Shared accommodation above a pub - landlord using one room as an office?

lincroft1710

If you are out all day and the landlord has keys to the rooms then he can clearly access those rooms at present, should he so desire.

You are not renting a house, you are renting a room, the landlord has every right to use an untenanted room himself. If he chooses to live in one of his own rooms he is perfectly entitled to do so. It does not in itself interfere with your "quiet enjoyment", he would have to enter your room uninvited to do that.

In your case the landlord wants to use the untenanted room as an office, as I said previously this may offend planning law, but it does not stop you unconditionally from having "quiet enjoyment".

franklee

duchy wrote: »

You have rented a room - the pub landlord can use the common areas (and any empty rooms) now - and that won't change if he chooses to use one of the rooms as an office.

No. At the comment the landlord has the right to enter and inspect the shared parts. See the Rooms in a shared house section here:
http://www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2014/09/09/all-about-landlords-rights-to-go-into-their-tenants-property/

The LL does not have the right to cook his food in the kitchen or take a shower etc. If OTOH the landlord takes the spare room then he can use all the facilities which would leave the OP sharing these with the landlord. I can see why this isn't ideal as the OP won't be on a level playing filed with his new LL-housemate. It won't downgrade the OP's tenancy to that of landlord/lodger although new housemates would presumably be lodgers.

As for what the OP can do to object, probably a redundant question as he can be served notice as a retaliatory eviction should he object.

It maybe best to see how things pan out but be ready to move if the new set-up doesn't work for the OP.

OP, You need yo get written confirmation who your landlord is. You will need this should any disputes arise e.g. over deposit return. Write to the person who collects the rent asking them for the name and address of your landlord.

Also have you checked your deposit is protected and prescribed information served (doesn't that and/or the tenancy agreement have the landlord's name on it?).

schnide

lincroft1710 wrote: »

If you are out all day and the landlord has keys to the rooms then he can clearly access those rooms at present, should he so desire.

Except previously he wouldn't be on the rented accommodation of the premises in the first place, whereas now he'd literally be in the next room and it would be much easier for him to do so thinking no-one would know.

It's this kind of suspicion that having him in the property on a daily basis would then create. Not because he's an inherently dodgy character, but given the conflicting interests between two different types of people using the property, having been just tenants for the last five years.

schnide

franklee wrote: »

No. At the comment the landlord has the right to enter and inspect the shared parts. See the Rooms in a shared house section here:
http://www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2014/09/09/all-about-landlords-rights-to-go-into-their-tenants-property/

The LL does not have the right to cook his food in the kitchen or take a shower etc. If OTOH the landlord takes the spare room then he can use all the facilities which would leave the OP sharing these with the landlord. I can see why this isn't ideal as the OP won't be on a level playing filed with his new LL-housemate. It won't downgrade the OP's tenancy to that of landlord/lodger although new housemates would presumably be lodgers.

As for what the OP can do to object, probably a redundant question as he can be served notice as a retaliatory eviction should he object.

It maybe best to see how things pan out but be ready to move if the new set-up doesn't work for the OP.

OP, You need yo get written confirmation who your landlord is. You will need this should any disputes arise e.g. over deposit return. Write to the person who collects the rent asking them for the name and address of your landlord.

Also have you checked your deposit is protected and prescribed information served (doesn't that and/or the tenancy agreement have the landlord's name on it?).

The deposit is protected and has one of the landlords names on it, I think.

We have a very informal arrangement, to the point where we've asked several times who the landlords are and aren't and it's still not clear. Maybe this is something I should do in the near future, but at the same time we're aware it's sometimes best not to rock the boat.

Thanks for the great post and have a good weekend.

lincroft1710

schnide wrote: »

Except previously he wouldn't be on the rented accommodation of the premises in the first place, whereas now he'd literally be in the next room and it would be much easier for him to do so thinking no-one would know.

All it would mean is that he wouldn't have to walk up a flight (or two) of stairs which wouldn't have stopped him if he was determined to go snooping around.

If you are that worried and the landlord starts using the untenanted room as an office, then I would suggest you find alternative accommodation.

AliceBanned

It doesn't sound very considerate of him - after all although you are renting a room the shared areas are also your home. It sounds to me that is the reduction in privacy that might be bothering you - I would feel exactly the same. I have lived in many shared houses or rented bedsits in the past - it can be pleasant but it can also be an infringement, in general. I suppose it depends on what kind of a deal you are getting financially - if it is a similar cost to other rooms in the area then personally I'd move out if I were uncomfortable. But if it is considerably cheaper then maybe it is worth putting up with. A house share where people are on an equal footing does feel very different to one where a landlord is often present - especially as it is the only home you have for now. It's quite important that it feels like home and not like a business or that there is anything that feels creepy or unsafe in any way.