Can my Landlady do this?

topdaddy_2

Missko wrote: »

But hey, why don't I just gift them the property! After changing the locks, they are effectively stealing! It's basically an act of passive-aggression.

How can you steal something you have paid for?:(

quidsy

Clearly missko has a confused view of what being a landlord, accident or not, is about. As long as they replace the barrel & give you the keys when they move out there is no theft, no breach of contract & no law broken.

cheesymash

Missko wrote: »

But hey, why don't I just gift them the property! After all, by changing the locks, they are effectively stealing! It's basically an act of passive-aggression.

Me and My OH changing the locks wasn't intended as an act of aggression, in fact I would say it was an act of defence against the aggressive behaviour of our Landlady.
I don't see how it can be considered stealing either - when you pay rent on a property you are paying for the exclusive use of that space for the duration of your contract. You're just protecting what you have paid for.

cheesymash

quidsy wrote: »

I read this to mean that LL had agreed that they would move out & no further rents paid. But as per my post, only hand back keys once she has signed amendment to lease AND all check out inventory has been done.

Yes This is what is happening, we will hand the keys back before the next rent day and no more money will be taken.
The Landlady has now produced a written agreement releasing us from the tenancy, but is refusing to allow the letting agent perform the end of tenancy inspection. She will only agree to end the tenancy if we agree for her to do the check out, and has chosen a time for the check out when she knows myself and OH will both be at work - She has also said she won't perform the check out if any third party is present, so one or both of us will have to take time off so we can be there.
I feel like she is deliberately trying to make things as difficult as she can.

quidsy

Just refuse then, stay in the flat, keep the locks changed & pay her the rent. I'd personally not accept any of her terms, just say, "oh well , if thats the case then no, we'll just stay till the end, viewings will have to be entirely at our convenience." and see what she says. if the agency is supposed to do the proper check out then she is trying to either get you in trouble by claimng she never agreed to to scam some of the deposit out of you. Either way, stay put.

A 3rd party being present has no effect on the early termination so she is clearly looking to do something underhand imo.

cheesymash

quidsy wrote: »

if the agency is supposed to do the proper check out then she is trying to either get you in trouble by claimng she never agreed to to scam some of the deposit out of you. Either way, stay put.

A 3rd party being present has no effect on the early termination so she is clearly looking to do something underhand imo.

The strange thing is that she handed the letter outlining all of the conditions of early release in to the letting agent, and asked them to pass it on to us...so they know now that she has agreed to an early release. So I don't know why she won't let them do the check out as well, she's definitely up to something but I can't figure out what.
We will take photos of the flat at the time of the check out so she can't claim anything was damaged.
Apparently she asked the letting agent if there was any way she could access the flat between now and when we hand the keys back. That's only two flipping days away so I don't know why she is so desperate to get in there!

quidsy

I personally would just tell her you disagree with her terms & that unless she follows the correct process you will be staying put until she does. Nothing is signed, your original contract stands. She has much more to lose than you, it is just now a case of whoeevr holds their nerve longest.

I appriciate you want out asap due to her being a nutnut but if you do this wrong she could make life very hard for you in getting deposit back & possibly worse, depending on HOW much of a nightmare she really is

Missko

OP, your changing the locks wasn't aggressive, it was indeed defensive because your landlady "started it" if you see what I mean.
What I was saying was that if my tenants had changed the locks before I'd even had a CHANCE to snoop (not that I ever would) then I would take that as an act of passive aggression. There were no others in the flat before them, only me. So no "scrotes" have any keys!
Re changing the locks being theft - what I was getting at was that I wouldn't assume "oh, that's fine, they'll change them back at the end of the tenancy", I'd be concerned they were planning on never letting me back in! Ie squatting! And that's just the way I feel, right or wrong.
For what it's worth, my tenants have NOT changed the locks - they had no intention of doing so. Because they want my mum to go in and check on their fishtank & plants when they go a way for 3wks in the summer and 3 weeks in the winter. Yes, such poor, badly treated tenants they are!
And a home and an investment are not mutually exclusive. I bought it primarily as a home but things change!
I have had no probs with my tenants at all - in fact, they even mended the shed roof themselves rather than bother me to get a handyman. BUT I get the impression a lot of you assume LL's are all money-grabbing so and sos. I am just a person who fell into it and am trying to do my best. My tenants moved OUT of a "professionally" run tenancy to live in my place so they obviously don't feel hard done by having an "amatuer".

Missko

Good luck, OP, and again, sorry for hijacking your threat it wasn't my original intention! It was just a general comment that I was surprised that tenants changed the locks as a matter of course and that I wouldn't like it to happen to "my" flat. Just my humble opinion and for what it's worth, law is different in Scotland anyway. Ie I and my neighbours have to fix the blimmin roof!

quidsy

And a home and an investment are not mutually exclusive. I bought it primarily as a home but things change!

Correct & it is now the tenants home & as such they can change the locks if they so wish regardless of whether you "snooped" or not. They can change it to prevent that situation even becoing a thing if they so wish, it isn't passive agressive, it is sensible.

You seem to be taking it very personally but you have made some uniformed comments regarding your tenants home & should take them on board instead of trying to justify why you think it is ok to have permenant access to someone elses home.