Landlord entered property

Renno123

hi guys,
today i found out that my landlord let himself into my property without invitation.
my hoisemate asked for something to be delivered some day this week or next week specifically after 6pm as no one was home during the day.
today my housemate was home for lunchtime when he heard the front door opening with a key, assuming it was another housemate, to find the landlord standing in the hallway.
is there any need to note this with the landlord? we have issues with the house and are looking at breaking the lease. should we mention it to the estate agent who was managing the property?

aN.Droid

Renno123 wrote: »

hi guys,
today i found out that my landlord let himself into my property without invitation.
my hoisemate asked for something to be delivered some day this week or next week specifically after 6pm as no one was home during the day.
today my housemate was home for lunchtime when he heard the front door opening with a key, assuming it was another housemate, to find the landlord standing in the hallway.
is there any need to note this with the landlord? we have issues with the house and are looking at breaking the lease. should we mention it to the estate agent who was managing the property?

A landlord cannot simply trespass on your home willy nilly like that. They have to have the permission of one of the tenants to be left in.

I am not sure if that applies though if you are each renting separate rooms in the house and not the entire house as a unit.

Renno123

Limericks wrote: »

A landlord cannot simply trespass on your home willy nilly like that. They have to have the permission of one of the tenants to be left in.

I am not sure if that applies though if you are each renting separate rooms in the house and not the entire house as a unit.

there are 4 of us renting the entire house as a whole, as apposed to renting a room.

hollster2

he has no right to do this you need to say it how do you know its not the first time hes done it ??? my landlord and previous have always given me 24-48hrs notice and still they wouldnt just walk in.

djimi

Probably your first course of action should be to write a polite but firm letter to the landlord, reminding them of your right to quiet enjoyment of the property, and the fact that it is against the law for them to enter the property uninvited (unless extreme circumstances warrant it). Inform them that if it happens again you will have no hesitation in taking further action against them. See what their response to this is and base your next move accordingly.

Magicmatilda

AFAIK in most leases it states that the landlord may not enter the property without the permission of the tenant and after giving notice, unless there is an emergency. Therefore the landlord has broken the lease. Read your lease and check it out.

doubleglaze

Years ago, a landlord of mine routinely did the same thing. One of my housemates was asleep one late morning when the landlord unlocked the door of his bedroom and walked in!

We left a letter from him in the hallway asking him to respect our privacy and not to enter again without a prior appointment with us.

He entered the house a few days later, read the letter and started roaring and shouting and asking to see who had written the letter.

I said that I had. He told me to leave the house and not to come back.

I politely replied that I hoped he was a registered landlord and that he was tax compliant.

I got to stay for a few more weeks but then moved out as soon as I could.

Rasmus

doubleglaze wrote: »

Years ago, a landlord of mine routinely did the same thing. One of my housemates was asleep one late morning when the landlord unlocked the door of his bedroom and walked in!

We left a letter from him in the hallway asking him to respect our privacy and not to enter again without a prior appointment with us.

He entered the house a few days later, read the letter and started roaring and shouting and asking to see who had written the letter.

I said that I had. He told me to leave the house and not to come back.

I politely replied that I hoped he was a registered landlord and that he was tax compliant.

I got to stay for a few more weeks but then moved out as soon as I could.

Did you or any of your housemates take this any further? If a LL did that to me, I would stay in my room and call the police, reporting an intruder. His behaviour is unacceptable!

boboldpilot

As a landlord myself. What he did is unacceptable in particular as you say yourself the house is being managed by an estate agent. You should inform that estate agent and request that the landlord do not do so again without permission.

The only time I ever entered a property without permission was when the tenants were away and there was a burst pipe. Even then I let them know as soon as possible and asked their permission to remain in the house for repairs.

In terms of breaking the lease. I doubt if that issue will impact that problem. If you break the lease without justification. You may well be still liable for the entire rent due.

gaius c

Had this problem recently and we're still in two minds as to how we will deal with it because once you make a complaint like this, your "relationship" is dead in the water.

An Ri rua

Do you have fixed line broadband in the house?

Do yourself a favour (all of you reading) and set up a diy motion detection system using www.yawcam.com and you will even get a pic to your mobiles the next time he or a burglar enters your home uninvited.

Use a wired or wireless standalone webcam. (€20 or 10 on Adverts.ie sometimes). Hide it, mute the shutter sound on the desktop/ laptop and, even if a burglar were to steal it, its too late for them, you now have a pic. I used this very successfully after some sh1t for brains lifted a very heavy flower pot seeking a key in order to rob or case me. I had a drunken landlord and so, yes, it could even have been him. I don't recommend this in your case but, where intrusions by strangers are concerned, a carefully worded sign laid flat on your window-sills works wonders, when coupled with an IP camera. I have seen jaws drop on grown men when the penny drops and the word 'Tiocfaidh' accompanied that personally signed notice.....

ps I find the whole area of 'Tiocfaidh' distasteful. But so do they, and THAT's the salient point....

odds_on

Magicmatilda wrote: »

AFAIK in most leases it states that the landlord may not enter the property without the permission of the tenant and after giving notice, unless there is an emergency. Therefore the landlord has broken the lease. Read your lease and check it out.

It does not have to be written in a lease - it is in the RTA 2004.

However, before you could take any action, you should first advise the landlord that he is in breach of his landlord's obligations and that if he breaches it again, you will take further action with a claim with the PRTB for disrupting your exclusive and quiet enjoyment of the property.

For just about every breach of obligations, the party in breach (whether landlord or tenant) must be notified in writing that s/he desist from committing the breach. Only after this letter and subsequent breach could you make a valable claim for either damages or to break the lease.