Landlady coming into our apartment??

meganj

Hi,

I'm in desperate need of some boardsie advice!

I am currently living with my partner in a one bedroomed apartment in Kildare. I'm currently attending college and my partner is currently unemployed.

I was at home studying when there was a knock on my door, I didn't answer the door immediately as where we live is very private and there is no doorbell which means that anyone who wishes to visit us must contact us first so I presumed that it was a mistake, that the person was looking for our neighbor.

However when I got up to answer the second knock, I heard a key in the door, startled I opened the door where my landlady was standing with her key to the apartment in the door.

Needless to say I was shocked that she would assume we weren't there and would continue to just let herself in. She gave us no notice that she would be coming and I am now very concerned about my rights and also I'm afraid that our landlady might make a habit of coming into our apartment when we are not there. It turns out that she was doing some sort of evaluation with a man who had a clipboard and he "just wanted to have a look around". I did not let them in as I was too freaked out and also I didn't want to set any sort of precedence. But I did say they could come back tomorrow.

I'm reluctant to get into an argument with our landlady over this mainly because my boyfriend will be applying for rent allowance soon and I don't want bad blood between the landlord and ourselves. Up until this point we have had no problems and we love our apartment, I have never met the landlady as we did all our dealings with the estate agent. I must admit I'm really freaked out, my hands are shaking and obviously I know I'm probably over reacting but I feel kind of violated or something that our landlady may be in our apartment without our knowledge.

I really need some advice about how best to proceed.

Thanks!

i71jskz5xu42pb

meganj wrote: »

I really need some advice about how best to proceed.

You're going to have to talk to her or the estate agent and make it clear that you don't want her in the apartment when you are not there. I don't know what other advice you expect?

She does not have the right to enter the apartment without your permission.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/housing/renting-a-home/landlords_rights_and_obligations

You do not have the right to:

* Enter your tenants’ home without permission

meganj

Thanks PMan. I suppose I'm really just looking for someone to say "That happened to me and this is what I did about it". I know the landlord has no right to enter our property without our permission but it didn't stop her.

ToniTuddle

I had that experience but it wasn't with the landlord....the security guards who looked after the apartment blocks use to wander into my apartment many times.
They got away with it as many little 17/18 year olds didn't know they weren't allowed to do it!

One specific building is notorious for the landlady entering the flats without the tenants permission. I won't go into details as she is basically a nutjob and don't want you thinking your landlady could be like that!!

I think landlords are allowed to enter your house/apartment without your permission, if they think there is something wrong. Like a fire, flooding things like that.

As for the man who had the clipboard....?? Maybe he was some insurance dude she was getting to evaluate the place. Either way you should discuss this with her. You are totally within your rights to discuss it-in a nice calm and casual manner. If you feel she isn't getting the message maybe be a bit firmer about it all.

Nothing worse than thinking people are letting themselves into your house.
Makes me sick and angry after my experiences.

xoxyx

You poor thing. I had somebody knocking on my door the other night and trying to use their key to get it. Turns out they were drunk and at the wrong door but it frightened the crap out of me! Being a girl alone at home and hearing a key at your door when you're not expecting anybody is really scary!
When your landlady calls over with the clipboard guy tomorrow, just tell her that you really didn't appreciate her turning up unannounced. Explain that it gave you a fright and that you can't feel comfortable in what is your own home at the moment if you're worried about somebody barging in at you at any time. What if you and your boyfriend had been trying out a new kitchen table or something and didn't hear her come in? That would be embarrassing for everyone!!
Hopefully, without having to get into legalities, she'll get the hint. She probably still thinks of the place as her own, but just try to make her realise that you're paying rent and it's your place right now.

Yes this happened to me before. It wasn't actually the landlady but her dad as he looked after the property - she lived in the states.

Years ago I was renting a house, came home a week after I had moved in and there was a message on the answering machine from the dad. Now I hadn't given him the new phone number and we were ex directory so the only way he could have left this message was by coming in when we weren't there and seeing the number written on the telephone table.

I rang him immediately and stated my rights. I told him that under no circumstances was he allowed into "my home" without my permission unless there was an emergency. He got very very snotty with me, called over with a spare key and told me I was a rude little girl blah blah blah, I told him that I could have been in the shower, I could have been in the house naked (which I'm fully entitled in "my home" and that if it happened again I would be breaking the contract. He was majorly pissed off with me.

A few days alter I received a letter from him apologising and saying that it would never happen again. I firmly believe that he mentioned it to his landlady daughter who told him he was completely wrong.

OP, ring the lady, tell her that you are extremely unhappy, that she has signed a contract which effectively makes this your home now and that you need to feel safe in your home which you now do not. You are under no obligation whatsoever to answer the door if you do not want to but that should in no way put you at risk.

Have you already agreed with her that you will be paying by rent allowance?

meganj

Thanks everyone.

I was just so upset at the thought that she would be in my apartment. I just had a word with our neighbors and they just said that they've had no problems with her and think she's very nice. So at least I know this is probably a once off and purely due to the fact that she didn't have our phone number. She's coming back tomorrow and I think I will just say that I was very freaked out when I heard the key in the door and that in future she should contact me directly and make sure she has my phone number. I do want to keep it nice and casual as I know what its like to have a bad relationship with your landlord.

Thanks everyone I feel much calmer know. I shall let you know how it goes hopefully she won't be a crazy person!

eth0_

ToniTuddle wrote: »

I had that experience but it wasn't with the landlord....the security guards who looked after the apartment blocks use to wander into my apartment many times.

What sort of crazy apartment complex do you live in where the security guard has a key to each apartment?!?

Doop

eth0_ wrote: »

What sort of crazy apartment complex do you live in where the security guard has a key to each apartment?!?

I suspect some sort of college/ campus accomadation.... due to the average age....

ToniTuddle wrote: »

I had that experience but it wasn't with the landlord....the security guards who looked after the apartment blocks use to wander into my apartment many times.
They got away with it as many little 17/18 year olds didn't know they weren't allowed to do it!

the_syco

eth0_ wrote: »

What sort of crazy apartment complex do you live in where the security guard has a key to each apartment?!?

Sounds like a master key, or another type of key that opens all doors. Forget the name. If the entire building housed students, I'd say it'd be written in their contract that the security guy could come in if X happened. And X could be a vague term.

eth0_

the_syco wrote: »

Sounds like a master key, or another type of key that opens all doors. Forget the name. If the entire building housed students, I'd say it'd be written in their contract that the security guy could come in if X happened. And X could be a vague term.

Ah, that makes sense. It's probably not illegal for them to do this either, as student accommodation is not subject to the same laws as private accom.

ToniTuddle

eth0_ wrote: »

What sort of crazy apartment complex do you live in where the security guard has a key to each apartment?!?

Doop wrote: »

I suspect some sort of college/ campus accomadation.... due to the average age....

eth0_ wrote: »

Ah, that makes sense. It's probably not illegal for them to do this either, as student accommodation is not subject to the same laws as private accom.

It wasn't only student accomodation though. There were regular folks with jobs living there. Couples etc. It was regular blocks of apartments rented out to whoever wanted them.
Security men did have keys no doubt but they would just walk on into our apartment(if door was unlocked) or else on the rare occasion if they knocked-once we would open the door they would walk on in, sit down and want a cup of tea.

They had waaaaay too much control and power, nobody stood up to them for fear of hassle. Dirty old perverts.

It was completely illegal for them to do that. I never heard anything about this whole student accomodation not being subject to the same laws as private accomodation??
I'm now living in a house as I don't think I could live in a block of apartments again.

eth0_

ToniTuddle wrote: »

on the rare occasion if they knocked-once we would open the door they would walk on in, sit down and want a cup of tea.

They had waaaaay too much control and power, nobody stood up to them for fear of hassle. Dirty old perverts.

Was this in Ireland? I'm really shocked!

ToniTuddle wrote: »

I never heard anything about this whole student accomodation not being subject to the same laws as private accomodation??

Yep...don't know the technicalities of it, but it's not a standard tenancy agreement as you're only renting for so many days of the year. So people like Threshold and PRTB have no powers over uni/college owned accommodation.

Victor

eth0_ wrote: »

as student accommodation is not subject to the same laws as private accom.

Not quite.

With some on-campus* student residences, the student is staying under a licence, much like a hotel guest. Whatever contract they have signed will define the relationship.


* No doubt there will also be off-campus examples.