a shared house or do you rent a room? What does you contract say?
    If you've have not made a mistake, you've made nothing
  • thesaint
    thesaint Posts: 4,324 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    molerat wrote: »
    So you admire thieving scum then.

    Theft requires there being no intention of property to be returned. The landlord clearly intends to return the OP's belongings.

    I can see the reluctance of the police wanting to get involved in what appears to be a civil matter between someone that owes someone else money, and the other person holding their property for safe-keeping.
    Well life is harsh, hug me don't reject me.
  • TonyMMM
    TonyMMM Posts: 3,449 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Police will not get involved in this .... there is no burglary (he was allowed access to the property), and the definition of theft requires an "intention to permanently deprive" which isn't really present here either.

    Landlord is in the wrong, but it remains a dispute about money owed.

    Get legal advice asap
  • Annie1960
    Annie1960 Posts: 3,009 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    spidersandsprinkles wrote: »
    My housemate allowed him to enter the house. He then removed my belongings. The police have told me this is a civil matter and that I would need a solicitor, not the police.

    I know that he cannot do this but the methods I have tried in order to get my belongings back today, have failed. He refuses to return them until the rent is paid, which I absolutely cannot do for 2 weeks.

    Since the police refuse to intervene, I don't know what my next point of call would be. The Citizens Advice Bureau?

    Post no 6 tells you what to do.

    Your first step should be to ring Shelter.
    Your second step should be to change the barrels in the locks and tell your housemate not to let the LL in again.
  • thesaint
    thesaint Posts: 4,324 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    TonyMMM wrote: »

    Get legal advice asap

    Or pay the rent.
    Well life is harsh, hug me don't reject me.
  • Pixie5740
    Pixie5740 Posts: 14,515 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Eighth Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    thesaint wrote: »
    Or pay the rent.

    You can't get blood out of a stone. If the OP doesn't have the money then he/she doesn't have the money.

    Should the OP have paid their rent in full and on time? Absolutely but for whatever reason they couldn't/wouldn't. Surely it's better to try and come to some sensible arrangement so that the landlord gets the outstanding rent eventually...better late than never, rather than act illegally.
  • princeofpounds
    princeofpounds Posts: 10,396 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    As things stand it is a civil tort, although it may well progress into harrassment depending on what else is going on.

    http://www.thetenantsvoice.co.uk/blogs/landlord-rights-over-tenants-belongings/
  • Annie1960
    Annie1960 Posts: 3,009 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    princeofpounds wrote: »
    As things stand it is a civil tort, although it may well progress into harrassment depending on what else is going on.

    http://www.thetenantsvoice.co.uk/blogs/landlord-rights-over-tenants-belongings/

    Great links, should give tenants confidence to challenge unscrupulous LLs.

    Over £81k in damages paid to one tenant! It really is worth taking LLs to court.
  • suziqqq
    suziqqq Posts: 293 Forumite
    thesaint wrote: »
    Theft requires there being no intention of property to be returned. The landlord clearly intends to return the OP's belongings.

    How can you state the landlord clearly intends to return the belongings. Are you the landlord ?
    If i knew the answers to all the questions i wouldn't be on here :p
  • Gwhiz
    Gwhiz Posts: 2,322 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    suziqqq wrote: »
    thesaint wrote: »
    Theft requires there being no intention of property to be returned. The landlord clearly intends to return the OP's belongings.

    How can you state the landlord clearly intends to return the belongings. Are you the landlord ?

    I have a feeling the saint is in a trolling mood this afternoon. I'd simply ignore the fool.
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