I am so disgusted and irritated.
Apparently our landlord let a contractor into the house while I was at work today. I got home from work to find mosquitos buzzing around the house, crushed cigarette butts in the bathroom, tobacco scattered all over the bathroom floor, and the floor in the back room covered with dirt and pine needles. That, or a burglar ripped the gutters off the house and somehow managed to get in and out without taking any obvious loot, and locked up the house when done. Which is more likely?
When the roofing contractor called me yesterday to say they’d received authorization to replace the gutters and do some repairs on the roof and would be doing it sometime this week, he also said that I didn’t need to be home for it. He didn’t say a damned thing about needing entry. No one called to provide notice that they were entering for any purpose (emergency or otherwise), nor did the contractor or landlord leave a note or a card confirming who was there.
It’s after hours, so I can’t actually confirm with the landlord that they allowed someone legitimate access and for what purpose. Had I known they were coming inside, I would have been here.
I feel violated. I’m probably over-reacting, but I’ve been a victim of burglary before. I don’t know if anything is missing, or what paperwork someone might have skimmed through. At the least, the cats (indoor only) could have gotten outside — or they could (may) have eaten the smashed cigarette butts.
What the hell does someone replacing the gutters need to be INSIDE the house for, anyway?
I left a rather strident message for the landlord. We’ll see if they call back tomorrow.
Only thing I can think of, particularly since some of the mess was in the bathroom, was that they had to go ‘potty’. I can’t think of a logical reason why they’d need inside the house for gutters.
Tobacco. Yuck.
I hope the message for the landlord went through.
Your house is still your house, whether or not you rent or own. No one has the right to be in it without YOUR permission.
I called my ex who does gutters for a living to see what he does on a day to day basis and he says they don’t need to go into the house at all.
I hope your landlord gives you a good answer. I’d be just as angry if I were in your shoes.