Awoken by a great big banging from my landlord

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

I was off work sick today and was feeling nicely delirious in bed.

Suddenly, my door starts banging and I hear the key being twiddled in the keyhole.  So I shouted, "Piss off, I'm asleep" and he pissed off.

Isn't it illegal for the landlord to enter your premises without notice or without your consent? I ask because this flat is a mess at the moment and I feel too unwell to clean it and I'm worried they'll come in tomorrow without telling me.  There three glasses full of ash. 

Have you ever had a bastard of a landlord?  I had a cool Italian landlord- replete with a moped- who used to say, "Mama Mia!" I'd provoke him into it and it made my day.  On the downside, though, I heard him and his wife have noisy sex every night.  His wife was hot, though. 

[_Hypnotoad_]

Yes it most definately is !

He can't even let himself in if you aren't paying the rent, he's taking the fucking piss

If he tries it again, call the police

Better still, go and buy some new locks, they are not expensive, and it is not illegal to fit them for the duration of your stay

So long as you re-fit the old ones when you move out, or give him the new keys

Fucking amateur landlords indeed

[El Unicornio, mang]

They're supposed to give you 24 hours notice aren't they? I've had that happen to me before, including once in the middle of me "entertaining" a lady friend

[ccab]

Is there any possibility it was part of your delirium?

If he did attempt to get in without notice, or first getting your permission or invitation, he was breaking the law. You ought to have a word with him so he knows never to do it again. I suspect it's probably routine for him to prowl your digs while you're out at work, trying on your underwear and masturbating into your face cream.

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

I haven't been to the launderette for weeks so by trying on my underwear he's doing himself more harm than me.

[Pseudopath]

I've had some right nasty landlords, but one took the biscuit. I was staying in a grotty bedsit in Liverpool after I'd graduated and had complained to the landlord that the front door kept dragging on the carpet (so that he wouldn't try and do me for damage). He kept promising to get it fixed but nothing happened for 3 months. One day I was leaving for work in the morning, the door stuck on the carpet then came completely away on its hinges and it became obvious that the whole door jamb had been infested with woodlice. I phoned the landlord immediately to let him know what had happened and stated that until my flat was secured I wouldn't be paying any rent and sought the advice of the CAB (not you guys) and the Landlords Association.

Again, despite constant phone calls and visits to his office, nothing happened for a month and I had to basically prop the door against its frame every morning to give the impression that it was shut (even though a light tap would send it crashing down to the ground). Predictably, I got home from work one evening to find that my telly, Playstation, guitar and alarm clock had been stolen, so I reported it to the police then went straight around to the landlord's offices and told him I would be seeking compensation for these items. At this point, he completely flipped, pushed me against the wall with his hand around my throat and started screaming "You think you've got rights? You think you're so fucking clever? We've got a name for people like you round here. You're a grass and grasses get fucked up!".

Needless to say, I didn't go back to the flat, but the prick then started hassling my mum for the outstanding rent (they'd made me put her down as a signatory), told her that he was sending round the bailiffs in a week and she panicked and paid up.

Thankfully, it looks like the fucker went down for fraud in 2003, so all's well that ends well.

[23 Daves]

They're supposed to give you 24 hours notice aren't they? I've had that happen to me before, including once in the middle of me "entertaining" a lady friend

Yes, they really are.  They don't always, though - I've been caught in undesirable circumstances before now, then I changed the locks on the doors because I wasn't happy with him letting himself in and out all the time (more bloody expense) then he got so threatening with me that I ended up giving him copies of the new keys.  I was a bit wet behind the ears at that point in my life, though, and realise now that I should never have given in - I really should have not paid the rent for a month before smearing shit up the walls and going or something.  He was a right c__t, he seriously thought he was doing me a favour by letting me live there even though I was paying him plenty of money for it.  Some landlords really do think that it's still "their" home whilst they're letting it to you and forget to give you consideration.

Mind you, I've even known letting agency staff to indulge.  The attitude is "Oh, we need access to get to the boiler/ the post/ to show a new housemate around/ whatever, they won't be in anyway, so let's not worry about the 24 hour notice".  Doesn't make it right, though.  It's your house for as long as you're paying to live there.

[Ronnie the Raincoat]

At this point, he completely flipped, pushed me against the wall with his hand around my throat and started screaming "You think you've got rights? You think you're so fucking clever? We've got a name for people like you round here. You're a grass and grasses get fucked up!".

Christ, were your landlords the Krays?!

[Pseudopath]

Christ, were your landlords the Krays?!

The thought had crossed my mind. Even his receptionist barely batted an eyelid when he flipped, so I couldn't have been the first. Nasty bugger.