Is my letting agent allowed to just walk into my home unannounced?

PeppermintPattie

I've been renting a flat in the private sector via a letting agency for the past 4 years. I'm also disabled (mental health). For the first 3 years and 9 months my rental payments were flawless, on time or early each month. In the past 3 months my health has been failing, I've only been able to work part time, and I am in a dreadful financial state to be perfectly honest. Earlier this year, I missed a month's rent, leaving me one month in arrears. The owner of the letting agency arrived at my door. I didn't hear him knock but I was alerted to his presence because the key was turning in the lock. He just let himself in! He claims he knocked first. He then started talking about my "serious rent arrears" in a very loud voice. He asked me to hand over cash. He did acknowledge that I'd never been late with my rent before. He went away but entered my flat again a few days later. It's quite possible he comes in when I am at work, also. I was able to bring the rent up to date a few days later by pawning and selling everything of any value that I own.

However, my rent is now one month late again. Today he has been round again. Again, I was alerted to his presence when I heard somebody frantically turning the handle on my front door and inserting a key.

Is he allowed to just enter my home like this? Wouldn't the normal thing be to phone or write to the person? To give some context: I'm on a normal AST contract, there's been no court action, the most arrears I've ever had is one month's rent, there's been no formal notice sent through the post or anything.

I'm in a dreadful anxious state and due to my health problems it takes me several days to calm down. I'm working with my carer and a debt adviser to pay off my arrears.

lewishardwick

No he is not.

Next time call the police and say there's a trespasser who wont leave and is demanding money from you.

PeppermintPattie

I'm still shaking

Would calling the police just get me evicted though?

lincroft1710

PeppermintPattie wrote: »

Would calling the police just get me evicted though?

Not paying your rent is more likely for the eviction process to be put in motion

PeppermintPattie

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Not paying your rent is more likely for the eviction process to be put in motion

thanks for your help

lewishardwick

If they want you out, they'll get you out.

If you're in arrears, I believe is has to be two months in arrears before they can issue a Section 8 eviction notice.

If the agent is acting on behalf of the landlord, they should give you a minimum of 24 hours notice to visit the property, even then you do not have the grant access.

Call them, tell them to not enter the property without permission again or you'll call the police.

I'm assuming from your username, you're a woman, do you live on your own?

Dialing 999 telling them you're a vulnerable woman on her own and a strange man has just let himself into your home and is demanding money should get their attention.

davidmcn

Also, change the lock.

PeppermintPattie

Hi Lewis,

The CAB says that with one month of arrears they could not kick me out just like that and that the threshold would be two months arrears. My rent arrears are not going to increase and I'll be paying them off gradually. Yes I'm a single woman living alone. The landlord wants me to stay.

booksurr

PeppermintPattie wrote: »

The landlord wants me to stay.

that is a very positive statement and is a massive help to you

the agent works for the LL. Therefore if the LL is aware of your financial situation and is being supportive you should write to the LL and tell him that his agent is behaving in a manner which if continued could lead to e claim of harassment - that is an offence

you should ask your LL to instruct his agent to behave in a more professional manner and not to carry on the way he has to date

Cakeguts

No one is just allowed to enter your home unless you give them permission. The landlord may not know what his letting agent is up to. He needs to know.

Smodlet

What these guys said. They are far more au fait with the legal aspects than I, I'm guessing from our previous... discussions but even 30 years ago when I was renting privately, the LL was not allowed to let himself in and had to give 24 hours notice. Call the police! If he does it again, ask yourself what you, a woman alone in a property, would do if it were a burglar/would be attacker. I am not advocating violence but I think picking up a blunt object of some kind and then saying, "oh, I thought it was a burglar" might just give him pause... what do you think?