Tenancy review for 12 Trelawn Place in Headingley, Leeds rented from Jon Robertson

Landlord rating: 1

Prioritized his own interests over basic tenant rights and was then angry when we took exception.

In February 2020, the property had a spare room, and the landlord expected us to conduct viewings with no notice. As it is a legal requirement to inform current tenants of viewings, I challenged this. He reacted by saying he had neither "the time nor the patience to explain why I was wrong" and served us our notice meaning we had to move out by early April.

With the prospect of now having to find 3 new tenants instead of 1, and with a pandemic looming, it was perhaps not as straight-forward to find new occupants for 12 Trelawn Place as he anticipated, which he blamed me for.

Upon returning home from work one day in March, I received a Whatsapp from the landlord, explaining that the state of my room was costing him tenants.

When I asked for clarification on this point, he screamed at me down the phone, threatening legal action as well as all manner of other insults.

By the start of April, he still hadn't found new tenants and in the midst of lockdown, with viewings now impossible, he offered for us to stay throughout April. Unsurprisingly we declined

The fact he could be so difficult and aggressive to me; a tennant who paid my rent on time and caused no damage to the property but just expected fundamental tenancy rights to be upheld and to be spoken to with a basic level of decency, means I dread to think how he'd behave toward a tenant whoever found themselves in financial difficulties or somehow caused more serious problems at the property.

Property rating: 4

12 Trelawn Place was in adequate condition but building work did start towards the end of our tenancy - whilst we were still living in the property.

Area rating: 6

Close to Headingley town centre and the cricket ground with easy access to Leeds city centre.