Landlord going through rubbish

ShazConn

Hi I live in garage flat adjoining landlords home. Recently hes started going through my rubbish and if he finds I have made mistake with rubbish i.e. dinner scraps in landfill, he wants me to go through rubbish to remove it. I usually sort rubbish correctly but there are some times when mistakes happen. I am growing more and more uncomfortable with this happening and just wondering if I have any right in asking him to stop.
Any advice would be much appreciated
Thanks

Michael D Not Higgins

Are you on the rent-a-room scheme or are you a tenant of a separate dwelling? There are specific problems with the rent-a-room scheme as you don't have the legal protection a proper tenant has.

If you're a tenant, you have the right to quiet enjoyment of your home.

ShazConn

Thanks for reply. Yes I'm a tenant of a separate dwelling but we do share bins which is included in my rent

Michael D Not Higgins

ShazConn wrote: »

Thanks for reply. Yes I'm a tenant of a separate dwelling but we do share bins which is included in my rent

You'd want to be careful, as buildings attached to the main dwelling count under the rent-a-room scheme. Do you have separate electricity meters or is the power coming from the house?

If you're certain you're a tenant and not a licencee, then I'd recommend getting your own bins to avoid having to deal with the landlord over domestic issues.

DesperateDan

What a weird thing to do, he's obviously the type of guy with too much time on his hands and enjoys watching every penny. But at the end of the day they're his bins and he's including them in your rent price, so the only alternative is to get your own bins

ShazConn

Ya seperate electricity meters. *wish I could move out just can't afford to at moment, have so many issues with him like calling round unannounced late in evening/night. Once he came at 11pm when I was ready to go to bed. He thinks as he's living beside me he can come whenever or discuss matters in front of my guests when were on way to flat.
Unfortunately I also don't think he is a registered tenant as he wouldn't give me tenancy agreement (which I shouldn't have agreed to but I had to get place quickly) I only have quick written receipt of deposit.

Teyla Emmagan

That is just bizarre. I wouldn't be at all comfortable with anyone going through my bins (too much to hide, obviously). What an invasion of privacy though. I would be putting some truly hideous stuff in there to give him a shock if I were you.

Mrs OBumble

Get your own bins. Problem solved.

ShazConn

Going to look into seperate bins and see will bin company collect two lots from one house. Problem will be with landlord about storage space as there won't be enough space for 6 bins!!!

Michael D Not Higgins

ShazConn wrote: »

Ya seperate electricity meters. *wish I could move out just can't afford to at moment, have so many issues with him like calling round unannounced late in evening/night. Once he came at 11pm when I was ready to go to bed. He thinks as he's living beside me he can come whenever or discuss matters in front of my guests when were on way to flat.
Unfortunately I also don't think he is a registered tenant as he wouldn't give me tenancy agreement (which I shouldn't have agreed to but I had to get place quickly) I only have quick written receipt of deposit.

Have you discussed this with the landlord? You should give him a gentle reminder that discussing issues about your tenancy should take place in a private meeting at a time agreed to in advance, not on a whim in public or stopping by any old time he likes.

I'm not an expert, but the lack of tenancy agreement is suspicious. You're still covered under an oral agreement, but perhaps someone else can clarify, as he could easily change his tune if you ran to the PRTB with an issue and claim you're only a licencee.

"The room or rooms can comprise a self-contained unit within the residence such as a basement flat or a converted garage attached to the residence."

This is what's allowed in the rent-a-room scheme and to be honest, if your total rent to him is less than €10k for the year, and the place qualified, he'd be mad not to go for it as he'd qualify for not paying tax on it.

You can still take a case in the Small Claims Court if this does happen to be the case and there are any issues over the deposit.

davo10

Or you could look at it another way, it's rubbish, you threw it away. He may just like to have rubbish organised into the correct bins, lots of people who want to do their bit for the environment are careful about what they recycle/compost/dispose of in bins. If the bins are shared, he is going through his rubbish as well as yours. No big deal.

Michael D Not Higgins

davo10 wrote: »

Or you could look at it another way, it's rubbish, you threw it away. He may just like to have rubbish organised into the correct bins, lots of people who want to do their bit for the environment are careful about what they recycle/compost/dispose of in bins.

More likely that the landfill bin is more expensive per lift/kg and wants to save money as the OP is getting a flat rate charge included in the rent for the bins.

mfergus

Maybe the rubbish collection crowd called to his door and told him stop putting food in with recycling...etc

MugMugs

Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »

More likely that the landfill bin is more expensive per lift/kg and wants to save money as the OP is getting a flat rate charge included in the rent for the bins.

I'm very conscious about what hits landfill and what doesn't. Seeing paper and plastic put into the black grates me. So does unwashed recycling. It's quite easy to seperate waste and I've never understood why some of my lodgers can't grasp the concept. So I've said it to them.

gordongekko

MugMugs wrote: »

I'm very conscious about what hits landfill and what doesn't. Seeing paper and plastic put into the black grates me. So does unwashed recycling. It's quite easy to seperate waste and I've never understood why some of my lodgers can't grasp the concept. So I've said it to them.

By any chance are you the ops landlord?

ShazConn

I am actually pretty conscious about what goes into what bin aswel. Like I said he's goes through them regularly and yesterday was first time he's had to complain to me as I made a mistake, nowhe wants me to rummage through my black bag and take out the bits of food. HHe's not that conscious as rubbish ends up in recycling I honestly think it is the pay by weight thing that was mentioned and if I had accidentally put food in recycling bin he wouldn't care!
I have no notion of going through the bag to remove the food, as all my landfill/bathroom waste is in there and it's just unsanitary. I will have to sneak the bag in question back in on collection morning!!! (yes he's removed bag and left it out for me!!!)

baldbear

Take a dump in the bin and record his reaction. He sounds very petty.

MugMugs

gordongekko wrote: »

By any chance are you the ops landlord?

Because I care about the environment?

biko

See if there is a bag system in your area. Or get just one bin and pay for it yourself.