Letting Agent let themselves in without permission...

G_M

Gwhiz wrote: »

I'm surprised some people are able to breath in and out without help these days.

More to the point, if I fail to breath out, whose fault is it? Who do I blame/sue, especially if I've made it clear to my doctor I want out-breathing as well as in....

franklee

Zoology_Dragon wrote: »

Seems to me that the main issue was that a time wasn't agreed. I would always arrange a time, apart from anything else I wouldn't want to be hanging around all day waiting for the agent to show up (I also do not allow access when I am not in though I work at home a lot so it's rarely an issue).

Agreed. It's not reasonable to just specify a day and then expect the tenant to be at the door within seconds before going in. (It's bad enough when delivery drivers ring the doorbell and despite my racing down stairs at top speed they are already off by the time I get to the front door). OP get a time specified for future appointments - you shouldn't be expected to be "on call" all day.

Gordon_Hose

Your wife was shaking and sobbing because of a letting agent she didn't even see (she was in the shower) let herself in the front door.

Really?

dodger1

old_fat_biker_bloke wrote: »

Umm, OK, I thought I made it clear, for the last 3 years we have told the agent we do not want inspections of our home unless we are present! So, when the door bell wasn't answered (sleeping/showering/toileting) she was not, by default, granted access; she should not have entered the house!! My understanding is the owner has given up their right of access for money. They and their agents are not allowed into the property unless agreed with the tenant.

Thank you for pointing out my family's feelings are irrational, I'll be sure to pass that on, give them both a slap across the chops and tell them to pull themselves together!!

So unkind and cold.....

Your original post said both cars outside. The agent therefore "assumed" that you were probably in especially as you had agreed to be. She may have thought for whatever reason you didn't hear the doorbell, maybe she should have knocked the door as well or rung the bell again before entering but just a very small error.

Your reaction and that of your wife is so over the top it's frankly mind-boggling, "wife trembling and in floods of tears" holding a polite note in her hands, "invaded and violated"......join the real world.

mai_taylor

If they'd walked in on her in the shower then I can understand why your wife would be so upset. Not nice to have someone walk into your home and speak to your child without your knowledge though. I'd definitely be having words with the agent about it.

mgarl10024

mai_taylor wrote: »

If they'd walked in on her in the shower then I can understand why your wife would be so upset.

I suspect that if the agent walked in on me in the shower, it would be the agent who was shaking and upset.

SnooksNJ

Caroline_a wrote: »

I'm wondering why the kids ignored it - when mine were young they wouldnt have opened the door, but they would have been calling 'Muuuuuuum..... someone at the dooooor!!!'

Since the daughter is so sensitive I'm wondering why the Mom didn't reassure the daughter that while she's in the shower if there is a knock on the door it's not the boogie man but the EA to do an inspection.
Plus you don't waste people's time making them come back later because you can't be bothered to answer the door.

RobertoMoir

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

Your wife was shaking and sobbing because of a letting agent she didn't even see (she was in the shower) let herself in the front door.

Really?

In fairness, the wife and daughter may have suffered previous trauma (e.g. being assaulted by a burglar) that makes this kind of thing difficult for them. While I'm inclined to agree with the 'over-reaction' crowd unless something of that kind has happened in the past, who are we all to judge, at the end of the day.

But OP - the point of posting for advice on a forum like this is that we're disinterested parties. I don't mean that we don't give a fork, but rather that we're not agreeing with you to get you to pay for our legal services and we're not emotionally involved in the incident in the way you are, so returning to the emotional distress your family feel is not moving things on here.

What will move things on? We've established that they shouldn't have attempted to enter the property but did, but did the best they could once the error was discovered.

I think we've also established that this could have been prevented by you taking a more proactive approach to this (e.g. replying to their inspection notice instead of ignoring it).

What else? What will make this right for you? What are you hoping that asking for advice here will help you achieve?