8 Home Road

I unfortunately had a very negative experience with this landlord and would strongly caution anyone considering renting from him.

Throughout our tenancy, I found him to be incredibly imposing, unreasonable and intrusive. We kept the house exceptionally clean and tidy, yet he would find the smallest things to complain about. On one occasion, he sent us photographs of the stairs showing what I can only describe as a single piece of fluff from a sock, threatening to make us pay for a professional cleaner if we didn't hoover it. I genuinely cannot emphasise enough how minor it was.

However, the most uncomfortable aspect of living there was his complete disregard for our privacy. He would regularly enter the property without any prior warning. As we shared a communal bathroom, there were multiple occasions when I would leave the bathroom wearing only a towel, only to find him unexpectedly standing in the hallway. This was incredibly uncomfortable and made me feel as though I had very little privacy in my own home.

We eventually asked whether he could simply give us some notice before arriving. We weren't asking for anything unreasonable, literally just an hour's warning so we wouldn't be alarmed by someone unexpectedly opening the front door. His response was that, by law, he wasn't required to give us notice, so he wouldn't be doing so. I found this response particularly disappointing, as it showed a complete lack of consideration for the people paying to live in his property.

To make matters worse, I experienced significant difficulties trying to recover my deposit at the end of the tenancy and ultimately never received it back from him.

Renting should mean having somewhere you can feel comfortable, secure and at home. Instead, I often felt as though we were being constantly monitored and that even the smallest thing could become an issue. We were respectful tenants who took excellent care of the property, yet that respect never felt reciprocated.

I would not recommend renting from this landlord. In my experience, the lack of privacy, unreasonable expectations and difficulties surrounding the deposit made for an unnecessarily stressful tenancy.

The house itself was actually quite nice overall, which makes it even more disappointing that the living experience was so poor. However, I would strongly advise anyone considering renting one of the rooms, particularly the smallest bedroom, to think very carefully before committing.

The smallest bedroom was genuinely no bigger than a cupboard, yet it was being rented for over £900 a month. For that price, I would expect a room that was at least reasonably sized and comfortable to live in. In my opinion, the room was far too small to be rented out as a bedroom, and I seriously question whether it met the minimum legal room-size requirements. I also question whether the property should have been operating as a flat share with a room of that size being let to a tenant.

Another major issue was the proximity to the railway tracks. The tracks were so close to the bedroom window that the entire room would physically shake whenever a train passed. This wasn't an occasional inconvenience either. The property is situated alongside one of the main railway routes in and out of London, meaning trains pass frequently throughout the day. Unfortunately, the noise didn't stop at night, as commercial freight trains would also pass through during the night.

It is difficult to describe just how disruptive this was. You could hear and physically feel the trains passing, making it incredibly difficult to enjoy any peace and quiet, particularly when trying to sleep. This is something I really wish had been made clearer before moving in.

While the house itself was pleasant, I simply cannot justify the price being charged for such a tiny room, particularly given the constant railway noise and vibrations. Paying over £900 a month to live in what felt like a cupboard, with trains shaking the room day and night, was frankly ridiculous.