Break in, unresponsive landlord

jbarnes12

tom9980 wrote: »

I think given the key was missing from your room that they entered and left through that room, its a fair assumption. Its your cost to cover.

I reported your abusive post.

Did you report the other unnecessary abusive post?

tom9980

jbarnes12 wrote: »

Did you report the other unnecessary abusive post?

It was not abusive.

jbarnes12

tom9980 wrote: »

It was not abusive.

Is calling someone entitled a term of endearment?

AdrianC

jbarnes12 wrote: »

Surely the absolute minimum expectation of a landlord is to provide a property that is both habitable and secure

He did.


If you'd left the front door open while nobody was home, would the insecurity be the landlord's fault?
What about if you left a window open while nobody was home?

Tbh my original post (was) ... more about the fact that he has been not only been completely uncontactable to discuss what happened and how to proceed but has also ignored all my attempts to discuss the situation like an adult.

He didn't ignore all your attempts, though, did he?

jbarnes12 wrote: »

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?

Yes, he should probably have got back more quickly initially. TBF, it is mid-August, peak holiday time.

But he did eventually return your calls, asking for the crime ref, and for copies of the keys - also stating that he was not reimbursing you for the lock.


You then gave the CRN - but have you provided the keys yet? If not, then the ball is definitely in your court there.

As far as arguing about the cost, does he need to reply? It seems fairly pointless, as he is unlikely to change his opinion. Right now, you have covered the cost, and he has told you he is not going to reimburse you. Discussion over.

Carrot007

jbarnes12 wrote: »

Surely the absolute minimum expectation of a landlord is to provide a property that is both habitable and secure, if there is no one that can be blamed for the property being unsecured this expectation should still be met?

Surely the minimum expectation of a tennant is that they keep their key secure and if it goes missing with no evidencec of a forced break in they should pick up the cost.


Now as all windows were open (are you idiots? leaving windows unnatended and open!) , maybe all tennants should cover the cost. That is all you can hope for. (If other windows dwonstairs were open and not opend by you that is). You are also lucky your landlord soes not use more expensive registered keys (that cannot (legally) be copied without permission from the registered owner) and wants you to repalce with the same (they cost more as they can usually only be copied at the one locksmiths).

jbarnes12

AdrianC wrote: »

He did.


If you'd left the front door open while nobody was home, would the insecurity be the landlord's fault?
What about if you left a window open while nobody was home?



He didn't ignore all your attempts, though, did he?



Yes, he should probably have got back more quickly initially. TBF, it is mid-August, peak holiday time.

But he did eventually return your calls, asking for the crime ref, and for copies of the keys - also stating that he was not reimbursing you for the lock.


You then gave the CRN - but have you provided the keys yet? If not, then the ball is definitely in your court there.

As far as arguing about the cost, does he need to reply? It seems fairly pointless, as he is unlikely to change his opinion. Right now, you have covered the cost, and he has told you he is not going to reimburse you. Discussion over.

Ok thanks.
I have already had 5 keys cut, is it reasonable to ask me for another 3, totalling 8? Can I ask him to provide proof he currently has 8 keys?
Or as previously suggested I could easy put the old lock back in but this would pose a problem for the other tenants as the property would then be accessible to the people who stole the key.

jbarnes12

Carrot007 wrote: »

Surely the minimum expectation of a tennant is that they keep their key secure and if it goes missing with no evidencec of a forced break in they should pick up the cost.


Now as all windows were open (are you idiots? leaving windows unnatended and open!) , maybe all tennants should cover the cost. That is all you can hope for. (If other windows dwonstairs were open and not opend by you that is). You are also lucky your landlord soes not use more expensive registered keys (that cannot (legally) be copied without permission from the registered owner) and wants you to repalce with the same (they cost more as they can usually only be copied at the one locksmiths).

The windows were not open just unlocked, i dont know if you noticed but it was rather hot the last few weeks, it was 12pm on a sunday, 3/4 tenants were home but not in there downstairs rooms, it is a townhouse and the living room is on floor 1. The lock was replaced with the same lock as was in before.

AdrianC

He cannot just let himself in without prior arrangement with any of the tenants - you have a right to quiet enjoyment of the property.


However, you may well be in breach of the tenancy by changing the lock without providing him with a certain number of keys. How many keys he may have had before is irrelevant. If you hadn't told him the lock was changed, he wouldn't know that he doesn't have current keys unless he tried to breach your quiet enjoyment. But since you've told him...

Is it reasonable for him to have keys? Absolutely.
Is three reasonable? Yes. One for him, one for the cleaner, one for anybody who's required to maintain the property. That's hardly excessive, is it?

jbarnes12

AdrianC wrote: »

He cannot just let himself in without prior arrangement with any of the tenants - you have a right to quiet enjoyment of the property.


However, you may well be in breach of the tenancy by changing the lock without providing him with a certain number of keys. How many keys he may have had before is irrelevant. If you hadn't told him the lock was changed, he wouldn't know that he doesn't have current keys unless he tried to breach your quiet enjoyment. But since you've told him...

Is it reasonable for him to have keys? Absolutely.
Is three reasonable? Yes. One for him, one for the cleaner, one for anybody who's required to maintain the property. That's hardly excessive, is it?

The tenancy agreement specifically states we cannot change the locks without prior written consent of the landlord, surely this goes out the window when he's uncontactable for a week after an event like this?

AdrianC

So there y'go. He's agreed that changing the lock was reasonable, but he wants you to provide three keys.