Can I get in trouble legally for not responding to my landlords unexpected calls and abusive texts?
TLDR: My landlord doesn't do major repairs, gets verbally abusive through sudden calls and texts, so I told her "email is best". As I search for my next place, does not responding to her erratic calls and messages give her a right to kick me out?
I live in England (London). I moved into my flat in June, and my landlord hasn’t carried out repairs in over six months. I’m dealing with everything from shifty, uneven flooring, to a leaking radiator, to a bedroom window that won’t open. The following happens when I reach out: I’ll explain the issue (and attach photos), she says she’ll look into it, then I don’t hear from her again. When I follow up, the cycle continues. She often insists we discuss repairs on the phone, which is an issue for multiple reasons:
- She’ll do on several tangents. Everything from her upcoming holiday to Mexico (plus her bigoted views on the locals 😬), to the crush she has on the repairman, and how she’d be with him if she wasn’t married. During our last call, she also was food shopping with her daughter.
- She’ll make excuses: everything from “my friend is dying” to “the repairman has kids, he won’t be available for a while”
- Most importantly, things get toxic. When I bring the conversation back on track, I say the repairs need to happen soon and make sure my tone is respectful. In response, she’s done everything from shout at me, try to gaslight me, and threaten to kick me out.
During our last call on Thursday 2nd April, she pressured me to sign on for another year. She said she’d send the new agreement that weekend, yet I didn’t hear from her again for weeks. When she did finally reach out (on 28th April), I responded on the 1st May saying: “I’m not comfortable agreeing to these terms while repairs are long overdue. Happy to revisit once repairs are complete”. She played dumb, acted like the repairs were new to her, then tried to make me give notice.
She’ll at times not answer my text messages, and hasn’t responded to most of my emails. On countless times she’ll call unannounced (early in the morning or late at night), demanding I call her back ASAP. When I was away in February, she called perhaps 3-4 times a day for the entire weekend. About a month ago, she called on a Saturday morning to say “the repairman will be there to look at your radiator in ten minutes, you need to call me back ASAP and let him in”. I of course declined, and reminded her that I needed at least a 24 hour heads up.
Yesterday, she called me again (late afternoon) when I was working. It was followed by demands to call her back immediately as she “needed to talk”. I didn’t call her back not only because I was unavailable, but because even if I was, I knew the call wouldn’t lead to progress. So I texted her today saying “Hi, email is best”. She’s since responded and I haven’t read the message. I imagine she’s trying to coerce me into a call and as advised by my friend: “don’t engage with or respond to abuse”.
It’s clear that I need to move out and that the repairs won’t happen anytime soon. For those wondering, I haven’t left yet as I was waiting for the agreement to end, and was also saving up for the deposit on my next flat. Now that this has been achieved, I of course am looking for my next place. In the meantime, I don’t want to speak to her on the phone.
With the Renter’s Rights Act, I know she needs a valid reason to legally kick me out, and I’m wondering if me not agreeing to phone calls with her (and now not reading her texts) is one of them. I’m not doing so to be childish, but instead to protect my peace and not experience any additional stress.
I’d block her if I knew it wouldn’t be used against me. I’d like to think that offering to speak through email shows I’m willing to communicate, even though it’s not in the way she wants. Other than speak to Citizens Advice, report her to the council, and look for my next place, what else can I do? Does she have a right to kick me out for not engaging with her erratic communication style?
Thank you for taking the time to read this.