Landlord breach of contract/law? - Keys

Rromans116

Hi All

I am currently 9 months into a 12 months tenancy agreement for a house.

I have requested window keys almost 6 months ago (during the summer heat I found I was unable to open certain windows) through the estate agent. They notified the landlord as he deals with all repairs.

After many calls, going into the estate agent office and emails it is now November and I still do not have window keys.

Upstairs there are locked windows which I have been unable to open this whole time. Downstairs the windows are open.

Firstly is the landlord breaking the law by not providing the keys due to health and safety regulation e.g. fire escape.

Secondly the contract states the house must be secure and all windows and doors locked. Is the landlord breaching the tenancy agreement as it is impossible for me to secure open windows without keys (in which he knows I have not had keys since the request almost 6 months ago).

Thanks.

sandsni

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but have you tried the keys you have in the other windows? Often, particularly if the windows were all installed at the same time, one key fits all. If that worked you could just get a few copies made.

marliepanda

sandsni wrote: »

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but have you tried the keys you have in the other windows? Often, particularly if the windows were all installed at the same time, one key fits all. If that worked you could just get a few copies made.

Looks like the op has no keys at all, as he states he cannot lock the open windows. The windows are either locked or not

Rromans116

sandsni wrote: »

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but have you tried the keys you have in the other windows? Often, particularly if the windows were all installed at the same time, one key fits all. If that worked you could just get a few copies made.

There are no window keys at all. None handed on the agreement and none left in the property.

BitterAndTwisted

If you are looking for a reason to be able to claim that the landlord is in breach of the contract or the law, this is not a particularly good one.

Rromans116

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

If you are looking for a reason to be able to claim that the landlord is in breach of the contract or the law, this is not a particularly good one.

Im not looking to claim anything. Having to wait for window keys for 6 months after correspondence with the estate agent throughout the whole period is a joke.

If a fire breaks out downstairs while i'm asleep, i'm screwed as I also have asthma.

The house is in a lot better state now then when I entered and I have money to pack up and leave right away.

However I would like to know if this is breach of law and contract.

sandsni

Sorry, when you said you were unable to open certain windows I thought some windows still had keys. I get it now. Some windows are stuck locked and some are stuck unlocked but there are no keys at all.

Unless the windows in question were actual fire escapes I don't think there would be any breach of regulation in that sense.

It's quite possible the LA isn't bothering their a*se to let the LL know there's a problem and the LL is in blissful ignorance having made sure there were keys to all windows last time he was there. We had to replace locks in most of the windows in my parents' let house as the outgoing tenants "lost" every single key (except for the one for the fire escape window). The LA didn't even notice until I spotted it when I was cleaning the place after check-out. Before that it hadn't even occurred to me that a tenant could lose every single key! Needless to say I now have master copies of all keys.

Write directly to the LL. As politely as possible, request keys for all windows. Explain that the inability to open upstairs windows will hamper your ability to adequately ventilate the house, possibly leading to condensation problems, and the inability to lock the downstairs windows leaves the house vulnerable to burglars. Any half decent LL will get it sorted asap.

BitterAndTwisted

Never rely on an agent to pass on any communication from you. if it won't earn them a fee then they don't give a damn. WRITE to the landlord at the address "for the serving of notices" stated on your tenancy agreement.

Rromans116

sandsni wrote: »

Sorry, when you said you were unable to open certain windows I thought some windows still had keys. I get it now. Some windows are stuck locked and some are stuck unlocked but there are no keys at all.

Unless the windows in question were actual fire escapes I don't think there would be any breach of regulation in that sense.

It's quite possible the LA isn't bothering their a*se to let the LL know there's a problem and the LL is in blissful ignorance having made sure there were keys to all windows last time he was there. We had to replace locks in most of the windows in my parents' let house as the outgoing tenants "lost" every single key (except for the one for the fire escape window). The LA didn't even notice until I spotted it when I was cleaning the place after check-out. Before that it hadn't even occurred to me that a tenant could lose every single key! Needless to say I now have master copies of all keys.

Write directly to the LL. As politely as possible, request keys for all windows. Explain that the inability to open upstairs windows will hamper your ability to adequately ventilate the house, possibly leading to condensation problems, and the inability to lock the downstairs windows leaves the house vulnerable to burglars. Any half decent LL will get it sorted asap.

Thanks for info.

However each time (7) the estate agent has told me they have reported it to the landlord, I have this in writing. They have also advised me to write an email which they have supposedly forwarded to him.
The only action he has taken according to the agent is he told them he has sorted the problem and a female answered the door, there has never been another person in my property whilst i'm out.

sandsni

LA's can be very good at saying all the right things to everyone while not actually getting anything done but making sure the blame doesn't sit with them.

When you write to the LL, explain your communications with the LA so far, and tell them that either the LA gave them the wrong address or someone has used the unsecured windows to gain access to your house (his property) and pose as you or your OH. If someone has gained access through an unsecure window, it would invalidate HIS insurance as well as yours.

jamie11

Read this

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/56585403#Comment_56585403