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Tenants changed the lock. Who pays?

amalis
Posts: 532 Forumite
Hi all,
our tenants called and said that last week end they had a problem with the entrance door, the lock was simply stuck and would not open, so they had to call emergency locksmith and change the lock. Now, these girls are our tenants for 2 years, never any problems and they are not from the Uk, so they called the first reputable locksmith on the google who replaced the lock and billed them 395 gbp! Now tenants are asking to cover this. Is this really our responsibility. This sum is huge for us as well.
Addition: I have home emergency insurance, which covers such cases. Have the tenants called me (or insurance directly) the whole thing would have coasted £50
our tenants called and said that last week end they had a problem with the entrance door, the lock was simply stuck and would not open, so they had to call emergency locksmith and change the lock. Now, these girls are our tenants for 2 years, never any problems and they are not from the Uk, so they called the first reputable locksmith on the google who replaced the lock and billed them 395 gbp! Now tenants are asking to cover this. Is this really our responsibility. This sum is huge for us as well.
Addition: I have home emergency insurance, which covers such cases. Have the tenants called me (or insurance directly) the whole thing would have coasted £50
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Comments
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Good tenants for 2 years? i'd suck it up and take the hit, move on with life. Doesn't look like they weren't trying to stitch you up on purpose.0
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Depends WHY lock failed: If it was simply old-age or a defect then that would appear to be landlord's responsibility. However £395 is a lot: A LOT!
Question is, do you want to hold onto these tenants (2 years no problems...) or not. I would suggest a firm discussion about who does what and a compromise on costs.0 -
They should have called you, did they try to, where you free, what would you have done?
They sound like good tenants, 2 years no problems.0 -
they are good tenants so I am sure they were not trying to rip us off. As I said they simply don't know services like this in the UK.
Their contract is expiring soon and they will not re new it because they are leaving to home country.
If they would call I might have found someone cheaper and send him.0 -
yes, they have my number and my husbands as well.0
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yes, they have my number and my husbands as well.
Have you had a quote for short-notice access and lock replacement, so that you can get a feel on how much higher the price was?
Where are you in the country, and what sort of locks are we talking about?
£400 for a simple Yale up north is a raging mickey-take.
£400 for a complicated high-security lock in central London sounds like a bargain.
I'm really not sure their nationality is even remotely relevant - I doubt many UK natives would have the first clue who is or isn't reputable and good value for emergency locksmithery, whilst stood on their doorstep.0 -
£395 is ridiculous. Have you seen a copy of the bill? Could the locksmith have been ripping them off because he knew they didn't understand the process?0
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I think they were ripped off by the locksmith. On the bill they sent only £160 is the lock itself, the rest is "emergency call out fees".0
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Were you locked out on a freezing cold night, would you shop around for the cheapest locksmith to save your LL money or would you just jump on the first one who answered the phone?
Surely it's moot now? If they can produce an invoice/other proof showing £395, that is how much it cost. Unless you can prove they caused the damage to the lock, is it not your responsibility to ensure tenants who are legally in your property can access it?
If you have an issue with the locksmith's charges, suggest you take it up with him or her.0 -
I am presuming the bill has not yet been paid? If you have the bill in your possession why don't you give the locksmith a call and ask for a quote to replace the exact same lock and see what happens? Is the locksmith part of an accredited body, on any trusted traders site? Then its maybe down to your negotiating skill including possibly mentioning trading standards...0
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