Our landlord is interfering and intimidating. What can we do?—The Times
Senior associate Caroline Brosnan has been quoted in an article from The Times exploring tenants’ options when they are faced with a difficult and intrusive landlord.
The reader is seeking advice on how to deal with an interfering and intimidating landlord. The article states that the landlord in question is behaving unacceptably, and that his behaviour could be defined as harassment.
Caroline Brosnan is cited as saying “the landlord’s behaviour appears to be completely unacceptable and likely a breach of the tenants’ right to quiet enjoyment.”
“While the landlord legally owns the property, assuming a tenancy has been granted (rather than, say, a sharing arrangement), the tenants are entitled to exclusive possession, making it their home for the duration of the tenancy... The landlord cannot therefore enter without permission or use his own key at will. The tenancy agreement will likely set out the arrangements when access is required for legitimate purposes usually requiring a period of notice to be given.
She stresses it is important for the reader to familiarise themselves with their rights, and as a first step, politely notify the landlord that unprompted visits are not welcome. They should keep a record of incidents, and if necessary, could escalate to the matter their university support services or to a solicitor if needed. As a final point, she advises that the house is likely subject to multiple occupation licencing, and suggests the reader find out if the landlord has a licence to let.
The full article is available to view on The Times by subscription only.
About Caroline
Caroline Brosnan is a senior associate in the property litigation team. She has substantial experience in a range of housing and property matters, including possession, homelessness, injunction and disrepair claims. She also pursues claims on behalf of clients for breaches of the Equality Act, including racial and disability discrimination.
Get in touch
If you would like to speak with a member of the team you can contact our property litigation solicitors by telephone on +44 (0)20 3826 7525 or complete our enquiry form.
