Advice please? Unite

j10011

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clutton_2

why did you need to call them out ?

silvercar

clutton wrote: »

why did you need to call them out ?

Presumeably to open a locked door?

Unite specialise in student accommodation, they are probably inundated with students forgotten their keys.

AFAIK, Unite generally offer ASTs with extra terms specifying the extra services they offer and the access required to offer those services. From memory one of their selling points is the extra security their accommodation offers, so they are going to do what they can to discourage you from losing your keys.

I suspect that in their terms and conditions will be a clause that allows them to introduce charges for items they feel necessary to ensure the safety of other occupiers.

j10011

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Jowo_2

In a private tenancy, If you've lost your keys, it's fairly normal for a tenant to be responsible for any costs incurred in gaining access, such as locksmiths fees and replacement keys. Essentially, tenants are responsible for any costs associated with negligent behaviour or through accident. Not every single scenario has to be detailed in the letting contract - there is usually an onus in housing law that obliges a tenant to act in a tenant like manner, including the security of the premises.

I don't have knowledge of the specifics of how your contract should operate and the legitimacy of the charge but Shelter offer free expert advice and should be able to advise.

What, exactly is your beef about picking up costs associated with inconveniencing other parties?

j10011

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Jowo_2

No, I don't mean security as in a security guard, I mean the obligation of the tenant to keep the property secure by using locks on windows and doors - it is quite a standard obligation for a private tenant to do quite basic things such as not lock themselves out and not let burglars in by leaving windows and doors open.

So your beef is that sometimes they don't always charge this fee and somehow a fixed fee for this service is wrong since you would prefer if the security guards actually hourly pay was divided into the minutes spent on the particular task? Welcome to the capitalist nature of a business such as private letting - it is done on a profit basis and all services are billed higher than their actual cost.

You should just be glad that they have onsite security to let you in promptly. If you had a private landlord, you may have been looking at a several hour wait and £200 fee for a locksmith to let you back in. It probably would only cost the locksmith a fiver in petrol and £30 for the replacement lock and keys but that's business.

Shelter is your best bet for advice on where you stand, perhaps your local Citizens Advice or student union advice centre.

00ec25

sorry but little sympathy here, you locked yourself out, you inconvenienced others who have to divert from their normal duties to rescue you
you have been fined as a consequence, it is not about whether it costs them£20 or not, it is to teach you a lesson

at one of my universities the policy is that security respond to lock outs on the hour every hour. It is amusing :whistle: watching someone trying to find something to do/stay awake for 59 minutes before we let them back in :A
but we do not charge them ... yet

Jowo_2

I used to be a senior resident in a halls of residence - free rent in return for being on duty. This included being regularly woken up by drunk students in the early hours who'd lost their key and needed to be let in. A fixed fee should have been levied to try and deter this type of thing and compensate me for interrupted sleep, in my opinion.

However, I can't really advise on the legitimacy of the charge in the circumstances described (fee introduced after contract signed) so good luck challenging it.

Fire_Fox

j10011 wrote: »

Well it is just that the policy is operated at their discretion, ie, in other flats they are let in for free, and that really a security guard who has a masterkey and comes up a lift and opens the door shouldn't cost £20 - it's not like they are having to give me a brand new key. (I pay £163 pw for student accomodation that pays for the security)

Life isn't fair. Your £163pw helps pay for the basic security service, getting locked out is extra as stated in your paperwork. While he is letting you in he isn't guarding the door, is he? If Unite offered the service for 'free' then you'd be paying for an extra security guard or two.

Two lessons that I have learned the hard way:
1. Keep your house key/ work swipe card somewhere that you can never forget it (in my purse)
2. Chat up/ smile at security, handymen, cleaners and receptionists as you never know when you are going to need a favour.

j10011

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