No lock on communal entrance

Musical131

Hi there,
I have had a viewing at a small block of flats in a nice area. The only thing of concern is that the ground floor communal entrance has NO LOCK. I have never seen this before. The communal hallways and lift are immaculate and clearly if it was a concern to the residents then there WOULD be a lock?
Just seems to be asking for strangers within the corridors & lift/ bedding down/ causing trouble etc.

Any thoughts anyone would be appreciated.

user1977

It's not all that unusual, I'm surprised you've never seen it before. As for how much of an issue it is, it depends on the area and how much crime etc there's likely to be. Could be that there's previously been a suggestion of having it but somebody didn't want to contribute to the cost or had other objections.

Musical131

Thank you, I suppose people who live in a house potentially have literally anybody next to their private door, just that in a block where there COULD be added security....I agree re costs possibly being an issue. I guess if there was a lock then an entry phone system would be needed at even extra expense...

cattie

When I moved into my flat about 7yrs ago there was no locked communal doors, so yes anybody could have entered, but we experienced none of the issues you fear. Four or five years ago, with many leaseholders requesting it, it was decided that an entryphone system would be installed in each of the blocks. It didn't turn out to be very expensive, I think it was around £5k per block of 12 flats, paid for out of our sinking fund.

Musical131

Thanks, I was wondering approx price of entry system 👍

kasqueak

I lived in a block of 6 flats and there was no lock on the communal entrance. We never had any issues. 

If adding a lock or secure entry system was something everyone wanted then I guess you’d all approach the freeholder/management company with your request but of course it’s going to cost money that all flats would need to contribute to. 

firebubble

Ask about how often the communal areas are cleaned, and then perhaps go and do a few spontaneous inspections of the communal areas to see if there are any of the problems you suspect. Look for staining, smells etc.
The block I lived in had open communal areas, and sometimes there was an issue with people urinating on the stairs, but we could go and find the estate cleaner who would come and sort it straightaway.

vimto456

Musical131 said:

Thank you, I suppose people who live in a house potentially have literally anybody next to their private door, just that in a block where there COULD be added security....I agree re costs possibly being an issue. I guess if there was a lock then an entry phone system would be needed at even extra expense...

This is true but the difference with a house is that most people sleep upstairs so the noise from the street isn't usually as noticeable.  

It probably does vary depending on the area and crime rates. But I would recommend taking another look at the condition of the communal/bin areas for peace of mind. It may also be worth speaking to current residents if possible or seeing if there's any information online about the nearby areas.