changing the locks

Money_maker

I thought you could change the locks providing you replaced them with the old ones when you leave?
Anyone confirm this?

lynzpower

Yes thats my understanding. Keep the old locks and replace them when you leave.

You might want to let the LA have one in case of emergecny though?

Treadway1

Bennifred wrote: »

Indeed - but he could hardly object, could he? And if he did - so what, as OP wants (understandably) to move out anyway - at least she'd feel safe in the meantime. His is the greater wrong, IMHO.

The trouble is, he would probably take legal action to evict the OP. No problem, you might say, as she wants to leave anyway, but unfortunately, he would probablt then keep their deposit for breaching the tenancy agreement.

Im not saying the OP shouldnt feel safe in her own home, Im just trying to say that as the LL appears to be a slimey little fcuker, he would probably do all he could to create problems for the OP and her boyfriend if they do anything against their agreement.

Personally Id go to the Police with this, because as Ive mentioned above, it could be argued that he has committed burgalry. i.e. He has enetered a property (or part of a property) as a trespasser with the intention of stealing something therein.

Errata

Lock your doors and leave the keys in the locks, the LL won't be able to get his keys in them to unlock them.

Jowo_2

Most landlord/tenant disputes are civil offences which the Police resist getting involved with. Their appetite for getting involved in landlord/tenant issues is so low that they are known to resist intervening when a criminal offence has been committed.

Change the lock, don't give the key to the landlord, change the lock back to the original one when the tenancy ends.

clutton_2

As a LL of 10 years, i am appalled by this - he has NO legal right whatsoever to have come into your home in this fashion.

Tenants have a legally enshrined right of "quiet enjoyment" - books and books and books have been written about it..

Please check out when you last signed your tenancy agreement and - also so we can advise better - when did you first move in ?

Just because something is in a tenancy agreement does not make it lawful - a clause in your AST cannot detract from your rights accrued under other Acts of parliament.

i think the very first thing to do is to write a Recorded delivery letter to your LL (copy to LA) and say that you were very frightened by what happened, and as a result you have decided to change the locks to protect your future privacy and to protect your quiet enjoyment. Also say that you will of course replace the new lock with the original one on leaving and that you will cooperate with allowing entry for repairs and viewings as appropriate..... and leave it at that.

let us know how you get on

tek-monkey

Be sure to lodge a complaint with the LA at the very least. Do it in person, and shout a lot. They don't like that happening in the office when they're trying to sign on new tennants.

clutton_2

be sure to do it in writing - otherwise you have no evidence if things get sticky later on with regard to your deposit .......

belisha-beacon

Thanks, everyone, for your comments - I'm glad I'm not the only one to be outraged because the agents' reaction made me feel as if I was somehow being completely over the top!

Clutton - we moved in in February 2009 so we're out of our initial six-month agreement and it's gone on to a rolling one month notice period. That's also when we signed the tenancy agreement. I'm at least pleased that I am covered by the TDS and I am hoping that that will make it less of a problem when I check out - we have plenty of evidence of the appallingly grubby state that it was in when we moved in given the high price (£850 per month!!) so if he tries to 'punish' us by making unfair deductions then at least we will have a right to contest it. My main worry is that we won't be able to get a good reference for the next house but I'm just going to have to be up-front with the other agents and tell them why we want to move quickly. I hope that they accept references from previous landlords instead, as we've always been very good tenants and have always had glowing references before.

clutton wrote: »

As a LL of 10 years, i am appalled by this - he has NO legal right whatsoever to have come into your home in this fashion.

Tenants have a legally enshrined right of "quiet enjoyment" - books and books and books have been written about it..

Please check out when you last signed your tenancy agreement and - also so we can advise better - when did you first move in ?

Just because something is in a tenancy agreement does not make it lawful - a clause in your AST cannot detract from your rights accrued under other Acts of parliament.

i think the very first thing to do is to write a Recorded delivery letter to your LL (copy to LA) and say that you were very frightened by what happened, and as a result you have decided to change the locks to protect your future privacy and to protect your quiet enjoyment. Also say that you will of course replace the new lock with the original one on leaving and that you will cooperate with allowing entry for repairs and viewings as appropriate..... and leave it at that.

let us know how you get on

foxy-roxy

I am shocked, how creepy and horrible.
When you are in from now on, i would leave the keys in the locks as someone else suggested, at least it's a bit of peace of mind.
I can't see him having the nerve to try it again now, but who knows?