Landlord wanting access

Dandelion

So I keep getting calls from my landlord asking when I will be in/ out of the property as he needs to get decorators in to decorate the hallways. At the minute I’m living in the house apart from the weekends when I’m at work, except from this week which I’m out of the property all week. 

I don’t feel comfortable atm with people coming in and out of the house with everything going on. He assured me that they’ll wear gloves and only go in the hallway, but I know from experience with them they often don’t do what they say. 

I’m just getting kind of annoyed with him. I’m obviously still paying for the house till my tenancy runs out in August, and I hate having to inform him of when I’m in/ out of the house. I’m alright with him doing the hallways, but if he needs to come into the lounge or bedrooms I don’t know how I’ll feel, but I’m too scared to say no to them. Hopefully he’ll get it all done this week when I’m out, but again from experience they never do things when they say they will. 

Laine

Hey Dandelion it sounds really awkward having to explain when you're there and not!

Is there anything you're worried about in particular? You said you don't feel comfortable with everything going on are you nervous about them touching things in case they have it?


Hopefully they can get it done in the week so you can just chill. I know it's annoying.

If you are worried about sanitation most viruses can only live on surfaces for a few hours to a few days. you can always give everything a wipe down and wash your hands after  

Dandelion

Yeah, I’m worried about them touching things, but also the fact that they might not get it done when they say they will so I’ll be back when they’re there. 

From experience they’ve been pretty awful throughout our tenancy and done maintenance work months after they said they would. It’s just annoying me a bit that they work they’re doing are for people living in the house next year. The landlord tells me that they need to complete the work otherwise it can’t be registered as an HMO and goes against the unis guidelines.  The house we’ve been living in all year that they haven’t cared about 🙄. 

I know it’s a bit petty but the amount of rubbish they’ve given us this year, I just get a little annoyed with it lol. 

Dandelion

I’m literally so annoyed right now. I’ve come back to my uni house the landlord has met me and explained that decorators have been in. As I looked around the house I discovered they have been into all the rooms not just the hallways as they had previously said. There was a skip in the drive so I asked the landlord where i was supposed to park as I don’t have a permit or anything for the streets he said there was nothing he could do about it. I then said as I was paying rent on this house still and we were in the middle of a pandemic I don’t feel comfortable with people coming and going. He then called me rude and obtuse. I’m literally sat here crying now. I get so anxious at the minute with everything going on and the fact that I don’t feel comfortable in my own home is adding to that. 

JustV

Definitely not rude or obtuse of you, @Dandelion. The concerns about people coming and going from your house are totally valid even without being in a pandemic; basic privacy and trust of which rooms they enter is important. And as you rightly said, feeling uncomfortable in your own home is the last thing you need right now when our own home is all most of us have got!

It sounds like you live with other people - what have they said about it?

Might be worth checking Citizen's Advice to make sure everything's legally above board. I don't know much (or really anything) about this sort of thing, but it might be that you have grounds to put your foot down.

Must be pretty crappy to be dealing with this right now - sending hugs.