How can I find out who the upstairs landlord is?

tesspme

Hi, would really appreciate some advice on this!

We brought a ground floor flat earlier in the summer and the upstairs tenants are really noisy. We are particularly disturbed in the morning when they go to work - the man often shouts at the top of his voice and slams doors, and we're woken up early (around 5) most days. We've spoken to them many times about it very politely, but our relationship with them has now disintegrated. We really didn't want it to come to this, but have got to the point after 6 months where we feel like we have no choice but to complain to the landlord - but we can't work out how to contact him. The land registry has his name only (which is fairly generic) and gives no other address. Social media and google hasn't yielded anything. We've written twice to the freeholder and have received no response. He seems to be a very 'hands off' and does everything through a letting agent. The upstairs tenants claim they don't know who the landlord is, and won't give us the letting agents contact details for obvious reasons.

We aren't really sure where to go from here. Would a lawyer be able to help out with identifying the landlord? Or do we need to go direct to the council and make a complaint there?

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Slithery

If you did find the landlord, why do you think that they would feel inclined to do anything about it? If they're getting the rent on time then they probably won't be interested.

AdrianC

Escalate to the management for the block.

tesspme

Slithery said:

If you did find the landlord, why do you think that they would feel inclined to do anything about it? If they're getting the rent on time then they probably won't be interested.

Yes there's a very good chance they won't be interested but I'd like to exhaust all options before going to the council.

tesspme

AdrianC said:

Escalate to the management for the block.

Thanks Adrian. It's a terrace, and it's just the two flats so there is no management as such, just the absentee freeholder.

Hasbeen

Does the council have a landlord registration scheme?

tesspme

Hasbeen said:

Does the council have a landlord registration scheme?

There's a property licensing scheme for landlords, is that the same thing? We checked in September and the landlord wasn't on it, but didn't know whether it was worth following up.

elsien

It's not the landlord's job to police the tenant's behaviour. Your options are really the same as if it was an owner occupying the flat - going to the freeholder if you think they have breached any conditions, such as pulling up the carpet and putting laminate in; trying to talk to them which you've already done; going to environmental health if the noise nuisance is sufficient to warrant it; move; wait for them to move.
I do understand how noise can impact on people having had noisy neighbours myself, but I'm not sure what you think the landlord can do. They're not going to evict an otherwise good tenant if they have no issues with them even if they could at the moment with covid, court backlogs etc. 

oldbikebloke

You bought a flat. By definition it comes with compromises (people above, below, or beside you). Live with them.....  or move.

greatcrested

If this is Scotland, Wales, or one of the English councils where a property licencing scheme is mandatory, the LL is either illegally letting without being registererd, or the scheme will tell you who the LL is.

Not sure how, but teckie people might help you find old on-line adverts for the flat from which you identify the letting agent.

But as others have said, the LL can't do much. He could start the long-winded eviction process - but why would he? He could write to the tenants - but if they've ignored you they'll probably ignore him too.

No active freeholder.

So that leaves a noise complaint to the council eg

https://www.harrow.gov.uk/environment-parks/noise-nuisance?documentId=12444&categoryId=210270

NameUnavailable

oldbikebloke said:

You bought a flat. By definition it comes with compromises (people above, below, or beside you). Live with them.....  or move.

Wow, what wisdom.

People in flats need to be especially considerate of their neighbours. Some people just shouldn't live in them, their 'lifestyle' is such that it is always going to adversely affect anyone who is unfortunate to live next to them.

Whilst it may not be the answer I would always try a bit of a taste of their own medicine. If the guy gets up at 5am for work he probably goes to bed early too. Try playing music late at night a tad too loud. You can also shout and slam doors. They just might get the message after a while.......