Tenant rights re inspections

pinkteapot

We're just starting a rental, and we've gone through an agent for the first time. They said they do inspections every 8-12 weeks. I'm a bit worried about them potentially coming in when we're not home, as we have a house cat who must not be allowed out. I worry about them opening the front door and letting kitty out accidentally.

Am I right in thinking they have to give 24 hours' notice?

Hubby and I both work office hours, and the agent is only open Mon-Fri 9-5, so the trouble is we'll need to get time off work in order to be present, so I'm fretting about not being able to do that on short notice.

Do we have any right to say that we don't want them entering without us present? I appreciate we'll have to work out a way to be there when they need us to be.

Just not sure how best to manage it and want to check what our rights are so I don't annoy them by sounding unreasonable...

Comms69

Just change the locks.


If they complain - you know they tried to enter without permission / notice

davidmcn

pinkteapot wrote: »

the agent is only open Mon-Fri 9-5

That doesn't necessarily mean they're the only times during which they do inspections. They'll be used to other tenants also being out during normal working hours.

Annabee

Every 8-12 weeks for inspections is excessive. I would hate this. OK, maybe at the end of your first 8-12 weeks living there, just to check the new tenant is not trashing the place, that might be understandable, but after that? It will quickly become very intrusive and inconvenient.

About every 6 months is the most I'd tolerate, any more than that and I'd be arguing with them, or looking to move.

I doubt there is a genuine reason for inspecting so frequently, I'd imagine it's because they want to make a charge to the landlord everytime they go round, and see it as easy money. Or maybe they want to recommend work to be done, again as a way of making money.

pinkteapot

We're (I'm ) excessively house proud and clean and tidy (and have always had a professional cleaner). I'm hoping after one or two inspections they'll relax and come less often.

As we always keep our place clean I don't really mind them coming as we won't need to have a mad cleaning session before they turn up. It's just the (probably ridiculous sounding) concern about whether they can insist on visiting when we're not there if we can't accommodate them quickly enough, because of worries about the cat!

It's been years since we last rented. We're selling and relocating to another part of the country though, so wanted to rent before buying so we can explore properly. The area we're heading to has VERY few rentals so finding one was a bit of a nightmare and we couldn't pick and choose between agents.

pinkteapot

So, to check - do they have to give at least 24 hours' notice?

And I assume we have to give 'reasonable access' or similar?

Comms69

pinkteapot wrote: »

So, to check - do they have to give at least 24 hours' notice?

And I assume we have to give 'reasonable access' or similar?

Let's put it this way. If you change the locks and ignore them - there's not a lot they can do about it.

tacpot12

They do have to give 24 hours notice, but this could be by mobile phone if you are prepared to accept it in this way. Most letting agents will be respectful of your right to privacy, and will not want cause you or kitty any undue stress.

I would drop them an email to explain the situation that you need to be in during inspections so that you can manage the cat. You can also suggest to them that while having the first inspection within 8-12 weeks is ok with you, you don't expect inspections to be any more often than you agreed in your tenancy agreement. If you have already agrees to have inspections every 8-12 weeks, then you need to either take time off work, find another way to manage the cat, or find somewhere to move to.

PasturesNew

It makes you wonder what they're there for ..... if it's to see if you've turned it into a cannabis farm they could do this remotely via phone cameras or webcams ....

If it's to check the state of fixing/fitments they could do that with a webcam by asking you to "hold it a bit closer" and asking you how it performs.

If it's to have a nosey .... then you'd think they'd have better things to do with their time.

theartfullodger

pinkteapot wrote: »

So, to check - do they have to give at least 24 hours' notice?

And I assume we have to give 'reasonable access' or similar?

Sort of: For a VERY long discussion of this see over here...
https://forums.landlordzone.co.uk/forum/residential-letting-questions/27235-l-s-right-of-access-for-inspection-or-viewing

- but I agree, simply instruct them when you will permit inspections in writing, calm & polite - eg see below..***) and change locks.

***
"Dear Mr Agent:


We are of course willing and able to permit inspections at reasonable times and frequency, in line with the Landlord & Tenant Act s11(6) , see...
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/70/section/11

(6) In a lease in which the lessor’s repairing covenant is implied there is also implied a covenant by the lessee that the lessor, or any person authorised by him in writing, may at reasonable times of the day and on giving 24 hours’ notice in writing to the occupier, enter the premises comprised in the lease for the purpose of viewing their condition and state of repair.

- but note that permission will only be granted in response to a letter from yourselves or the landlord, by reply by letter, and until that is provided you do not have our permission to inspect.


Yours, Mr Tenant""""



But expect possible s21 eviction after end of fixed term





Artful: (Landlord.. btw...)

Dorian1958

What the agent said doesn't matter, what you agreed in writing in the lease does. 8 - 12 weeks sounds like a settling in inspection. One way of looking at this is to think of it as an opportunity to bring to the agent's attention anything you are not happy about (making sure this documented). The notice period should also be listed in the lease. They can't just let themselves into your home without your permission. IMHO changing the locks and ignoring them is not a good basis for a mutually good working relationship ; if you do that, what do you think might happen if you subsequently want something fixed?