Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

[Tigs]

I hope Forum Members might be able to give me some steer please. I have an on-going deposit protection issue with my LL who has since received the claim form N208 which I completed with the help of the LegalBeagles community.

Yesterday evening, the LL appeared unannounced at my door step, unceremoniously banging on the door. I went to the door to see who it was as I was not expecting anyone. Through the glass I could see the LL and without opening the door, I told him that I was not going to open the door - that's when he said "You are taking me to Court....come out here man to man...(inaudible)....come on, that's what real man do!". I refused to open the door and I requested that he should calm down...he kept banging on the door and making repetitive comments. After about 10 minutes, I warned him that I was going to call the police and by this time my wife was on the phone to the police - after a while, my wife spoke to an officer describing the situation and before the call ended, the LL walked away from the door and into his car and drove off. By this time, some neighbours were outside watching what was going on. The LL later sent me a text message saying that he will be coming again tomorrow Saturday 7 May at 9am. I am very uncomfortable meeting this man as clearly the condition he has created is not conducive to a harmonious interaction. What can I do?

I have never defaulted on my rent. My wife and I are good and responsible tenants - in fact, we own a house in another part of the country which we are currently renting out so we fully respect the LL's expectations and vice versa. But the point is, despite sending the LL letter before action regarding the deposit issue, he missed the opportunity to neutralise the situation.

I would be grateful for some steer, help and advise from Forum Members please. With many thanks

[charitynjw]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

Is this your previous thread, Tigs?

http://legalbeagles.info/forums/show...highlight=Tigs

[Stu]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

By Law he has to give you 24 hours notice in writing to gain access to inspect the property which he has done but your concern is his behaviour and his manner in which he deals with things, you have already said that the chap is angry and wants to deal with things "man to man" and that to me sound like threatening behaviour, IMO you need to contact the police on 101 and get advice as like stated he can enter your property with notice but can he with his anger issues towards you .... Certainly if the police can't help it would be best to have a neighbour or alike (independent to you both) to be there also

[Crazy council]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

can you give some basic details so i dont have to read through, and Is it your current LL

[Tigs]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

Is this your previous thread, Tigs?

http://legalbeagles.info/forums/show...highlight=Tigs

Charitynjw thank you for reading my post. Yes, that was my post from 2012, and if I might add, I got through that situation with the help of LB Members and I am always grateful for the help without which I would have found myself in the doldrums.

[Tigs]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

can you give some basic details so i dont have to read through, and Is it your current LL

Thank you Crazycouncil - I'm sorry if I rumbled, it's an emotive issue for me because I have to admit I was ruffled somewhat, and my wife even worse, over the 10 or so minutes the LL was causing a raucous on my door step.
1. Yes, he's my current landlord.
2. Following issues around going without heating/hot water for 3-weeks, the LL and I exchanged e-mails in which it was clear to me that he doesn't care. The issue with the heating was predictable i.e. no annual gas inspections; no landlord gas certificate (and I was continually blamed for the breakdown of an obsolete boiler).
3. The heating issue triggered a deterioration in working relationships.
4. I decided to take him up on the non-protection of the deposit. He ignored the letter before action.
5. He has taken exception to that and wanted to confront me - face to face!
6. Thus the unannounced visit and, in my opinion, threatening behaviour which I described above.
7. He's threatening to come again tomorrow. He says he wants to talk to me but his behaviour I feel is not conducive to an 'adult like' interaction.

Those are the basic headlines.

[PAWS]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

Just giving this a bump- did the LL call this morning?

[Tigs]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

Just giving this a bump- did the LL call this morning?

Hello PAWS, and thank you for reading my post. Yes the LL called again this morning at 08:59hrs. I spoke to him through the closed door and told him that I did not appreciate him using threatening language and an angry tone of voice. Besides, the tenancy agreement clearly says the LL has to give me 24 hours notice in writing. He wouldn't pay attention to anything I was saying and I left him there on the door step. He continued to pound the door with his fist so I called the police - they said that if I feel threatened I must not open the door. The police updated me later in the day stating that they had spoken to the LL and informed him that a complaint had been filed and unless he changes his attitude, they will issue the LL with some type of form or initial warning. But the LL later texted me to say he is coming again tomorrow. It appears he is upset with me because I filed a deposit issue with the Court, and I also involved the council when he the LL was refusing to reinstate the boiler which was condemned due to the risk of carbon monoxide emissions.

[charitynjw]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

Hello PAWS, and thank you for reading my post. Yes the LL called again this morning at 08:59hrs. I spoke to him through the closed door and told him that I did not appreciate him using threatening language and an angry tone of voice. Besides, the tenancy agreement clearly says the LL has to give me 24 hours notice in writing. He wouldn't pay attention to anything I was saying and I left him there on the door step. He continued to pound the door with his fist so I called the police - they said that if I feel threatened I must not open the door. The police updated me later in the day stating that they had spoken to the LL and informed him that a complaint had been filed and unless he changes his attitude, they will issue the LL with some type of form or initial warning. But the LL later texted me to say he is coming again tomorrow. It appears he is upset with me because I filed a deposit issue with the Court, and I also involved the council when he the LL was refusing to reinstate the boiler which was condemned due to the risk of carbon monoxide emissions.

Who condemned it, Tigs? A GasSafe-registered person?
Is it correctly labelled & isolated?
Were you/the LL informed in writing?

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1...lation/26/made

(9) Where a person performs work on a gas appliance he shall immediately thereafter examine—

(a)

the effectiveness of any flue;

(b)

the supply of combustion air;

(c)

its operating pressure or heat input or, where necessary, both;

(d)

its operation so as to ensure its safe functioning,
and forthwith take all reasonable practicable steps to notify any defect to the responsible person and, where different, the owner of the premises in which the appliance is situated or, where neither is reasonably practicable, in the case of an appliance supplied with liquefied petroleum gas, the supplier of gas to the appliance, or, in any other case, the transporter.

Also, Reg 36 applies specifically to landlords.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1...lation/36/made

[wales01man]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

Boiler aside this LL needs to stop behaving like an idiot if the OP is threatnend this morning Police straight away if they can record the conversation but keep calm themselves no one needs this hassle

[Stu]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

This guy sound like a right prat... doesn't do any works to the house and fully expects his rent every month ... I'd just drop him a little note to say that his lack of properly managed bond that it is going to cost him 3x the bond plus bond when you sue him ..... Last laugh an all

[MIKE770]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

This guy sound like a right prat... doesn't do any works to the house and fully expects his rent every month ... I'd just drop him a little note to say that his lack of properly managed bond that it is going to cost him 3x the bond plus bond when you sue him ..... Last laugh an all

Exactly what happened to Daughters landlord who took her took court for similar reasons, cost the LL 3 x etc and a warning from the Judge they are lucky they were not in court for more reasons! although he had a bond in place but tried to be clever! and keep it! he ended up paying solicitors cost of the daughters etc as well!

[Tigs]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

Thank you Wales01man, Charitynjw, PAWS, Stu82 and MIKE770 for taking the trouble to read my post and comment. I appreciate it very much. Just to reiterate, I am a responsible tenant and I look after the property as if it were my own - that's just my natural disposition. I have my own property in another part of the country which I am renting out - I moved here to be nearer to my work place. I have lived here for 6-years, and the last time I saw the LL before the recent episode was 4-years ago. Clearly the non-protection of deposit issue has triggered the LL's intimidating behaviour. The police said they might view this as interference with a witness since there are court proceedings which are pending.

I have thought of sending the LL a 'letter before action' in connection with the harassment. But events are moving so fast and the LL has said that he will come again today at 5pm. The AST agreement clearly stipulates that he has to give me 24-hrs notice in writing about any intended visit. If he had complied with his own AST agreement, I would have no problem letting him into the house, but his threatening behaviour and language caused me to deny the LL access.

The fact that the LL has clearly mentioned the court proceedings (re: deposit issue), would it be reasonable and logical for me to file a case for civil harassment? Just to mention, it is recorded in the police report that the officer I was talking to on the phone could hear the pounding on the door over the phone when the LL came unannounced last Thursday.

The LL has sent me a text message saying he will come again at 8pm tomorrow. I recognise the LL's right to inspect the property (which he has done once before 3-years ago), but I feel intimidated and I'm fearful about his unpredictability bearing in mind that the motivation for him is the fact that I have filed a claim for non-protection of deposit.

I would be grateful for some steer please as regards the harassment threshold and the potential for seeking legal recourse. With thanks.

[Tigs]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

Who condemned it, Tigs? A GasSafe-registered person?
Is it correctly labelled & isolated?
Were you/the LL informed in writing?

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1...lation/26/made

(9) Where a person performs work on a gas appliance he shall immediately thereafter examine—

(a)

the effectiveness of any flue;

(b)

the supply of combustion air;

(c)

its operating pressure or heat input or, where necessary, both;

(d)

its operation so as to ensure its safe functioning,
and forthwith take all reasonable practicable steps to notify any defect to the responsible person and, where different, the owner of the premises in which the appliance is situated or, where neither is reasonably practicable, in the case of an appliance supplied with liquefied petroleum gas, the supplier of gas to the appliance, or, in any other case, the transporter.

Also, Reg 36 applies specifically to landlords.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1...lation/36/made

Thank you charitynjw for your response and for the helpful links.

Yes, the gas engineer was a certified professional. He isolated the boiler, disconnected the gas and put a warning label on the boiler. I must hasten to add that the boiler had gone for over 4-years without any certification such as a LL gas certificate which is applicable to landlords. I am assuming that the gas engineer sent a report to the LL who he will have billed for the work. I didn't receive a report following the condemnation of the boiler.

Thank you once again.

[charitynjw]

Re: Irate landlord at doorstep, banging door & shouting - help please.

Thank you charitynjw for your response and for the helpful links.

Yes, the gas engineer was a certified professional. He isolated the boiler, disconnected the gas and put a warning label on the boiler. I must hasten to add that the boiler had gone for over 4-years without any certification such as a LL gas certificate which is applicable to landlords. I am assuming that the gas engineer sent a report to the LL who he will have billed for the work. I didn't receive a report following the condemnation of the boiler.

Thank you once again.

You should have received a copy of the LL's certificate annually.