Flat buying - fire escapes go into nextdoor flats (!)

[Deleted User]

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

I wouldn't feel safe, even with an alarm. There are ways of getting around alarms plus, if someone really wants to do you harm the alarm will not stop them.

Neither will a wooden front door?

If someone wants to do you harm then they will do you harm. I know the flats I've previously lived in could have easily been broken into by other residents if they wanted to do me harm. The only difference between a front door and this door is the possibility of enabling opportunistic crime, however unless you're living next to a violent rapist or a 10x convicted petty thief it's a none issue. Everyone has hundreds of opportunities every day to commit crimes, almost everyone doesn't.

I remember in my first flat I left the door unlocked sometimes when I was going up and down the stairs or had someone arranged to visit, anyway one time 2 women I'd never met before just walked straight into my flat, turns out that they had been visiting friends and had gone one floor too high. My mother made the same mistake in reverse a few weeks later. I didn't die or lose my possessions, they could easily have attempted to steal everything I owned (I was in the bathroom, I saw them but they didn't see me) but instead they said "woops" and walked out.

The world is a lot safer than people think, yes there is a new point of weakness (normally just the front door and windows) that does expose you to the mistakes of neighbours (if they get burgled then the adjoining flat is probably going to be burgled too) however malicious neighbours are so low on the scale of "who might try and enter my property?" they're not even worth considering: where would the police first go if someone burgled the OPs new flat without breaking through the front door?

How many locks do you people have on your front doors, hundreds?!

olly300

A fire escape with a key lock on it is dangerous

I've had the misfortune of being in a fire and you cannot see anything due to the smoke. Even if the key was next to the door you wouldn't be able to get it into the lock.

Modern houses and flats normally have one window on each floor which you cannot lock as a fire exit.