Housemate refusing to secure property and stealing keys- what can I do?

Ulfar

Is it a wooden door if so, install a bolt at the top and bottom.

verandi

I hope you reported her to the police and the uni for the car keying incident! What a delightful person, I feel for you. Bad housemates are a nightmare.

SavvyStudentSaver

I feel for you, I really do. I had a housemate during my second year who constantly left the front door unlocked, and the living room door shut. One day, I walked in, went upstairs, did some banging about, etc, to see what would happen, or if there would be a reaction.

The answer- nothing happened. When i asked why they hadn't even called out to see who it was, the response was "Oh, a burglar wouldn't be that noisy". So, they were relying on being able to hear if anyone came in, but that if they COULD hear them, it meant nothing bad was happening. Right. That makes sense. And don't get me started on the day they left the rear bedroom window wide open (and I do mean so that a person could fit through), the back gate open, and left the house empty to go to the shops.

Anyway- I'd report it to your university. Or at least go talk to the housing department about what you can realistically expect to happen. This, sadly enough, is not unusual behaviour (sometimes, I'm ashamed to be a student), so hopefully the uni's housing support, or whatever, should be able to advise you.

Oh, and maybe ask to, or offer to, have a lock put on the back door which locks immediately upon being shut (so that you need to put the key back in to reopen it). Without any kind of latch available. The only problem here is if someone accidentally gets shut out (because they left to smoke, or something, and forgot keys).

BigAunty

Simple. Simply take all her valuable items and then act surprised when she says she's been burgled and you didn't hear them enter....

poppysarah

Who else lives there?
Are they also bothered by the door being unlocked?


Speak to everyone else and see what they think. Go to landlord about this person.

Did the keying of the car get reported? Did you see them do it?

Why not ring the crime prevention officer at the police and ask them for advice too?

BitterAndTwisted

She's taken the only key? I'd be speaking to the landlord asap about getting permission for a bolt on the back-door.

princeofpounds

I had missed the part about keying the car. That's seriously juvenile behaviour. I would have made a formal complaint to the university about that - most institutions have behaviour standards and some are quite strict about it.

19lottie82

sorry if i missed this part, but why does she refuse to lock the door?