Break in, unresponsive landlord

jbarnes12

Our house was broken into three weeks ago now at midday, there are two bedrooms downstairs, one of which is mine, both windows were left unlocked but the property was occupied. Two people got in, went upstairs and saw someone was in and legged it out the door, thankfully didn't take anything apart from my key which i had left in my room. We cant say for definite how they got in but it looks likely my window.

We all tried to contact the landlord but we couldn't, I then had the locks changed and text the landlord asking him to get in touch asap, i then phoned him every day for around the next week. He finally emailed me over a week later asking for the crime reference number and telling me i needed to get him another three keys cut and made it clear he thought it was my fault and that I needed to cover the cost. i replied with the crime reference number and stated why I thought that securing the property was his responsibility and the various reasons for this and asked him to reconsider his position in blaming me and leaving me to pay for the locks. It is now 9 days on and i have had no response. Is there anything i can do here?

Alter_ego

Sounds like your fault to me, how do you think the landlord was at fault?

theartfullodger

Yes, leave and find a more reasonable landlord.


And try suing him for the £££ in small-claims route.

Ms_Chocaholic

What were your reasons why the landlord was responsible for securing the property when you live there and you had left a window open.

swingaloo

Not sure why you think your landlord is responsible for securing the property.

AdrianC

A putative burglar got in through an unlocked window... and you think this is the landlord's fault? Should he be following you round, locking every window behind you?

Labsuper

jbarnes12 wrote: »

Our house was broken into three weeks ago now at midday, there are two bedrooms downstairs, one of which is mine, both windows were left unlocked but the property was occupied. Two people got in, went upstairs and saw someone was in and legged it out the door, thankfully didn't take anything apart from my key which i had left in my room. We cant say for definite how they got in but it looks likely my window.

We all tried to contact the landlord but we couldn't, I then had the locks changed and text the landlord asking him to get in touch asap, i then phoned him every day for around the next week. He finally emailed me over a week later asking for the crime reference number and telling me i needed to get him another three keys cut and made it clear he thought it was my fault and that I needed to cover the cost. i replied with the crime reference number and stated why I thought that securing the property was his responsibility and the various reasons for this and asked him to reconsider his position in blaming me and leaving me to pay for the locks. It is now 9 days on and i have had no response. Is there anything i can do here?

Get three keys cut. The landlord didn't leave the property insecure, you did.

[Deleted User]

If the burglar got in through a window you left open, how is it the LL's fault (i.e. something he needs to do something about/is responsible for)? You chose a ground floor flat. I just can't see anything that gives him culperability.

Learn how to replace a lock cylinder, then you won't ever have to pay someone to replace it, whatever the need. Loads of videos on Youtube.

jbarnes12

There is no way of knowing how they got in, all the windows in the property were open at the time, only indication it was mine is because the key was missing. I dont feel the landlord was at fault but I think if someone steals a key from the property and the locks are compromised it his his responsibility to make sure that it is secure.

PasturesNew

jbarnes12 wrote: »

There is no way of knowing how they got in, all the windows in the property were open at the time, only indication it was mine is because the key was missing. I dont feel the landlord was at fault but I think if someone steals a key from the property and the locks are compromised it his his responsibility to make sure that it is secure.

This is your cost to pay (one or some or all of the tenants), because it's as a result of something one of you did that caused the event to occur and required the locks to be changed.

You do still have the old locks - which you can keep, or change back when you leave.

But the fact is that the event occurred because of something somebody in the household did - and therefore it's a tenant cost, not a landlord cost.

If no windows were open and they'd been broken to gain entry, that'd be a landlord cost.

Rosemary7391

Not sure why the landlord needs 3 keys. You could tell him you'll put the original locks back when you leave and be around to let him in beforehand - he'll make an appointment anyway right? So no loss to him that way.


Also, if you need to air the property it helps to have windows open across the house and you can't be in every room. So I don't think OP has been unreasonable, just unfortunate.