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Letting Agent lets themselves in...
Russ_Vengeance
Posts: 50 Forumite
Alreet guys. I'm hoping you can help me clarify what my rights are with regards to the above.
Our LA are generally pretty good. They get stuff fixed that needs fixing and replace stuff that needs replacing (not that there's much, we're not that bad!:rolleyes: )
The one main thing that me n my gf have always said to them is that we don't want anyone letting themselves into our house when we're not there. We're not trying to be difficult about it, as we can always arrange things so that one or other of us can be there, but we're both fond of our privacy, and I think understandably, we don't want any random folk poking around our house!
Yesterday, while I was at work, my gf heard a knock at the door. It was a bloke from some research company, working on behalf of our LA. He'd come to check the energy efficiency of the house ( I think its a new thing they've gotta get done). My gf checked his ID and let him have a look round to check whatever he needed. The guy said that if she hadn't been in, he'd have let himself in, as he had been given a key!:mad: He reckoned that we'd been sent a letter advising us of this. When I got in from work, lo & behold, there was a letter addressed to me (so gf hadn't opened it) sat on the table that arrived yesterday morning, a couple of hours before this bloke was due to show up. It was posted on Sat.
My question is: am I justified in being !!!!!! off about this?
Our LA are generally pretty good. They get stuff fixed that needs fixing and replace stuff that needs replacing (not that there's much, we're not that bad!:rolleyes: )
The one main thing that me n my gf have always said to them is that we don't want anyone letting themselves into our house when we're not there. We're not trying to be difficult about it, as we can always arrange things so that one or other of us can be there, but we're both fond of our privacy, and I think understandably, we don't want any random folk poking around our house!
Yesterday, while I was at work, my gf heard a knock at the door. It was a bloke from some research company, working on behalf of our LA. He'd come to check the energy efficiency of the house ( I think its a new thing they've gotta get done). My gf checked his ID and let him have a look round to check whatever he needed. The guy said that if she hadn't been in, he'd have let himself in, as he had been given a key!:mad: He reckoned that we'd been sent a letter advising us of this. When I got in from work, lo & behold, there was a letter addressed to me (so gf hadn't opened it) sat on the table that arrived yesterday morning, a couple of hours before this bloke was due to show up. It was posted on Sat.
My question is: am I justified in being !!!!!! off about this?
Never age. Never die. Live for ever in that one last white-hot moment, when the crowd screamed. When every note was a heartbeat.
****Burn across the sky****
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Comments
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yes.
Ring your insurance company and see what they say about unauthorised keyholders.0 -
They are only allowed into your house without permission if there is an emergency. Also, they have to give you 24/48 (not sure which) hours notice of coming round.Just because you made a mistake doesn't mean you are a mistake.0
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poppysarah wrote: »Ring your insurance company and see what they say about unauthorised keyholders.
That's a damn good point.
Do you guys know of any 'official' LA-speak I can say to 'em?Never age. Never die. Live for ever in that one last white-hot moment, when the crowd screamed. When every note was a heartbeat.****Burn across the sky****0 -
Just ask them to call/leave a message at least 24 hours before and only to come in if you have agreed. Make sure it's on your terms or refuse.
If they 'just let themselves in', phone the police and get them out.0 -
Just ask them to call/leave a message at least 24 hours before and only to come in if you have agreed. Make sure it's on your terms or refuse.
If they 'just let themselves in', phone the police and get them out.
Change locks. They should only need a key in an emergency and they should feel free to break the door down or put a window in if it's actually an emergency.
Local councils do not keep keys for properties - this comes as a shock to many people who expect to get a spare key from the council when they lose their keys but end up with the bill for a lock change instead.0 -
Russ_Vengeance wrote: »That's a damn good point.
Do you guys know of any 'official' LA-speak I can say to 'em?
Ask the LA if they are authorised to hold a spare?"Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100 -
poppysarah wrote: »Change locks. They should only need a key in an emergency and they should feel free to break the door down or put a window in if it's actually an emergency.
Local councils do not keep keys for properties - this comes as a shock to many people who expect to get a spare key from the council when they lose their keys but end up with the bill for a lock change instead.
Not generally good advice.
You would need to put the locks back to the condition they were in when you first accepted the property else pay for them to be done. Most locksmiths charge about £100 call out plus the price of a lock.
You'll pay the same if you happen to lock yourself out. You might be thankful that there is an alternative authorised keyholder who could save you a potential small fortune should you accidentally lock yourself out.
A mate of mine had a water leak in his place recently whilst he was away all week on business. A neighbour saw the water escaping from the roof and called the LL. The LL let himself in and fixed the issue and left a note accordingly for my mate.
If the locks had been changed, the LL would have had no option but to have had the water disconnected by the local water authority. My mate would have been less than pleased to have arrived home with no water supply and faced with having to pay ca. £50 for water company to come out and reconnect supply. Obviously they wouldn't do that unless the fault had been rectified in the first place to prevent the escape of water, and since it was late Friday night he got back, it could have been Monday before water was reconnected."Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100 -
Not generally good advice.
You would need to put the locks back to the condition they were in when you first accepted the property else pay for them to be done. Most locksmiths charge about £100 call out plus the price of a lock.
You'll pay the same if you happen to lock yourself out. You might be thankful that there is an alternative authorised keyholder who could save you a potential small fortune should you accidentally lock yourself out.
You should be able to choose who has the spare key for your front door. Not some random person who goes into a letting agents.
If you're worried about locking yourself out give a good friend a key.
Changing the barrel is easy enough to do when you move out.
And LA who tries to let themselves in without you being there will of course be in breach of t&c so should never find out. (barring emergencies which they happen to witness)0 -
Yes - feel peed off! I think that's a complete invasion of privacy!!!0
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change the locks.First thing anyone should do when renting a house. How many previous tennants could have a key and walk in anytime?0
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