Letting Agent Flat checks

willhub

willhub

willhub

Caporegime
Joined
3 Jan 2006
Posts
25,278
Location
Chadderton, Oldham
Hi.

As far as I know they must provide 24 hours notice, today my GF was in and they provided no notice and turned up, GF didn't let them in but if she wasn't ill and at home they'd have walked in without any notice.

What are the consequences for the letting agent if they do this? Or based on them coming to the door and trying to get in but luckily being stopped is there anything we can do in relation to this?
 
Google says:

Housing Act 1988, your landlord or letting agent must notify you in writing at least 24 hours before they wish to enter your home. Standard tenancy agreements will state that the landlord should ask, in writing, to visit only at “reasonable times of the day”, allowing you the opportunity to be present during the visit, give time to tidy your home, and arrange a witness to be present if relations with your landlord are poor.

They can't just rock up unannounced and let themselves in without breaking the law.
 
neil_g said:
Google says:

Housing Act 1988, your landlord or letting agent must notify you in writing at least 24 hours before they wish to enter your home. Standard tenancy agreements will state that the landlord should ask, in writing, to visit only at “reasonable times of the day”, allowing you the opportunity to be present during the visit, give time to tidy your home, and arrange a witness to be present if relations with your landlord are poor.

They can't just rock up unannounced and let themselves in without breaking the law.
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The one exception is if they need access in an emergency.

I wonder why the letting agent turned up unannounced?
 
This is the only country I know of to do these silly regular inspections... not the done thing in Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany or Poland.

As for what you can do... you can complain, in writing... you can also instruct them not to do that again and also re-affirm that they should never enter your home without your permission.

You can reject requests for inspections, even if they are written into the contract.

The only time they can let themselves in is for an emergency like a gas or water leak.

If you've complained and it happens again, then you could pursue breach of your right to quiet enjoyment of the property... you can use it as a breach of contract to leave the let early.
 
crinkleshoes said:
This is the only country I know of to do these silly regular inspections... not the done thing in Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany or Poland.

As for what you can do... you can complain, in writing... you can also instruct them not to do that again and also re-affirm that they should never enter your home without your permission.

You can reject requests for inspections, even if they are written into the contract.

The only time they can let themselves in is for an emergency like a gas or water leak.
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Why are they silly? Someone wants to see that their property is in good order I think it's quite fair.

You're just borrowing it. Rejecting an inspection is a one way ticket to being given notice to leave as soon as the contract is up in my eyes!

....you can use it as a breach of contract to leave the let early.
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Given your above example on rejecting inspection requests can't the landlord do the same if you reject the inspections that are written into a contract?
 
Vanilla said:
Why are they silly? Someone wants to see that their property is in good order I think it's quite fair.

You're just borrowing it. Rejecting an inspection is a one way ticket to being given notice to leave as soon as the contract is up in my eyes!
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It's a breach to your right of quiet enjoyment and privacy.

The lack of trust in this country is silly and mostly unwarranted.

Like I said, as a country, the UK is unusual in doing such inspections... it's weird.

Given your above example on rejecting inspection requests can't the landlord do the same if you reject the inspections that are written into a contract?
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No, because it forms an "unfair term" so an argument like that taken to court to force an eviction will be rejected.

At the end of the contracted period however, the landlord would be within their right to serve notice and look for a new tenant.

Most of the places I've lived have been ok... current house we've been here over 9 months and thankfully no request for an inspection.

There was one however, they started demanding 3-monthly inspections and that was just frustrating... even going down the route of "it's ok, if you're not home we'll just let ourselves in"... ummm... no you won't... it ended up getting quite unpleasant and that was the initiating factor... oddly though, even though we had gone into a rolling monthly contract by that point - we were the ones to serve notice.

I'd maybe be OK with one per year, prior to contract renewal so they can have an informed decision as to whether they would like to continue renting the property to us... but even that is unusual compared to all the countries my family or I have lived in where they just don't do it... you pay your deposit and if it's not returned in the condition it was given to you, then it's deducted from that and you're potentially chased for any extra.
 
crinkleshoes said:
It's a breach to your right of quiet enjoyment and privacy.

The lack of trust in this country is silly and mostly unwarranted.

Like I said, as a country, the UK is unusual in doing such inspections... it's weird.
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I don't think a 10 minute pop around once every 6 months is breaching quiet enjoyment and privacy. It's not as if they are giving you a prostate exam at the same time :p

Every country has their quirks and I think this is one of the least obtrusive and easily understandable - owner wants to check their property is good nick. I mean, in Germany when poeple rent they have to supply their own kitchen and remove it when they leave! How weird is that!

No, because it forms an "unfair term" so an argument like that taken to court to force an eviction will be rejected.
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...but the landlord and tenant act gives the landlord this specific right exactly. It's not just a contract clause it's part of law!

There was one however, they started demanding 3-monthly inspections and that was just frustrating... even going down the route of "it's ok, if you're not home we'll just let ourselves in"... ummm... no you won't... it ended up getting quite unpleasant and that was the initiating factor... oddly though, even though we had gone into a rolling monthly contract by that point - we were the ones to serve notice.
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I had this at uni. Every 3 months. After the first two inspections she realised we were not animals and we left the place in such a good state (cleaned, etc) she wrote us each a lovely handwritten letter saying she'd be our referee any time. 5 years later I took her up on that offer when I moved to Australia. They even called her up and she gave me a glowing review.

God knows what she had to deal with before us.
 
But 3 months isn’t even long enough to grow enough nice things and it was a ball ache having to setup and dismantle the whole thing every 3 months!

I jest... but turns out that was what it was... I had a noisy server in the back bedroom with the window slightly ajar and found out later the landlord was suspecting us of running a grow operation lol
 
crinkleshoes said:
The lack of trust in this country
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There is no lack of trust or silly inspections.

+1
Vanilla said:
I don't think a 10 minute pop around once every 6 months is breaching quiet enjoyment and privacy. It's not as if they are giving you a prostate exam at the same time
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letting landlord have a look around occassuonally builds trust, in my experience; and surpsised they do not request it more frequently, ideal occassion for renter to declare minor niggles - I would not be upset if they turned up on spec, like Hans Blix.
 
I recall a time when I was awoken to an agents viewing, I had just returned from NYC. Unbeknown was a viewing scheduled for my flat.

Let's just say, waking up and finding a lettings agent, prospective tenant's viewing a room whilst I am in bed; just comical (now). At the time it was like "am I dreaming"?
 
Our letting agent gives us about a month notice of an inspection and has even not done one as she thought we weren't in, even though they say they don't need us there. The same woman from the agency has even walked round back before and checked if the curtains are open in the bedroom in case my mrs was on nights. No hassle.
 
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