Landlord harassment

flavourofthemonth

I think the landlord is making things difficult. We've had pretty much a good relationship until the past few months.


He made a threat that if I didn't do as he says (move a trampoline) he would have me evicted. I challenged him on the fact that he has no right to make such a threat. He was also very rude and condescending. I asked him never to speak to me like that again. I asked him never to raise his voice to me again (he hates anyone sticking up for themselves)


The fact is, the trampoline has lived in this part of the garden for 6 years. Moving as I mow the grass. It has never been an issue before.


He has a habit of turning up out of the blue at all his properties and everyone I now that rents from him, find him rude and authoritative. He has turned up 3 times in 6 days this week to whinge about the trampoline.


We have lived here for 9+ years, made many home improvements via agreement and the agency have said some very nice things during their visits.


I'm worried that sticking up for myself and asking him to cease turning up without appointment may backfire. But surely, making threats of eviction for something so petty is ridiculous?


Where do I stand if he decides to give our notice?


We are honestly starting to feel harassed and bullied.

benjus

If you feel harassed you should report it to the police. It's not acceptable behaviour on the landlord's part.

If you are on a fixed term tenancy agreement and are paying the rent on time the landlord can't do anything to get rid of you before the end of the fixed period. If you're on a statutory periodic tenancy he can give 2 months' notice to end the tenancy.

Which part of the UK is this?

princeofpounds

You have a normal AST tenancy right?


During the fixed term, or during at least the first 6 months of the tenancy if he has a break clause, he cannot evict you for no reason.


After the fixed term, he can, using the Section 21 procedure (google it and you will find all you need to know).


There is another procedure for serious breaches of the tenancy, called Section 8. Only certain grounds can be used, and a trampoline is certainly not one of them!


So basically his moaning is meaningless until he can use Section 21.


Why does he hate the idea of a trampoline so much? Most landlords would not evict a paying tenant for something trivial, as they would just shoot themselves in the foot, financially-speaking.


If then it is just a case of getting him to leave you alone
1) write a letter to complain that his frequent visits are amounting to harassment, and set some ground rules for future access.
2) notify the police if he keeps turning up and keep a log of anything he does/says.


Harassment needs to be a repeated course of action designed to intimidate, and harassment by a landlord can be tantamount to illegal eviction, so there are legal steps against it.


But it requires a minimum proof. A landlord turning up every week for 4 weeks to moan about a trampoline is probably not there yet. A landlord who visits three nights in a row and shouts at you through the letterbox probably is.

flavourofthemonth

Southeast. After quite a few years it would be a shame to leave.


The letting agency have been made aware, we have had a good chat. They agreed the Landlord wasn't always guarded with comments he made to his tenants.

stator

You have virtually no enforceable rights since you are a tenant. If he wants to evict you he can, he doesn't even need a reason. He may have to wait a few months to get you out, but he will eventually. So any advice people give you will always be compromised by the fact that he can evict you.
So the question is, do you want to call his bluff?
I wouldn't bother with the police or making complaints to the agents, none of them can stop you being evicted in the long term (although the police may prevent an illegal eviction)
If the landlord is being a real pain it's best to start looking for somewhere else to live. Otherwise just be firm but polite. You can always ask for more notice of his visits, he can't force his way in. You can change the locks, but all of this may end up with you being evicted if you become a pain to him.

benjus

stator wrote: »

You have virtually no enforceable rights since you are a tenant. If he wants to evict you he can, he doesn't even need a reason. He may have to wait a few months to get you out, but he will eventually. So any advice people give you will always be compromised by the fact that he can evict you.

Indeed... this is the reality of renting in this country.

And yet some landlords still bleat on about how the law is biased in the tenant's favour...

G_M

Do you have a fixed term contract? If so, what start and end dates? You cannot be evicted till the end except a few reasons like non payment of rent.

If not fixed term (ie monthly), you can be evicted (by a court, not the landlord) after being served 2 months notice via a S21.

Read:

* Ending/renewing an AST: what happens when a fixed term ends? How can a LL or tenant end a tenancy? What is a periodic tenancy?

As for the visits, do you let him in? Why, if you don't wish to see/speak to him? Or has he a key and just lets himself in? If so, change the lock!

Of course, you have to balance keeping him happy (and hence not serving you a S21) against protecting your "quiet enjoyment" of the property.

Jagraf

What actually is the issue he has with the trampoline?

flavourofthemonth

We have been here for 9+ years and can give one months notice to leave and he has to give us 2 months notice to leave.

The issue with the trampoline is that it is unsightly (apparently the neighbours view and now his)

There has been a trampoline there for 6 years (not the same one) this one is less than a year old. Exactly the same as the previous two.

fishpond

Wouldn't it be easier to just move it?

Takeaway_Addict

fishpond wrote: »

Wouldn't it be easier to just move it?

choosing battles come to mind...