I am LIVID with my landlord, advice? (dog related - obviously!)

littlemisslauren

littlemisslauren

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At TEN PM my landlord decided to text me and tell me to leave a key out for tomorrow because we have a cleaner coming round.

When we first moved in (two months ago) we were told that they would pay for a cleaner to come round every two weeks... tomorrow will be the first time one comes to the house. OH and I are both at work tomorrow so B will be crated from 12 untill 4.30, the cleaner is apparently coming at 2pm.

If we had known that she was coming we could have arranged a day off work to take B out of the house / stay with her because I know having a stranger come in and faff about in the house is going to stress her out :(

B is crate trained, but gets very excited when people come home and will make one hell of a noise when its us, I dread to think how she will be with someone new :( Also if the cleaner decides to let her run around the house with her (I wouldnt mind if I had actually met the woman before, I have no idea who she is / if she has any dog sense) B will take the mickey :(

B started her first season today... just to make things even more difficult :o

My choices are....
1. Leave B at home and move her crate into the spare room and ask the cleaner to not go in there.

2. Beg the kennels at work to take her for the afternoon and then beg work to let me take a long lunch to pick her up.

3. Get up at stupid o'clock and take B to my mums house to be kenneled all day. Parents dog had his bits for far too long so doesnt enjoy having in season bitches around! So she would be on her own with a little bit of play with her puppy friend (if my mum is feeling generous!)

4. Try to cram Bs crate into the back of my car (Fiat 500:rolleyes:) and take her to work with me (leaving her in the car) with a quick walk at lunch.

5. Plead with work to let me take a half day / be very ill and need to go home.

6. Search like a crazy lady for a last min dog walker to just come and take her out for an hour or so while this woman is here.

7. Cry and shoot my landlord.

I really dont know what to do? OH can't change his working hours / transport B anywhere and I cant just let her run around with me at work because there are students around and we havent quite mastered staying away from horses legs:rolleyes:

ARGHHHHHHH
 
I wouldn't be getting that uptight.. 4..5 hrs is not that long. Could she stay in the spare room or would she rip it to shreds? If so then I would probably crate her and leave her to it, assuming you think she'll just be noisy and not try to to kill herself etc.
Either that or arrange with landlord to meet the cleaner first? Or ask for a bit to be knocked off rent and you'll do the cleaning yourself?
Or drop her off at your mums at 11/12 before work and pick her up after, not thtat long really..
 
If she's happy crated (or in the spare room as SusieT suggests) then I'd leave her - but with a note for the cleaner in a VERY obvious place, politely telling her to completely ignore the puppy and she's happy in her crate? It also works both ways, so I'd be calling your landlord too to make it perfectly clear (don't text) that this is your plan and do they think the cleaner will be happy with them? That way, you've given them fair warning the dog will be present and that you don't want her handled/stressed when you aren't there IYSWIM?

Not sure if that makes sense, it's been a long day! Hope you get something sorted
 
Please don't stress over that! I know she's your baby, and it's annoying but really, when I started to read your post I thought you were going to say 'at ten pm today my landlord decided that I couldn't have a dog in the house anymore' or something! It really is just this once, and make sure your landlord knows that in future you will be requiring more notice so you can make arrangements for your dog. Don't worry, be happy (at least you will come home to a clean house!) :)
 
I work 8 - 4, OH will be picked up at midday for work so if B was to be taken anywhere it would have to be at 7am.

Landlord is a strange little man. The house is clean and is kept clean but he still insists on having a cleaner.

I know I have wound myself up over this but my LL just infuriates me, I dont want anything to hinder Bs training and a stranger faffing about over her / around her while she is crated will drive her mad.
 
I'd tell the landlord it's not a good time for you. You're not there, and not happy with somebody else in the house with no supervision when you haven't met that person before hand. Not sure why landlord is arranging for a cleaner as it is? Inspection yes, now and then, cleaner is a little odd :o

Personally I'd throw a sickie for the day, and then make it very clear that cleaners/inspections require at least a few days notice. No notice, they don't happen.

Not sure where that stands legally, so it's not concrete advice, but it worked for my parents who were renting through a large agency. In the end it was a case of 'we have dogs, you know this because we paid you a much higher deposit in case of damage they cause. We either need warning or you don't get to access the house, on account of aforementioned dogs'. They were OK with it once it was spelled out clearly for them. :)
 
Thanks guys just caught up with the responses.

nn - Ohhh trust me I shall be having words with him at stupid o'clock in the morning because I am NOT amused.

La Fiaba - I know I sound like a right worrying mother dont I? I would have been excited about the clean house if I hadnt spent last night scrubbing the kitchen floor...... arghh. It is obvious my landlord is male.
 
Pix - I agree that having a cleaner come in is weird. He didnt tell us about it untill we moved in. He is terrible for giving us notice / fixing anything / paying for things. I am really not happy about this person being in my house to be honest. I am not sure how many of us are in work tomorrow, we are rediculously understaffed but i will be doing a half day if I can (doubtfull) :(
 
don't worry, I'm the same if I'm honest; worry more about my four legged 'kids' than anything else. You could get your own back and have a wild impromptu party and trash the place, then the cleaner might give him an earful too!
 
I'd be having really strong words about him arranging for strangers to enter your home when there is nobody else there. I can completely understand that landlords would like the odd inspection, but having somebody come in to clean, at their request, when the people who are actually LIVING in the house have no say in the matter.... that really isn't on. After all it might be his bricks and mortar but it's your contents. Saying this as somebody whose family has both rented and also rented out properties :o

Can understand if work is understaffed you'll feel like a complete sh**e faking a sickie. Perhaps puppy/dog-proof the area near the front door (hallway etc?) and then leave them free roaming. It's not a great solution if you're trying to crate train, but for one day they won't have access to anything that will hurt themselves and at the same time will put off anyone else from trying to come in. At the same time you could contact landlord and state that due to lack of notice, the cleaner won't be able to access the house as the dog is home alone due to you not being able to rearrange work at the drop of the hat.

ETS- The more I think about this the angrier I am on your behalf. If we were due to be inspected, or an inspection was due on the property we were renting out, we arranged a time when everyone was at home and available. You don't just enter/send strangers into somebodies home. Regardless of ownership, the people living there have a right to privacy and consideration and that includes organising any cleaning or inspections for a mutually suitable time.
 
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I would not be happy and nor would I let a stranger into my house with my dog, for all you knwo she could let her out of the crate and in turn she could get out of the house, might sound unlikely, but its entirely possibly, she could also be one of these nut jobs thats thinks the dog is imprisoned and takes her out altogether:eek: sorry im possibly horrifying u here, but I also think of the worst scenario.

I would be inclined to be more bold if you do leave her in a room and place a notice on door saying

DO NOT GO IN OR LET DOG OUT SHE HAS HAD AN OPERATION AT VETS AND NEEDS STRICT CAGE REST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Besides if you do go in.......I will smack your chops:rolleyes::D

Or take her to work and walk her at lunch time, i would be happier with her in my car if the parking area is secure.
 
Thanks everyone, I really am spitting feathers about this.
We have written a strongly worded note and I will be ringing the Landlord at 5am - I hope I wake the ****** up to tell him our ill puppy is to be left well alone. If I can wangle some time off work I will go home / pick her up and chuck her somewhere at work. This whole thing has made me want to move to be honest! He has done this before in our previous property (same landlord - we are silly), he arranged a viewing for 10am after OH had worked nightshift!

Now i am too stressed out to sleep... 20 horses and 40 teenagers will be loads of fun tomorrow on no sleep!
 
Don't stress yourself, esaier said than done, but the note should do it and a blanket over her crate with radio left on in the room so she can not hear stoopid cleaner.

OR I take it u work in a riding school? im sure she would be fine in the crate in the car, if u decide in the morning u def dont want her left in the house.
 
I have tried to get the sodding crate into my pathetic car... its not happening. Ergh!
I will have to beg for the afternoon off / find somewhere safe for her to hide at work.

Landlord didnt pick his phone up so OH is going to call him later. I think in future we will fork out for a dog walker when the cleaner is coming and save on all this hassle.
 
A landlord is supposed to give you 48 hours notice for anything like that by law. Just dont leave a key andring him and tell him its not convienient. Next time he should give you notice so you can arrange something.
It is the law and he should give you notice.
 
Ye I would dust off your contract and see what it said I believe most say you must have at least 24hours notice before anyone can enter the property. As for leaving a key out just say no thats a backwards way to do it he should have a key but definately would not leave it out.

Don't get me started on landlords, ours just took three months to replace my oven. :mad::mad::mad:
 
Stop getting so stressed, just learn to say NO, sorry that is not convenient. Tell him to make it another day and you need 48 hours notice.
 
I managed to speak to my landlord on my lunch break, there was no chance of me even getting a longer lunch let alone any time off. I told him that we had left the key but would not do so if we were given such pathetic notice again and that the puppy was 'ill' and had to rest.

I asked him to get the cleaner to call me when she arrived and I explained to her that the puppy was NOT to be disturbed in any way and I arranged her next visit with her directly.

I think B is very confused as to who was making all that noise, she has checked every room in the house... twice.
 
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