irritating land lady problems

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Deleted member 18121

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Hi all

Have been renting a house now for 8 months with my wife and now 18 month old son.

When we moved in the garden was completely overgrown but was promised to be sorted ASAP. Since then around a third of the garden has been sewn with grass seed and isn't growing too badly. The other two thirds are still covered in brambles..... apart from a "wildlife" patch which*is going to be waist height wild grass, wild flowers and a large pit filled with bricks with a large metal cage built over it which slow worms can live in. Yes you did readtthat correctly.

The land lady has aapproached me about installing a sink dug into the ground and filled with water so frogs can live in it. She's also approached me about a couple of hedgehog houses she wants to put in.

As I've explained to her on 2 ooccasions. ... We have an 18 month old son. We bboth work full time and have little time to be gardening.... All we want is a lawn to mow. That's it. None of this rubbish she's doing.

yet she keeps putting in thorny plants and now a mesh section of fence for ivy to grow on by our car.

what can I do? What would you do? She's driving us insane with this rrubbish to the point that come November we actually feel like moving again.....its really getting us down.

#firstworldproblems
 
Doon frae Troon said:
I always thought maintenance of the garden was regarded as the job of the person renting the property?
Click to expand...

Yep I'd agree with you.... but there was nothing to maintain when we moved in. Just 7 feet high brambles for around 200ft of garden.

I'm at the point now where I feel vindictive enough to just kill any plants she puts in.... I don't think I'd actually do it but I feel like it.
 
To be brutal - if it was your own house you'd have to do these boring but necessary jobs !!

If you offered to sort the garden your landlady might let you do what you want - if she's paying she'll do what she wants !!
 
drdel said:
To be brutal - if it was your own house you'd have to do these boring but necessary jobs !!

If you offered to sort the garden your landlady might let you do what you want - if she's paying she'll do what she wants !!
Click to expand...

we have offered but she wants to do it....I just don't understand putting in all of these personal touches for a house she'll never live in.


homer - I'll check my lease but I think it's pretty basic and won't say much. It's a private rental.
 
Trying to 'do her bit for Nature conservation' can be a bit troublesome for tenants.

A 200' garden is more than enough for you by the sound of it. Why don't you suggest that she fences off an area for her projects and you 'maintain' (mow) the rest. If you phrase it right, it's actually what Farmers are encouraged to do by setting aside areas of cultivated fields near the hedgerows for wildlife.

You certainly need to avoid the sort of 'traps' that planting sinks and other such hazards can provide for the nipper! and a fence is a pretty good way to demarcate the 2 functions!
 
Foxholer said:
Trying to 'do her bit for Nature conservation' can be a bit troublesome for tenants.

A 200' garden is more than enough for you by the sound of it. Why don't you suggest that she fences off an area for her projects and you 'maintain' (mow) the rest. If you phrase it right, it's actually what Farmers are encouraged to do by setting aside areas of cultivated fields near the hedgerows for wildlife.

You certainly need to avoid the sort of 'traps' that planting sinks and other such hazards can provide for the nipper! and a fence is a pretty good way to demarcate the 2 functions!
Click to expand...

A very sensible suggestion even if its from a codpiece faced Kiwi ;)
 
Foxholer said:
Trying to 'do her bit for Nature conservation' can be a bit troublesome for tenants.

A 200' garden is more than enough for you by the sound of it. Why don't you suggest that she fences off an area for her projects and you 'maintain' (mow) the rest. If you phrase it right, it's actually what Farmers are encouraged to do by setting aside areas of cultivated fields near the hedgerows for wildlife.

You certainly need to avoid the sort of 'traps' that planting sinks and other such hazards can provide for the nipper! and a fence is a pretty good way to demarcate the 2 functions!
Click to expand...

Strangely enough my good man that was the exact suggestion my mum made. Maybe it's worth a shot.
 
It does sound like she is going over the top and wanting got install a pond is bang out off line, unless she is going to have it fenced off. You rented the house without a pond and you have a young child to think of, so by installing a pond she is putting that child at risk.

im not sure if he's is encroaching on something that is in the law. As a tenant you are entitled to live and treat that property as your home and live in it in piece. That mans that landlords can not come round harassing you or causing you stress. I am sure that what she is doing is against the law. Is she asking for your permission, or notifying you 48 hours in advance that she will be at the property, if she isn't then that can be construed as harassment, as a landlord cannot just turn up when ever they want to and expect to be given access, unless it is in an emergency situation. The only reason I say these things is because my ex worked as a property coordinator for a large national let things company, so use to hear all about landlords that carry out actions that are against the law and the biggest one is them just doing as they want because they own the property.

But I am not legally trained so anything that I have said is not legal advice, merely an opinion. Best thing to do is have a free consultation with a solicitor or contact or contact shelter as they will give you free advice.
 
Try sub letting a section of the garden back to her... ;) sounds like she's rented it to you but wants to do what she wants with it.
 
Hobbit might be on to something there.
As above give her 50% (or whatever it is) back as an 'allotment' for her use out with the lease (fenced off) and try to negotiate a slight decrease in monthly let?

Sounds like she definitely wants her cake and eating it!
 
Based on limited knowledge of letting our own properties, there is a law protecting tenants called " Quiet Enjoyment " which basically means as you rent the property you are entitled to enjoy the property with out hassle from the Landlord, and they certainly have no right to access the garden or expect you to to anything other general garden maintenance. However all this is dependent upon the terms of the Lease, but if it was me I would approach the landlord and explain this and suggest a compromise that some of the garden is fenced off for their wildlife area, (the Landlord has a duty of care to ensure the property is safe for all occupants) in exchange for a rent reduction as when you and the landlord entered into the lease is was for the property and the use of all the garden, unless the lease says otherwise.

However this approach has to be balanced against the possibility that this could go pear shape and you find yourself looking for a new property to rent, but your landlord has to way up the fact that good tenants are worth more than a hassle of a section 21 process.

These are my own views of how I manage our properties and I always take legal advise when issues like this occur before discussing the issues and try to reach a happy compromise, which I am sure can be found
 
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