Landlord, land registry and keys

nurbz

Hi guys,

My landlord is renting 2 houses to young professionals, and he decided he is going to change the locks so he only has one key for both houses. That means there are 4 strangers that can enter the house I'm living in without any problems!

So 2 questions:

1) Is that legal to do so? Surely landlords are required to ensure the safety of their tenants, and his idea is clearly against the law?!

2) To prove a point, I'd like to find out the address of his other property. I guess this information should be public information. Where shall I ask? The land registry?


Thanks in advance,

A

clutton_2

why would you want to know the address of the other property ? as long as neither party knows the address of the other - where is the security issue ?

paintpot

He may be fitting locks where there is a masterkey system, i.e the two sets of tenants are issued with different sets of keys but the landlord has a master key which fits both. Landlords with lots of properties often use this type of system for ease. It might be worth enquiring with your landlord as to whether this is the case as you MAY have the wrong end of the sick.


HTH

nurbz wrote: »

Hi guys,

My landlord is renting 2 houses to young professionals, and he decided he is going to change the locks so he only has one key for both houses. That means there are 4 strangers that can enter the house I'm living in without any problems!

So 2 questions:

1) Is that legal to do so? Surely landlords are required to ensure the safety of their tenants, and his idea is clearly against the law?!

2) To prove a point, I'd like to find out the address of his other property. I guess this information should be public information. Where shall I ask? The land registry?


Thanks in advance,

A

SquatNow

Why does the landlord even need a key? He has no rights to access the property except under circumstances where it would be acceptable to force entry anyway. (e.g. Fire, Flood, Gas leak etc)

Tell him to go swivle. Don't let him change the locks. He has no right to enter the property without you consent to change them anyway. If he changes them, contact the police and report a burglary, then change the locks yourself to ones only you have a key for.

The landlord have absolutely no right ot enter the property except in dire emergency where not to do so would lead to damage to the property.

You can legally change the locks as long as you change them back when you move out.

The only issue would be that the LL could just give you 2 months notice if your AST is up, but I'de like to see him try and show a prospective tennant around while your there. hellooooooooooo Mr void.

paintpot

Squuatnow

A landlord has every right to have a key to their own property and for emergencies is one reason. I use my key, with the tenant's permission to undertake necessary repairs, undertake gas safety checks and the like. I will let the trades person in which saves my tenants having time off work if this is what they prefer, they have the choice. I also use it to undertake regular inspections of MY property after having served the required notice on my tenants. Of course, having decent tenants, and because I look after my tenants very well, I have never have a tenant refuse me entry and every single one has been happy for me to enter the property when they are not present.

Should one of my tenants change the locks and prevent me access to undertake an inspection I would assume they have something to hide and they would be served notice at the earliest opportunity. I'd rather have a void than a tenant I have no idea what they are up to or what they are doing to my property.

The landlord and tenant relationship is a two way street.

SquatNow wrote: »

Why does the landlord even need a key? He has no rights to access the property except under circumstances where it would be acceptable to force entry anyway. (e.g. Fire, Flood, Gas leak etc)

Tell him to go swivle. Don't let him change the locks. He has no right to enter the property without you consent to change them anyway. If he changes them, contact the police and report a burglary, then change the locks yourself to ones only you have a key for.

The landlord have absolutely no right ot enter the property except in dire emergency where not to do so would lead to damage to the property.

You can legally change the locks as long as you change them back when you move out.

The only issue would be that the LL could just give you 2 months notice if your AST is up, but I'de like to see him try and show a prospective tennant around while your there. hellooooooooooo Mr void.

clutton_2

ownership of a key does not equate to entry without permission

nurbz

clutton wrote: »

why would you want to know the address of the other property ? as long as neither party knows the address of the other - where is the security issue ?

I think it is actually fairly easy to find the address of the other house, hence the security issue. And thats the point Id like to prove.

paintpot

nurbz wrote: »

I think it is actually fairly easy to find the address of the other house, hence the security issue. And thats the point Id like to prove.

That may be the case, but have you read my post which means you may have nothing to worry about as there will be no security breach IF I am correct.e you and other tenants will have different keys.

meester

It seems a bit odd to me, sounds like he's a jumped up wannabe big-shot, with a whopping two-property BTL empire. Why would you go to the trouble and expense of consolidating when you've only got two houses?

paintpot

I don't know, maybe current locks aren't currently up to insurance standards, maybe he actually has more than two properties, maybe he plans to buy more. I can't see what a landlord has to gain by spending money on new locks if there isn't a valid reason for it and equally jeopardising the security of his own properties and he has to supply the tenant with keys so what does he have to gain unless there is a good reason? I just can't see any gains for the landlord. Maybe I am wrong but it's worth asking.

meester wrote: »

It seems a bit odd to me, sounds like he's a jumped up wannabe big-shot, with a whopping two-property BTL empire. Why would you go to the trouble and expense of consolidating when you've only got two houses?

nurbz

meester wrote: »

It seems a bit odd to me, sounds like he's a jumped up wannabe big-shot

You couldnt be more right.