Issue with Landlord- can we leave?

M

mejulie805

Guest
Hi,

We have been living in rented accommodation for almost 5 months.
The landlord has always come across as not giving a care in the world about the house.
It took us three days to clean it when we moved in, there was a shopping trolly in the back garden we had to get rid of, and all the beds were so disgusting and smelly that there was no other choice but to buy new beds ourselves. Also, the smoke alarms did not work, and the gas boiler broke and it took him >2weeks to get this replaced!

The main issue we now have is that he obviously has a key of his own, and has repeatedly let himself into the house, provided electricians/plumbers/etc with keys to come and fix things in the house that we did not report to be an issue.

We never receive notice when he comes, and he will only call when he is outside (pretending he isn't)

We are at our wits end and think its time to move out! Does anyone know where we stand here?
 
I dont really understand why you would move into a place that took 3 days to clean and as for buying new beds yourself in a rented property, madness

It depends on if you have a lease or now, did you pay a deposit? Is the landlord registered with the PTRB etc?
 
I know, but it was a great location for a good price. And to be honest, it wasn't very obvious dirt (bottle caps etc in the toilet, nappies stuffed behind the sink!)
Yes we paid a deposit- 1 month.
I am not sure if the landlord is registered- how do I check this?

We have a copy of the agreement which states that under no circumstances should he enter the house, and that he has to give at least 48 hours.

Our problem is, if we call him up on it and basically say the lease agreement is void, can he kick us out immediately?
 
Is the lease for a minimum time like 12 months ? He can't kick you out without prior notice. You are well within your rights to ask him to respect your agreement regarding entry.
 

He can not say that the lease agreement is "void" just because he feels like it. It is a legally binding contract between two parties. If he chooses to end your tenancy, he has to give you:

(a) due notice, which if you have lived there less than 6 months is only 28 days.

(b) if he want to end the tenancy, it has to be for certain specific reasons, such as he wants to move into the house himself, he wants to put the property up for sale, or you are engaging in behaviour which is in breach of your lease agreement. He can not end it just because he feels like it, just because you kick up a fuss about his entering the house without your consent.

Tell him that you want your privacy rights respected and expect an adequate amount of notice for all future visits, as this in violation of your privacy rights.

If he plays hard ball, threaten him with the PRTB, which if he is not registered with them, the prospect of judgement in your favour may make him behave. If he has registered your tenancy with the PRTB (and I doubt he has) you would have received a letter from them saying so.
 
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