Locks on room doors (university student share)

Crabman

Hi folks

I'd appreciate some advice on this - three students are due to move in to a house for their next year at university yet the letting agent is not agreeing to fit locks to the individual doors for the security of them and their possessions.

When I was at university, every single house we looked at had individual locks on doors. Just as each house had a bathroom, it was a basic requirement.

Yet the comment from the agent was that "if you don't trust the people you're living with you shouldn't be sharing a property with them" and "if you want security at night you can put a wooden wedge under the door".

Setting aside for now the fact that the second comment contravenes common sense fire safety advice, is the request for locks on doors unreasonable?

This is the sort of thing they would like fitted:




Endsleigh won't insure if there isn't a lock on the room door and there is the issue of security during Christmas/Easter periods.

Obviously there is a lock on the main door of the house but once someone gets into the house (e.g. friends/visitors/family of any tenant) they then have free access to everyone's rooms.

I don't think this is right and would appreciate any advice/guidance on this. Thanks

tizhimi

I had a lock on my door but never locked it when I was at uni. I was kinda insulted when my housemates used to lock their door but then again insurance forces you to lock it. (we lived in a normal house that a normal family would, not studently house)

Its the insurance who want it, not the students!

What I would suggest is maybe bolts on the outside of the door, so when one goes out (and only out) the door can get locked that way so no one could get "locked in" with the fire regs etc..

Hope that helps!

mynameisdave

Its not an unreasonable request but then its not unreasonable for the landlord to refuse.

Can see the concerns about security etc but I suppose thats a factor that should have been considered or requested when viewing and agreeing to rent the property

theartfullodger

My students wanted this this year. So I had them fitted. Make sure you can open them from inside in the dark in smoke easily & quickly... (eg a thumb-turn)...


Cheers!

lodger

tizhimi

And also make sure that the student CANNOT accidently lock themselves out!!!! Please spend a bit more and do that!

barnaby-bear

Crabman wrote: »

Hi folks

I'd appreciate some advice on this - three students are due to move in to a house for their next year at university yet the letting agent is not agreeing to fit locks to the individual doors for the security of them and their possessions.

When I was at university, every single house we looked at had individual locks on doors. Just as each house had a bathroom, it was a basic requirement.

Yet the comment from the agent was that "if you don't trust the people you're living with you shouldn't be sharing a property with them" and "if you want security at night you can put a wooden wedge under the door".

Setting aside for now the fact that the second comment contravenes common sense fire safety advice, is the request for locks on doors unreasonable?

This is the sort of thing they would like fitted:




Endsleigh won't insure if there isn't a lock on the room door and there is the issue of security during Christmas/Easter periods.

Obviously there is a lock on the main door of the house but once someone gets into the house (e.g. friends/visitors/family of any tenant) they then have free access to everyone's rooms.

I don't think this is right and would appreciate any advice/guidance on this. Thanks

3 students is an HMO, probably not mandatory registration but an HMO - LL may want to avoid as much HMO issues as he can - hope he isn't avoiding the fire safety conditions, may have plans to sell in a year and therefore not the cost of putting right. As long as you leave house how you found it you can do what you want.

Someone suggested this http://www.festival.bournemouth.ac.uk/pdf/unilock.pdf - other students obviously have same issues

Fire_Fox

There is a difference between having separate tenancy agreements (HMO) and one agreement where you are jointly and severally liable. Locks on the door may mean that you effectively each become a separate household, which means you will need individual TV licenses. Can't you just get a joint contents insurance policy with your housemates?

Oldernotwiser

We used to rent out a house to students and fitted room locks as requested. When the tenancy ended we found that 2 of the doors had been kicked in when they'd locked themselves out. When we knocked the costs of their deposits, the parents complained that it was our fault for fitting locks.

One of the many reasons we stopped letting to students!

Crabman

Thanks folks, spoke with LA who claims the contract is "jointly and severally liable" so it's classed as 'one' living area. The tenants were led to believe this wasn't the case and each tenant's contract for payments/damage was individual with the LA/LL. Does "jointly and severally liable" mean if one fails to pay the rent/damage the others become liable for it?

Seems the LL isn't willing to fit simple handle locks (the thumb press type) as it could cost about £200 (where he's getting those prices I've no idea, obviously isn't a moneysaver) but is happy for the tenants to do it themselves provided the doors are restored to original condition when they vacate the property.

Regarding the point about looking around for something more suitable - couldn't agree more - yet they spent many days looking for and viewing houses/flats and this one is without a doubt the best in terms of location, area and proximity to the campus.

The LA sarcastically mentioned to me that nobody had ever requested locks before. I wanted to tell him how many clueless students I knew at university who jumped head-first into 18 month contracts for phone and broadband and only realised what a contract was when they wanted to end it 9 months later at the end of the academic year.

Anyway, back on-topic I'll look around for something that will fit in the existing mechanism - it seems this is the only real option, if anyone has any other ideas it'd be appreciated (if anyone can confirm the first paragraph regarding tenants' liability it'd be great). Thanks for your replies

Fire_Fox

Crabman wrote: »

Thanks folks, spoke with LA who claims the contract is "jointly and severally liable" so it's classed as 'one' living area. The tenants were led to believe this wasn't the case and each tenant's contract for payments/damage was individual with the LA/LL. Does "jointly and severally liable" mean if one fails to pay the rent/damage the others become liable for it?

I am afraid so.

Crabman wrote: »

Anyway, back on-topic I'll look around for something that will fit in the existing mechanism - it seems this is the only real option, if anyone has any other ideas it'd be appreciated (if anyone can confirm the first paragraph regarding tenants' liability it'd be great). Thanks for your replies

You may find the insurance company require a certain type or standard of lock to make the insurance valid. As I said earlier you need to look into the implications of the locks making each room a separate household.

princeofpounds

They should know what the contracts are as they signed them. If J&S then it will be clear and the same document.

LL does not have to agree to locks. They are common in student housing but not ubiquitous.