Royal Mail have lost rented house keys!

Carptackle89

ROYAL MAIL HAVE LOST KEYS IN POST
Hi All,

My partner and I have recently bought our first home together. We were in rented accommodation prior and due to where our EA are based, they asked me to send the keys back to them via recorded post which i did on 27/10/2018.

I have been checking the tracking status since Monday as this is when they would of been delivered and there is no update on there..

I've called royal mail but to cut a long story short Royal Mail have lost the keys in the post and they have said they wont class it as being lost until 9th November.

Where do i stand with the EA? Will they make me foot the bill for new locks? I did send them proof of delivery and i didnt put the address anywhere on the mail of where the keys were for. I only put my address as sender.

Thanks

PrettyKittyKat

Did you send it special delivery or recorded? Special delivery would be insured for more with RM so you may be able to claim under that for the cost of replacement locks?

Sadly recorded delivery is pretty pointless s it goes with standard mail and doesn't always get a signature anyway!

If you put your address as sender hopefully they will be returned to you. What do you mean when you say that you didn't put the address anywhere on the mail?

HampshireH

Never send keys by post. They are prone to catching and ripping envelopes etc amd then going missing.

That said you did as asked the EA took that risk also by suggesting it.

What have the EA told you their intentions are if they don't turn up?

They could try and charge you. You could dispute it if you have their advice in writing this would be more helpful.

How come they didn't do an exit inventory and collect the keys from you then?

Carptackle89

Hiya, i didnt put the address that the keys belong to on the mail only my current address as a forwarding address so i dont feel there are any major security concerns

Carptackle89

Hi,
Good point, i dont really know? I presume it may be because the EA are around an hour away from the property. I do have an email from them asking me to send by post.
I wish i would of made the hour journey and took them back myself however i work full time 6 days a week so i wouldnt of been able to get there at the correct time. They are holding a large deposit from me so i think they will try and deduct from that. My tenancy ended on 28th October and they havent been in touch regarding returning my deposit and i presume this is to do with the keys. I have however kept them informed at all times.

G_M

Carptackle89 wrote: »

...... I do have an email from them asking me to send by post.

Then I don't see how they can blame you. You did as instructed.


Keep any screenshots of the RM tracking, and emails to/from RM as evidence also that it was RM who lost them.

davidmcn

Carptackle89 wrote: »

Will they make me foot the bill for new locks?

Wouldn't make much sense. They've no idea how many spare keys you might have kept.

silvercar

davidmcn wrote: »

Wouldn't make much sense. They've no idea how many spare keys you might have kept.

It makes sense if the landlord doesn't have a key and was relying on the tenant returning their keys at the end of the tenancy.

twhitehousescat

chances are , they have been delivered and no sig taken , they were probably dropped off with a sack of other letters

kinger101

You did what the EA asked. Their problem. Just dispute any deductions they attempt to make from the deposit. Were their instructions to post the keys in writing?

davidmcn

silvercar wrote: »

It makes sense if the landlord doesn't have a key and was relying on the tenant returning their keys at the end of the tenancy.

Ah, true. In which case that would be a charge for opening up and replacing the locks...

OP, have you actually asked the agents whether they've received the keys?