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Taking rules too literally

Robert124
over 3 years ago

Should I obey rules or break them?

Do I take rules literally?  When others bend and break them.

I am a social semi recluse, living alone in a first floor flat.  I avoid socialising with neighbours because, Covid 19 rules say so.  And I find small talk and socialising difficult at the best of times.

Now my problem 

I long for a pet cat for company, but since my tenancy agreement explicitly forbids pets and I don't want to be evicted, I've decided not to get one while living here.

Over the past few weeks I've noticed live cats in my neighbours windows.  It seems other people are ignoring the no pet rules and getting away with it.

A couple of days ago I spoke to one of my neighbours, breaking Covid rules???, He confirmed that he has a house cat, other neighbours have dogs and one even has a couple of tortoises.

Am I a fool for following the rules?  And taking them literally.

Parents
  • over 3 years ago

    You're not a fool for taking your tenancy rules literally, you are contractually obligated to follow them. Other people in your building might have different tenancy arrangements than you or addendums on their contracts. You are totally able to write to your landlord and request a change to your agreement to allow you to have  a pet, I did this and my landlord agreed. Having it in writing protects you from losing your deposit at the end of your tenancy. Also depending on how long you've lived there you have a reasonable right to request this change from your landlord, especially if you offer to pay a per deposit. If your neighbours are ignoring the rules they may well pay the consequences, so keep that in mind when deciding.

    With covid rules... they change constantly. I'm a rule follower too and they cause me constant anxiety. It's impossible to be compliant with them at all times especially when they seem to contradict themselves. Talking to your neighbours isn't breaking the rules (if you keep a safe distance and don't enter each others homes). The current advice is to Stay Home other than shopping and exercise, and you can't be fined for breaking these rules unless you meet in large groups or go out when you have been asked by track and trace to isolate or if you test positive. It helped me to understand the spirit of their rules by seeing which parts were enforceable. 

    Hope it helps.

Reply
  • over 3 years ago

    You're not a fool for taking your tenancy rules literally, you are contractually obligated to follow them. Other people in your building might have different tenancy arrangements than you or addendums on their contracts. You are totally able to write to your landlord and request a change to your agreement to allow you to have  a pet, I did this and my landlord agreed. Having it in writing protects you from losing your deposit at the end of your tenancy. Also depending on how long you've lived there you have a reasonable right to request this change from your landlord, especially if you offer to pay a per deposit. If your neighbours are ignoring the rules they may well pay the consequences, so keep that in mind when deciding.

    With covid rules... they change constantly. I'm a rule follower too and they cause me constant anxiety. It's impossible to be compliant with them at all times especially when they seem to contradict themselves. Talking to your neighbours isn't breaking the rules (if you keep a safe distance and don't enter each others homes). The current advice is to Stay Home other than shopping and exercise, and you can't be fined for breaking these rules unless you meet in large groups or go out when you have been asked by track and trace to isolate or if you test positive. It helped me to understand the spirit of their rules by seeing which parts were enforceable. 

    Hope it helps.

Children