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First, you need to check the lease agreement that you have drawn up with the warden, and her contract of employment. Assuming that these are standard, you need to tackle this through the warden, who is your employee.

I would expect either the lease or the contract to stipulate that the warden is responsible for the behaviour of those members of her family who live with her.

You need to tell the warden clearly that it is her responsibility to ensure that her husband behaves in an acceptable manner; that if you receive any complaints you will have to deal with the matter through your disciplinary procedure and that the warden may lose her job and her accommodation.

If this is indeed the outcome and if, as a consequence, you were taken to an employment tribunal by the warden for unfair dismissal, your legal representative may advise you that the dismissal is for "some other substantial reason" as the cause of the dismissal is the warden's husband's behaviour rather than conduct directly attributable to the warden. So, make sure you carefully document every contact you have with the warden on this matter and that a full investigation is carried out and a report produced before proceeding to a formal disciplinary. You will have to convince the tribunal, if it gets that far, that you had no alternative but to dismiss.

Sandy Staff, Human resources management consultant at the Conway Staff Partnership

What can a tenant do about an intrusive landlord's agent?
I am concerned about my parents, who have recently rented a council property in east London, which is in turn privately rented from an estate agent. It is temporary accommodation. I would like advice on how they are being treated by the estate agent. The agent has a master key for the houses it rents, and staff from the agency let themselves in whenever it suits them. Also, when any repairs are required, they give the workmen a key to let themselves in. Is this allowed? My parents are too afraid to speak up as they fear they will have the home taken away from them. Is there anything that we can do?

It sounds as though the council has placed your parents in a privately owned property as temporary housing. This means your parents are probably assured shorthold tenants, or possibly contractual tenants. Either way, I am afraid their rights are limited. If they are assured shorthold tenants, their landlord could give them two months' notice at any time (but not to take effect during the first six months) without any reason and they would have to move. If they are contractual tenants, the notice could be shorter.

As a matter of law, if they are tenants, their landlord is not entitled to send people in as and when he pleases – tenants are entitled to possession of their properties and landlords should not keep keys unless the tenant agrees, or for use only in emergencies. But that is not much help when your parents have so few rights, and may lose their home if they make a fuss. The plight of people in assured shorthold tenancies who cannot enforce any real rights against their landlord is too little recognised.

However, if they were placed there by the council, the council may have standards it expects the landlord to comply with – it may be worth going back to the council and asking it to look at the situation again.

Catherine Hand, Partner at solicitor Jenkins & Hand