Landlord letting themselves in - normal?

mary_hayes

Been to see a good few flats to rent (for myself only) and according to nearly all the landlords it seems to be standard practice amongst them to let themselves in to collect rent and have a look around, is this about right?

D

I wouldn't think so, I don't know for definite on common areas, but for bedrooms they are definitely not allowed in without the tenant.

convert

One place I lived in had that arrangement - the landlord called by to collect the rent the first day of every month. Luckily they were decent so there was absolutely no issue (they just went into the kitchen, collected the rent and left), but I know that some landlords would take the P*ss with that arrangment.

It would also depend on whether the house was being let on a room-by-room basis or as a whole.

Being slightly older now, I'd rather just have a DD or SO set up so I paid the rent into the account on the first of each month rather than having the landlord call in like that. I'm also in the position where I could afford to rent an entire house or apartment rather than reting on a room-by-room basis, where the rules are slightly different.

You could always contact Threshold or your local Citizens Advice centre and they could give you the most up-to-date advice out there:
www.threshold.ie
www.citizensinformationboard.ie

Oh, and if something doesn't feel right or makes you slightly uncomfortable, then run. Don't put up with something if you're not entirely happy with it.

Roselm

I have rented for years and it has ALWAYS been the case that the landlord gave us 24 hours notice before entering the property.
I always assumed that this was because this was the law however I may be wrong. I have never heard of them just letting themselves in though.
It's whatever you're comfortable with at the end of the day.

Roselm

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/tenants_rights_and_obligations.html

It just says the landlord must not enter without your permission. So you'd have to think about whether you have permission every month on that particular day at that time.

Why couldn't they just call round when you are there though?!!

EricPraline

Certainly not standard practice. Calling without prior notice isn't acceptable. This is pointed out in the Citizens Information page linked to by Roselm:

Your landlord is only allowed to enter your home with your permission. If the landlord needs to carry out repairs or inspect the premises, it should be by prior arrangement, except in an emergency

As for collecting cash, any reason why they won't accept electronic transfers via standing order/direct debit like any normal business (apart from to avoid declaring rental incoming of course)? Personally wouldn't rent from somebody who wanted cash in hand with no formal record.

On the plus side at least the landlords you're meeting are being up-front, giving you the chance to run away quickly.

crazygeryy

id check the place for hidden cameras if i were you.

silja

Absolutely not common, and not allowed. Coming to collect the rent would be ok (though it makes you wonder if they are registered- if yes, why not do direct bank transfer?), but coming in is not.

Tigger

Had two landlords like that the first was ment to call to the door for rent but he let himself In one day and was there waiting saying he didn't wanna wait outside. I deduced that he had been snooping and that because u came home he sat down and pretended he'd been waiting. I simply told him I had no rent for him and that I was gving my notice ( first and last were paid so I owed no rent )

The second guy was in the process of letting hisself in ( my car was in the garage and I'd dome a duvet day with herself ) when I looked out the bedroom window and said " you do realise thats entering without permission don't you?)

I went down to him and told him to leave and never come back.

The last two landlords I e had have been professionals Lived in the previous ones house for 7 years I painted the place for him inside and out twice ( he paid for and had. Say in the paint) and I ve shelved out and carpeted this place ( here three years) at no cost go the land lord ( I fenced the garden and employ a gardener to keep things nice)

Pros get treated as pros and a long term tenant cowboys get notice

It's a renters Market these gays so don't settle for a cow bot

athtrasna

I can beat those stories. When I was in college our landlady lived next door with her elderly parents. There was a connecting door in the basement from their house into our living room and her mother used to let herself in on a regular basis, turning off lights, moving furniture, and generally snooping. It was an old house and the only lock on the door was only lockable from their side.

Repeatedly had it out with our landlady and ended up moving out. It was a great house, at a good price...for a reason!

swirlser

That's very creepy having a landlord enter without permission. Rented many places, only on one occasion did a landlord let themselves in, he wasn't aware I was home and tried to leave without alerting me. He failed!

While we never spoke of it, I'd like to think the "present" I left him was my way of letting him know that I did indeed know! Don't think he'll ever forget me

seanybiker

One of my friends has her landlord call in once a month to get the cheque off her but he never opens the door himself. She expects him and he knocks on the door. Fair enough they do get on really well.
I wouldn't like a landlord calling in unnanouncet. (Sp)

wild_cat

I had two male landlords in Rathmines that did this the whole time, I thought everything would go well when we first moved in as they were delighted to have some country students as they were from the Rural North west themselves. But nope...


We'd come home from college and one of them would be in our flat getting the hoover or making tea for himself. On one occasion one of the LL's was sitting their playing my friends guitar. It said in the lease that they would only come into the building on a Friday evening to collect the rent.

I only ever lost it with them once. I had just started going out with someone and we'd been out the night before, 10.30 the next morning I hear our door opening and voices talking. I get dressed and go out to the sitting room. One of the LL's is standing their with some guy in a suit taking measurements. He announces that they need to go into the bedrooms, I tell him straight out no as we were given no prior notice and that my housemate is asleep in his room.

I can tell by the look on the guy in the suits face that he knows the LL is in the wrong. The LL gets a tad annoyed at me but leaves it at that. I used to stay up at the weekend so I prevented them from snooping when they arrived in on a Friday evening but my friends were renting the flat down stairs and you could hear them walking around the flat, into bedrooms and opening and closing wardrobes.

We were too young and stupid to know that what they were doing was illegal, they also refused to give any of us back a deposit as the flat needed to be repainted (This had nothing to do with us, the only marks on the wall were there when we moved in).

I wish I could name and shame the chancers!!!! I have learned my lesson though, I fully now know all of my rights and I also will not deal with Landlords who will not except lodgements into bank accounts or direct debits.

Is there any way of checking if these fellows are registered with the revenue?

mary_hayes

OP here.
Cheers for the replies.Any of the landlords and ladies I have spoken to haven't given a reason why they call to personally collect the rent. I don't understand it myself. My landlord last year got us to pay it in to his bank account and I met him twice in a whole year, which is how I would prefer it!

Another off the topic issue with some of the male landlords I have met were them asking me was I single, one of them actually said "I don't care who you have in your bed" and another one "Are you seeing anyone" while proceeding to touch my back. I was alarmed about this personal questioning to say the least and by several of these landlords, not just one!

I'm getting desperate at this stage! I have to make the move back to Dublin in the next week and still have nowhere to live!!

cancercowboy

mary_hayes wrote: »

Been to see a good few flats to rent (for myself only) and according to nearly all the landlords it seems to be standard practice amongst them to let themselves in to collect rent and have a look around, is this about right?

No.

Your landlord is only allowed to enter your home with your permission. If the landlord needs to carry out repairs or inspect the premises, it should be by prior arrangement, except in an emergency

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/tenants_rights_and_obligations.html

Whenever I move into a new apartment, after I get any snaggin issues sorted. I change the locks, costs about a €100. You never know who held on to copies of keys, the landlord has no way of knowing how many duplicates have been made.

A mate of mine had been in a new apartment for 3 weeks, came home one day and his laptop, PS3, TV were gone. Previous tennant came by and finding no one home proceded to rip him off.

Worst part is when the previous tenant moved in he gave a false name and most likely went back to Latvia.

mary_hayes

cancercowboy wrote: »

No.



http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/tenants_rights_and_obligations.html

Whenever I move into a new apartment, after I get any snaggin issues sorted. I change the locks, costs about a €100. You never know who held on to copies of keys, the landlord has no way of knowing how many duplicates have been made.

A mate of mine had been in a new apartment for 3 weeks, came home one day and his laptop, PS3, TV were gone. Previous tennant came by and finding no one home proceded to rip him off.

Worst part is when the previous tenant moved in he gave a false name and most likely went back to Latvia.

Yes, this is yet another issue! the locks on a lot of the doors are quite flimsy and my father told me I would have to put a chain lock or two on the doors just in case! I have heard of people being robbed before too, very scary.

horsebo

I'm a landlord, the contract I have with the tenant, gives me 24hrs notice if i was to visit the property, only visited the property once in a year. I would never let myself into the house, as in my eyes, you would be invading someones privacy

mary_hayes

horsebo wrote: »

I'm a landlord, the contract I have with the tenant, gives me 24hrs notice if i was to visit the property, only visited the property once in a year. I would never let myself into the house, as in my eyes, you would be invading someones privacy

there should be more like you horsebo what do you think of a lot of the landlords wanting to collect it in person? Is it not totally unnecessary?!

Ray Palmer

swirlser wrote: »

While we never spoke of it, I'd like to think the "present" I left him was my way of letting him know that I did indeed know! Don't think he'll ever forget me

Yes two wrongs do make a right and that is obviously proportional:rolleyes:

It is very old school mentality of some LL to let themselves in. I suspect many don't see the issue and when it is brought to their attention they will stop even if a bit miffed by it.

Just because people take cash doesn't mean avoidance of anything it could just mean they don't trust people with DD. Not uncommon for a tenant to claim a bank messed up and keep it up for a while. Harder for them to claim such things when the rent is paid in cash face to face.

cancercowboy

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Yes two wrongs do make a right and that is obviously proportional:rolleyes:

It is very old school mentality of some LL to let themselves in. I suspect many don't see the issue and when it is brought to their attention they will stop even if a bit miffed by it.

Just because people take cash doesn't mean avoidance of anything it could just mean they don't trust people with DD. Not uncommon for a tenant to claim a bank messed up and keep it up for a while. Harder for them to claim such things when the rent is paid in cash face to face.

Exactly, this is what rent books are for.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/rent_books.html

Also you have PRTB for disputes.

The only issue I would have with paying cash in person is the hassle. Going to the bank (you can only get €750 per day out of the ATM), waiting around for them to come by, having to make yourself available on the date, or making other arrangements if you're out of town... etc. For me it would be a huge inconvenience.

mary_hayes

cancercowboy wrote: »

The only issue I would have with paying cash in person is the hassle. Going to the bank (you can only get €750 per day out of the ATM), waiting around for them to come by, having to make yourself available on the date, or making other arrangements if you're out of town... etc. For me it would be a huge inconvenience.

But this is the issue for me. According to the majority of landlords I have spoken to they call during the day on a weekday, where I would not be available. So they will let themselves in to collect the money. This is my problem - the letting themselves in when I cannot be present!

cancercowboy

mary_hayes wrote: »

Yes, this is yet another issue! the locks on a lot of the doors are quite flimsy and my father told me I would have to put a chain lock or two on the doors just in case! I have heard of people being robbed before too, very scary.

If you're renting a house you'll have more locks to change, if it's an apartment it usually just the one on the front door that needs changing.

These days you can't be careless about security.

I usually rent a two bedroom, and I have rented a room on occasion... when I do I make sure the person taking the room understands that the front door is always to be bolted, and not to answer the buzzer unless they are expecting someone.

In the past I have had flat mates open the door to TV license inspectors, charity muggers, salesmen, and to landlords "dropping by". After they answer the door they assume it's for me and I am forced to waste my time speaking with these uninvited callers. For some reason people feel compelled to answer the door when someone rings, it's a choice: not an obligation. I've yet to answer my door to someone offering something useful like free money or sexual favors.

My mates have my mobile number or email if they want to reach me.

revell

swirlser wrote: »

That's very creepy having a landlord enter without permission. Rented many places, only on one occasion did a landlord let themselves in, he wasn't aware I was home and tried to leave without alerting me. He failed!

While we never spoke of it, I'd like to think the "present" I left him was my way of letting him know that I did indeed know! Don't think he'll ever forget me

What did he see?:p

silja

mary_hayes wrote: »

Another off the topic issue with some of the male landlords I have met were them asking me was I single, one of them actually said "I don't care who you have in your bed" and another one "Are you seeing anyone" while proceeding to touch my back. I was alarmed about this personal questioning to say the least and by several of these landlords, not just one!

Creepy! This one is in the way it's being asked though (tone and touching... urgh). I can understand the question, because if you had a serious boyfriend he might live there with you- if so he should be on the lease- as a landlord I wouldn't want extra people living in my property I didn't know about, plus more people= more wear and tear.

mary_hayes

silja wrote: »

Creepy! This one is in the way it's being asked though (tone and touching... urgh). I can understand the question, because if you had a serious boyfriend he might live there with you- if so he should be on the lease- as a landlord I wouldn't want extra people living in my property I didn't know about, plus more people= more wear and tear.

Yes I can see the reason behind it too but it was defnitely the way in which they approached the topic and the inappropriate touching!

convert

If you're stuck for accommodation starting back to college or work, contact some B&Bs and hotels in the area and see what sort of deal they would give you if you stayed with them for a week or 5 days. That way it would take the pressure off you having to move into somewhere you're not happy with. Yes, I know it will cost you money that you probably hadn't planned to spend, but it may be cheaper in the long run if you have a dodgy landlord or housemates.

Best of luck!

mary_hayes

convert wrote: »

If you're stuck for accommodation starting back to college or work, contact some B&Bs and hotels in the area and see what sort of deal they would give you if you stayed with them for a week or 5 days. That way it would take the pressure off you having to move into somewhere you're not happy with. Yes, I know it will cost you money that you probably hadn't planned to spend, but it may be cheaper in the long run if you have a dodgy landlord or housemates.

Best of luck!

Mind reader! Just what I've been looking up, fingers crossed!

NIMAN

speaking as a LL, I would never ever let myself into my property.

For the term of the lease, I see it as my tenants and I have to ask permission to enter.

horsebo

mary_hayes wrote: »

there should be more like you horsebo what do you think of a lot of the landlords wanting to collect it in person? Is it not totally unnecessary?!

totally unncessary, i can't why it can't be paid in their bank account

swirlser

revell wrote: »

What did he see?:p

I'd rather not say, something which may be done again and I wouldn't want this post biting me on the ass.

I'll say this, it would have taken a number of weeks to kick in and to rectify it would have been very costly. Paid 1,700 pm in rent, sneaky prick, don't know what he thought he was playing at, he also went thru my mail, opened my cubby to find the letters were wedged between the latch (ie, the idiot put things back in and then locked it, rather than putting them back through the slot as a mail man would).

It's not something I'd typically do, but I gotta be honest, puts a smile on my face whenever I think of it. He absolutely deserved it.

If I'm paying you over 20 grand a year, then kindly stay the **** out of MY HOME.

ToniTuddle

cancercowboy wrote: »

No.



http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/tenants_rights_and_obligations.html

Whenever I move into a new apartment, after I get any snaggin issues sorted. I change the locks, costs about a €100. You never know who held on to copies of keys, the landlord has no way of knowing how many duplicates have been made.

I always wondered about that! Didn't know if you would be allowed to do that?
You would obviously have to tell the landlord you wanted to change the locks at your own cost? It would be their house after all you are modifying.