landlord has turned creepy

[vladtheinhaler]

hello

i live in a 4 bedroom rented house that had a really good landlord until a week ago. when i moved into the property it was agreed that as i have 7 children things my become accidently damaged and that we would replace anything broken or go to him and pay to have damaged things fixed. however on my recent inspection, which was 48hr notices as apose to his usual notice of 1 week, he has decided that the minor damage to the doors (i have brought new doors and was in the process of fitting them) is total lack of respect for the property and when i said i have the doors and am fitting them them i could no longer be seen as a low risk tenant.

two days later he asked for a meeting with me and my wife during which he began to shout about disrespting my landlord and my
contractual obligation to respect him and his property. i tried to exsplain that i respect both him and the property and thats why i am fixing the doors. this i was told dosnt matter the fact that i disrespted his property in the first place was for him the line in the sand. he slammed a 4 month notice down on the side and said get out!! there was no resoning with him i offered monthly inspections and inspections once any work had been completed but no luck so i said ok we will move but he has now said i am not legally allowed to fix any issues we have created and he will contact my guarentor for payment of any works needing completing when we leave.

i walked away from the conversation as him slamming the notice down got me a tad wound up and i didnt want to give him an excuse by arguing back. he the preceeded to offer my wife a referance if she devored me and the potential to move back into this property if she divored me. but the creepy part is that he hugged my wife and forced her arms to hug him back. he also offered words of wisdom like keep your car keys close to hand so that she can leave when ever she needs, he also offered to sort her out a brilliant devorce lawyer also remember he is only a phone call away if she needs anything. he also suggested that he has been in a relationship like ours and i wont know what i have until she leaves.

im not sure what this dougebag thinks he knows but is that not a bit inaproprate? or am i getting pissed at nothing? he has only met me and my wife a handful of times so im not really sure how he has me all figured out.

is there anyone to talk to for legal advice on this? does this not change his interest from buisness to personal?

i would be thankful for any advice as this has really wound me up but i dont want to confront him and give him an excuse to call the police claiming threatening behaviour.

thank you

[Berlingogirl]

Wow! Your landlord is well out of order and his behaviour is inappropriate.

Make a note of what's been going on just in case you need it in the future.

I would refuse any further inspections unless you have a friend attending as a witness.

Change the locks, but replace the landlord's locks when you leave.

Has your deposit been protected in a scheme?
Have you got a gas cert and an elec cert?

[ash72]

When did you move in, and what was the term of the AST, as this will determine if the notice is valid or not in the first instance.

[vladtheinhaler]

Our deposit is in a scheme but he has said he will be keeping that. I wanted to change the locks as he has made it clear he will enter if he has to. can I refuse further inspections? I have a feeling he is going to say he wants to bring someone round to quote for the doors.

I moved in 12month ago so the contract has just run out but I'm not worried about having to leave.

I forgot to mention that he used to live in this house himself so knows all the neighbors who seem to always be looking at us or standing at the end of the path so he gets regular updates of what we do, he also lives at the other end of the road so can be here in an instant. we live in a small village so bump into him regularly.

I also wanted to say I am going through the council for rehousing, do you think I should tell them about his inappropriate behavior? they are going to phone him for some reason but I'm just worried that they may tell him what we have said and he makes life more difficult for us.

[jpkeates]

You are unlikely to get anywhere with the council as there is a national shortage of rental properties, so, while you should obviously try them it isn't likely to be a route forward.
They will also decline to assist you until you are actually homeless, and will insist that you do not move out as the landlord has requested.

You can change the locks and decline further inspections as a matter of law, whether that will deter the landlord in practice is another issue.

Your issue isn't really a property query, though, the landlord has assaulted your wife and you should report that to the police.

[hybrice]

Agree with Keates here, there's basically 2 issues at play:
1. Issue of a s21 with 4 months notice
2. Harassment and potential common assault

Re the notice, s21 is faultless, meaning he can issue it for whatever reason he pleases. Damaged doors, change in the weather, for sh*ts and giggles, doesn't matter. If it's valid (check it using the s21 flowcharts) then it's valid and you should leave. That said, in the meantime, change the locks (keeping the old barrels which you should switch back prior to leaving), and inform the landlord you do not approve of his behaviour and no further visits, with or without notice will be permitted, and that you'll be leaving at the end of the notice.

To the second issue, sad as it is to say - you'll struggle to move anywhere with this. You can and should tell the police, but a family being evicted making claims of harassment/assaults against the nasty-pasty landlord? Literally an everyday occurrence. Without hard evidence, you're going nowhere with it, fast. Eye-witness testimony is the lowest form of evidence and won't be enough to progress anything (unless you luck out and he admits to something when giving his statement...), if you have more (writing, texts, messages, letters, CCTV, video) then submit it all to the police and let them handle it. It's completely inappropriate, if it did occur but we/the police don't know you from Sam, you need to prove any claim you make. Just as we'd all like to be given the benefit of doubt if we were accused of anything.

[Lawcruncher]

If the OP makes up his mind to leave he must serve a notice to quit as the section 21 notice does not end the tenancy.

[nukecad]

I also wanted to say I am going through the council for rehousing, do you think I should tell them about his inappropriate behavior? they are going to phone him for some reason but I'm just worried that they may tell him what we have said and he makes life more difficult for us.

How far on are you with your Social Housing application?

I ask because if they are contacting your current landlord then the application is usually pretty far on (often called 'Offer of Interview' stage) and they are just checking that you don't have current rent arrears.
They are not really interested in anything else he says other than any current arrears.

There is no need for them to contact your current landlord unless/until they are about ready to offer you a property.

I've just been through this process myself and have now moved from a private rental where I had been for 10 years into a 1 bed Social Housing flat.
So it is possible to get Social Housing without being homeless, it just takes a while on the list/bidding on properties.
(It's been 5 years in my case, but I got here in the end and in a much nicer flat than some of the ones I bid on earlier).

[Hudson01]

The description of his behaviour would link him with a personality disorder, he is lucky you did not hit him ( a lot would), certainly change the locks asap, no more inspections at all. If he does turn up and start banging on the door to get in then call the Police and let them deal with it, explain why you do not want him in your home. As said about the council, there are so few houses now that it is really a lottery. All the best with the search but with such a large family it may prove even more difficult than usual.

[mokka]

Sounds like some sexual deviant. Report behaviour to police so there’s a record of it even if nothing is done. (Typical usefulness of the police).

and get yourself out of his rental if it were me ASAP.

[Jon66]

It isn't up to Op to report the alleged assault on his wife, that is down to his wife.

This all sounds a bit off. Is there a backstory here?

[vladtheinhaler]

what do you want to know?

[AndrewDod]

Apart from the other issues raised (with which I agree mostly), unilaterally fitting doors to someone else's property sounds pretty creepy and out of order. This sounds a bit of a manufactured story

[vladtheinhaler]

in what way is fitting doors to the property creepy and out of order when it was agreed that we would replace or pay for repairs? i think this was an excuse by the landlord as I have since learnt that he wants to sell the property (he's good friends with a neighbour who let it slip) I'm not in any way fighting the eviction I want to move it the things he said to my wife and suggested I was doing that I wanted advice for. police isn't an option as the village bobby is a friend of his. it was also the issue of him asking my guarantor for money and refusing to let us pay. he has contacted my guarantor and has told him he wants a new kitchen and bathroom because the new door will show up the old decor.

[jpkeates]

You can't normally replace doors (or do any kind of work) in most rental properties without the landlord's agreement.

Ignore threats about new bathrooms or kitchen.

You need to move out because the landlord has committed an assault and may do so again.
Being "friends" with the village bobby won't help as much as you might think.
You and your wife need to report the assault because if it's repeated it will be taken more seriously.