A tenant has the master key in our flat building

vax2002

A Joiner might be much less than a locksmith to change the lock, as trades go its not really a locksmiths job, the locks are fitted by joiners from new as part of the door furniture.
Locksmiths are very expensive as their expertise is when you have a problem with a lock, such as no keys, or key broken in the lock.
Call a local joiner, he will have fitted thousands of similar locks and the bill will be a lot less.

chris_m

G_M wrote: »

2) invite a frined round. Unscrew the lock an remove it. Leave friend guarding the flat and take the lock to a locksmith and buy an identical replacement (remembering to get as many extra keys as you need!). Return and fit new lock. KEEP the old one to replace when your tenancy ends.

Ideally you don't want an "identical" lock, but a different make/brand/type one which will fit the same mounting holes.

If the other tenant really has a master key as opposed to just duplicate keys for each of the other flats there's a chance that it'll open a replacement lock if it's too identical.

propertyman

If you have a laptop or a digital camera, leave the camera running and see if the person accesses the property during the day.

That way you have a cast iron claim for harassment and a breach of quiet enjoyment, especially if they rifle through your possessions!

For doing that, your nosy neighbour will most likely be led off in handcuffs.

googler

As people have suggested in this forum before, place a portable PIR alarm inside your flat, and advise the landlord/keyholder that it will be triggered when any unauthorised entry is made to your flat.

You don't need to attach it to the fabric of the building, but there's various methods of securing it to something heavy, so that it can't be picked up and disposed of.......

Maybe these

or

these

google 'portable pir alarm', 'shed pir alarm' and variations

poppysarah

Change your lock.
Tomorrow.

I know someone who's flat key also opened the main door to the building. She'd lived there 6 years before I got to know about this ... so I asked her if her key opened anyone else's flat. She asked a trusted neighbour and they tried each others doors. Yes indeed the master key they'd been given let them open lots of other doors. Not all - but all the ones not changed already.
Her landlord came and changed the locks for them.

Ulfar

Replace the lock is the cheapest, easiest and guaranteed way to stop this happening. Explain to the lock smith that someone has a master key, that way he should be able to provide a lock that cannot be opened by this key.

You could also fit a bolt for when you are at home.

PIR alarm, or set up a webcam to be activated by motion.

cotleigh

Ulfar wrote: »

Replace the lock is the cheapest, easiest and guaranteed way to stop this happening. Explain to the lock smith that someone has a master key, that way he should be able to provide a lock that cannot be opened by this key.

You could also fit a bolt for when you are at home.

PIR alarm, or set up a webcam to be activated by motion.

Save the cost of a locksmith by taking the lock barrel out and taking it to a shop to get another one that will slot straight in.

It isn't generally "rocket science".

It looks like some variation on the "Euro cylinder" from the pic. You can get them from any locksmith or decent ironmongers.

I'm actually a landlord. Now and again, while rummaging through this big box of keys (although labelled) I have thought about going down the route of replacing loads of locks with one system whereby I could have a master key., to reduce the number of keys I had to sort to find the right one for one flat.

But in the end I've always decided that the risk of losing, or losing control of, the master key, outweighed the convenience of doing things this way.

If you change the lock, just keep the landlords lock and keys, so you can put it back when you leave.

But: make sure you leave a spare key to your new lock with a trusted friend or neighbour, or hidden somewhere.

Because if you lose your new key, you won't be able to rely on the landlord or agent to let you in any more.

Ulfar

If it is a Euro Cylinder these are very easy to change, unfortunately the picture doesn't make this clear, would need to see picture from other side plus side view.

I took it to be a five lever mortice lock, but having looked again it would be quite odd with a turn opener on the inside.

If you had a key hole on the inside you could put the key in the lock to stop anyone coming in while you where there.

[Deleted User]

How easy is it to change the lock on a door with a multi point locking system?

Think it is a composite type door (not sure). You have to pull the handle up while locking it. It has Yale-type key.

I think the LA may have a spare key due to something they said when I was taking out the tenancy.

chris_m

Most of those will be a eurolock type mechanism. The lock itself simply restricts movement to the mechanism that works the multipoint bolts.

IIRC it's simply insert key, undo a screw (or two) on the jamb edge of the door, withdraw key and lock from face of door. In the words of Uncle Haynes, reassembly is the reverse of disassembly.