Can my landlord change the locks and bill me for it without my concent?

inklove

My landlord think I have changed the locks but I haven't, I suspect that he has either lost his set of keys or mixed them up with some other keys, as the ones he has didn't fit the locks.

He says that he is coming with a locksmith to change the locks and that he will be sending me the bill.

I have not changed the locks.
I offered to let the landlord get a copy of my keys cut, but my offer was rejected.

I can't afford to pay for the locks to be changed, and I am afraid that the landlord will come when I am out and change them and I will have no way to get back in.

BitterAndTwisted

Have you had any of this discussion with your landlord IN WRITING?

Your landlord does not have an automatic right of entry whether he has a copy of the key or not, and if he thinks that he can get you to pay for the locks being changed or to make a deduction from your deposit for it, he has another thing coming.

Cycrow

it doesn't matter if you did change the locks
he has no right to enter the property when ever he feels like, so doesn't need keys to get in

agrinnall

And if the LL goes ahead and changes the lock but does not provide you with a key then you would be well within your rights to call out another locksmith to change the lock again and send the bill to the LL.

Werdnal

Do you have a tenancy for the whole house or just a room within it?

If the first, then you have a right to change locks in the house whilst you have a valid tenancy. Shared houses with rented rooms are slightly different.

If the landlord is trying to enter with his own keys without prior arrangement or approval, you should change the locks and tell him you will change them back when the tenancy ends. If you don't at that time, or give him the current keys to the property, then he could feasibly charge you for the services of a locksmith to enter and change/provide keys, when you move out, but whilst you have a valid tenancy, he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

My brother is a locksmith and he gets called out sometimes in these circumstances. Try to be there when the locksmith calls, show him your tenancy agreement and tell him you have a right to privacy in your rented HOME and he is breaching the code of conduct in forcing a change of lock on YOUR PROPERTY, which it is whilst you have a tenancy for sole occupancy of it.

BitterAndTwisted

OP: in order to cover your backside when he attempts to make you pay for the lock-change I would WRITE to him now (A letter. No text-messages, no pm's on face-book and most certainly not any emails either) telling him you haven't changed the locks although you could have without any reference to him if you decided to. That he has declined a copy of the key which you have willingly offered and that you do not accept liability for a cost that he is choosing to incur without any discussion with you.

Is your relationship with your landlord this poor? What's the back-story?

inklove

An inspection was due and he sent out the standard 'I'm coming on this day at this time, if you are not in I will use my key'

But when he came for some reason the keys didn't work.
Because of this he assumes I changed the locks.

He then sent another letter saying he is sending a locksmith this week to change the locks and that I am responsible for the bill.
I replied to say that I have definitely not changed the locks, but he doesn't believe me. I offered to let him get a copy if my keys cut (the keys that he gave me) but he wasn't interested.

BitterAndTwisted

WRITE THE LETTER I SUGGESTED EARLIER! And do it now, like TODAY. Send it first-class from a post-office retaining proof-of-postage. Keep that somewhere very, very safe for later. Because you are going to need it.

Lokolo

Then just repeat what you have already said, in writing.

Dear LL,

I have not changed the locks and therefore should you wish to change them I will not be responsible for any charges that you should incur.

inklove

I rent the whole house.

There is no back story really, the landlord is pretty rubbish, he only does the bare minimum and I have had virtually no contact with him the entire time I have lived here, he is only really interested in the money I think.

inklove

Ok I will send another repeating that I have not changed the locks and do not accept responsibility for any bills.