Landlords

Noise and neighbours 

Noisy neighbours can make your life a misery.

You can try to talk it over with your neighbours to see if you find a way forward that works for you all.

If talking does not get you anywhere, you should get in touch with the Noise Pollution or Environmental Health team at your local council. The Council has a range of powers to deal with noise, including the confiscation of stereos and other noisy equipment. Your landlord is usually not liable for issues with neighbours or people who don’t live in your home.

Mortgage repossessions

Your landlord will have a mortgage if he or she has borrowed money from a bank in order to buy the property in which you live.

If the landlord fails to keep up with the mortgage repayments, then the bank may be able to repossess your home and you may need to find alternative accommodation. This is a relatively rare occurrence, but the consequences of mortgage repossessions for tenants can be very disruptive.

The bank will need a court order in order to end your tenancy. The bank should first write to you at the property to let you know what is happening.

• You should open and read any post addressed ‘To The Occupier/Tenant’
• You should forward any post addressed ‘To The Landlord/Homeowner’ to the landlord or agent as soon as possible

Seek advice straight away if you find out that a bank (or another party) is going to court to get possession over your rented property.

Intrusive landlords

Your rented flat or house is your home. A landlord who does not live at the property with you has no right to let him or herself in without your permission.

Your tenancy agreement is likely to allow the landlord or agent to:

• Inspect the property from time to time during the tenancy
• Enter the property to carry out repairs
• Show prospective tenants or purchasers around the property

You can usually insist on being given at least 24 hours’ advance notice of any visit to the property by the landlord or agent, except in emergency situations.

If your tenancy agreement is only for a specific bedroom within a house or flat and not for the whole property, your landlord may enter the communal areas without notice. The landlord should still give advance notice to enter your bedroom.

If the landlord or agent is not observing these rules, put your complaint to them in writing.

You can also report rogue landlords and agents at the Mayor of London's dedicated webpage: Report a rogue landlord or agent

If things do not improve, seek advice.

Resident landlords

If you are living in the same home as your landlord you do not have the same rights as a tenant in a self-contained property. 

If you are finding your landlord’s behaviour intrusive or overbearing you can let them know how you feel. It might be that he or she did not realise how their behaviour was affecting you.

If this doesn't work, it can be difficult to know what to do. A landlord's behaviour being unpleasant does necessarily always give you the right to end the agreement early or get your money back. Contact us for an appointment if you are having issues with a live-in landlord, and we'll do our best to help you.