How late is too late for a landlord to come to your home?
By cream97
@cream97 (29087)
United States
March 1, 2011 7:03pm CST
We are renting a single wide mobile home. Our landlord has came to our home this past Saturday. She has came by during the evening about three times since we have been living here. It is usually about the rent, or a handout that is given to all tenants. The time that she comes in is around early seven, when it is dark. I don't keep my porch light on. I only turn it on, when I have to go outside for whatever reason, or if someone comes by my house. Otherwise it is off. Our landlord will come by, she will have a flashlight with her. Her husband has her going out and pestering her tenants for rent money. Even when she was still healing from having surgery!
One time she came by and it was so cold. It was about 35 to 45 degrees outside! I don't like when she comes over. She never calls my husband, she just drops by out of the blue. Without me knowing that she is coming, I am usually busy in the house. One time, I was in the middle of washing my oldest daughter's hair when she came by. And last Saturday, I was eating dinner, me and the my kids. I had a cup of water in my hand when I answered the door. My landlord did not even bother to say, "Oh I am sorry if I have disturbed you". She never apologizes for coming by on such short notices. I feel that she should call my husband first, instead of shooting straight over to our place. If she calls and he does not answer or returns her phone call in a day or two, then she should send a letter. If there is still no response, she should then come over. If she calls my husband, he won't ignore her phone or text. She knows this too! It is driving me up the wall, with her non respect for me and my family. Now, my husband called her back on Sunday and she told him that she was in the middle of dinner. Okay, so was I on Saturday too! So she told him that she would call him back, but she never did. It is now Monday, and she has not returned my husband's phone call yet. Why come unexpectedly to a tenant's home, if you are not going to call them back when they call you???
She told my husband to call her in the first place, so I don't get her at all!
One time she came by and it was so cold. It was about 35 to 45 degrees outside! I don't like when she comes over. She never calls my husband, she just drops by out of the blue. Without me knowing that she is coming, I am usually busy in the house. One time, I was in the middle of washing my oldest daughter's hair when she came by. And last Saturday, I was eating dinner, me and the my kids. I had a cup of water in my hand when I answered the door. My landlord did not even bother to say, "Oh I am sorry if I have disturbed you". She never apologizes for coming by on such short notices. I feel that she should call my husband first, instead of shooting straight over to our place. If she calls and he does not answer or returns her phone call in a day or two, then she should send a letter. If there is still no response, she should then come over. If she calls my husband, he won't ignore her phone or text. She knows this too! It is driving me up the wall, with her non respect for me and my family. Now, my husband called her back on Sunday and she told him that she was in the middle of dinner. Okay, so was I on Saturday too! So she told him that she would call him back, but she never did. It is now Monday, and she has not returned my husband's phone call yet. Why come unexpectedly to a tenant's home, if you are not going to call them back when they call you??? She told my husband to call her in the first place, so I don't get her at all!2 people like this
14 responses
@sender621 (14894)
• United States
2 Mar 11
Unless there is an emergency or you are not at home during the day, i see no reason why a landlord has to pay a tenant a visit in the evening. Tenants and landlord should have respect for each other, but there is a time and place to discuss issues. Late into the evening does not seem appropriate unless it is at your request to do so.1 person likes this
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
2 Mar 11
Hi. sender621. This is the same thing that I told my husband. If it is an emergency or she can't just catch up with us in the day time, then it would be different if she came by then. Especially, if we gave her permission to come by. I don't understand why can't she just come by our home in the day time, instead of always coming so late in the evenings when it is dark. I know that being a landlord is only her sole employment, unless she hunts. It is too cold to hunt now. So she should try to come by during the day time. That would be more acceptable. She should also start calling too. She still has not returned my husband's phone call yet since he called her on Sunday. It is now Wednesday, and still no phone call.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
6 Mar 11
i would say after dinner unless it's a real emergency and they call first.
it's kind of rude later than that,especially if the tenant has kids.
1 person likes this
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
3 Mar 11
Your landlord sounds like my sisters landlord, shes not a very nice one, and goes and bothers my sister and my nephews all the time for stupid stuff. She also comes over at the most inconvenient times, but if your looking for her, she won't answer her phone or return her calls. I don't know why some landlords have to be that way, they should treat their tenants nicer.
1 person likes this
@dainy1313 (2370)
• Leon, Mexico
5 Mar 11
Oh! Do as I do... I always go to her home to leave her the rent =) Blessings!... Dainy
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
5 Mar 11
I think your landlord has a couple of problems. First I think she is disrespectful, and doesn't have any regard to all of her tenants. Secondly, I think she does not have any concept of boundaries. She doesn't seem to know when she is overstepping the line.
Anything after dinner I think is too late for a landlord.
1 person likes this
@margeryann (1845)
• United States
3 Mar 11
That would be very annoying and make you feel like you have no privacy.She would freak out if when she came over and if you were in the middle of something to come back in a couple of hours because I'm in the middle of something.I wonder if she would start calling first then. LOL.
1 person likes this
@moondancer (7433)
• United States
2 Mar 11
I don't know how late they can come over but in each state it is different. I'd contact the renters advocates in your state and ask them. I know that before they can come over or is it come in, they have to contact you 24 or 48 hours in advance before coming over.
You may be able to find out by doing some research online as with many things these days can be found out this way these days.
Either way, I'd have a talk with my land lord and come to an agreement with her that we get out money on such day and we we pay our rent on such day between such and such hours and if they happen to not be paid at that time we will call you in advance to let you know when we will be able to pay you.
Also, we would appreciate that as by law when you wish to come over that you contact us x amount of days in advance to let us know. And when you have papers for us in the future if you would just tape them to the back door that would be appreciated instead of coming over at late hours or our dinner being interrupted. Thank you.
My mother had a home and she also had trailers that were on the property in the back of the home. She never just showed up to collect the rent or to take papers to them unless they were outside. When papers needed to be delivered we put them in an envelope and put them inside the outside door of the trailer or taped it to the door. When rent was due or they had it they brought theirs to the house, even when they were late.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
2 Mar 11
Hi Cream,
You should talk to your landlord about this. Do you pay by the week or the month? Your rent is due on a certain day, right? Most of my landlords have had me either drop off the rent or send it in. In all my years of renting, I have only had one landlord that actually came around to collect the rent. Like yours, he also showed up at random times. It didn't bother me as it was only a matter of handing him a check and I expected him at some point. Your rent is due so your landlord should be there on that day that it is due or the next. There should not be a need to call first and wait for a call back and then send a letter. I'm a little confused and thinking I'm reading this wrong because then you say that he he won't ignore her phone or text. Anyway, I think you should talk to the landlord and set up a clear time to pay the rent. Most places I've lived, the rent is due on the first and it is up to me to get it to the landlord on time.
@celticeagle (160015)
• Boise, Idaho
2 Mar 11
If you feel she is being rude and coming over at a bad time then be rude right back. Ignore the bell, knock or whatever. If she should ask you why then inform that you were busy. I think sometimes some types of people need to have a awakening to let them know they are being rude. It will continue until you do something about it.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
3 Mar 11
I would check out the state laws concerning rental agreements. In my state (this is the way it use to be) landlords are not allowed inside the premises without notifying the renter prior. I know that this is not your problem at the moment but as a tenant you are also granted a certain amount of privacy as well. Let her know how you feel when she comes over the next time. Since it seems to be your husband that she is wanting to speak with every time does she possibly think that he will be home in the evening times as opposed to the daytime? I have had only 2 landlords that tried to act like this with me... not surprisingly both times was when I lived in a mobile home park... I don't know why the landlords of MHP's seem to think they own the world????? The first time I was very young and only 21 with 2 kids newly separated from my ex husband. The landlord's son always come over giving me a hard time about where I parked or anything he could think of. I mentioned this to the landlord and he told me that it was his son's right because he was a legal heir to the property in the future and I let him know that I rented the place from him and not his son... never had another problem after that with the son. Another problem from the same landlord was the electric was still in the landlords name... well the bill was not due until the 15th of each month. The landlord would constantly harass me starting on the 1st to pay for the electric (which I ignored until it was time to pay it) then one month the landlord come over to the my house while I was working and TOOK my TV, VCR & Dining room table..... leaving me a note that I would get these items back when I paid the electric bill. I called the Sheriff's department and got my stuff back the same day. Shortly after this I decided to find another place to live. Give your landlord the whats for and get her straightened out! Don't be afraid of her.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
2 Mar 11
Although they are the landlord they should at least be courteous as it does not really give them the pass to do as they please.
Just because they own the place, does not mean they set the visiting hours as they choose. I think I would be saying something especially if I was paying the rent on time each month. As normally I would not just drop by any ones home without announcing first. But I suppose to keep the peace sometimes we are forced to tolerate.
1 person likes this
@naija4real (1291)
•
2 Mar 11
I think the reason why most landlord behave that way is to make them feel some kind of authority over their tenant. Everyone that own a land and a house usually love to be recognized one way or the other. Apart from the fact that he wants authority and loved to be recognized as the landlord, the landlord also wants his money for the rent. There are a lot of tenants that take pleasure in punishing their landlord. They refuse to pay their rent as at when due. The landlord must have waited for so long hoping that the tenant would come over to pay the rent. However the opposite is the case. Most tenant wants to be chased with a can like little children before they would want to comply with rules and regulation concerning their tenancy. There are some tenants that even destroy properties in the house. when they are leaving a building or an apartment they leave it in a bad state than the way they initially met the house. Landlord are human beings they would want their tenant to comply with rules of a house
@cireri (10)
• Kenya
2 Mar 11
It depends with the relationship that you have with the property owner on ways to pay the dues. Some property owners like to boss you around! an agreement should be made and signed on the terms of ownership including the deadline for paying your dues. Remember, as a tenant you have your rights before the Law.
1 person likes this
