Tenant

lookstraightahead

Does your tenant have a key to your home?

warwick2001

theartfullodger said:

- unless there is a clause in tenancy requiring tenant to provide key.

Dear Git, care to speculate about what prompted tenant to behave like this, please?  Calm polite question from another landlord.

Genuine question, if there is a clause in the tenancy that the tenant has to provide a key, does that not pretty much make the point of changing the locks moot? I would have thought changing the locks is so the tenant can:

a) stop anyone who previously had a key access to their home
b) has full control over who they choose to have a key for their new locks

Being 'forced' to hand one over would kinda go against that (possibly to the person they want to keep out of their home).

theartfullodger

Such a clause would change the rights from situation without it, subject to court decisions.

Even if there is such a clause (or e.g. one stating grass must be cut weekly in north-south stripes) then if tenant breaches such a clause, the landlords options are ask nicely or go for eviction, s8g12 breach of contract.  I can't see any judge granting possession on sole grounds of not providing copy key. 

Such circumstances provide income for lawyers..

Old Git seems very quiet..

Old_Git

theartfullodger said:

Such a clause would change the rights from situation without it, subject to court decisions.

Even if there is such a clause (or e.g. one stating grass must be cut weekly in north-south stripes) then if tenant breaches such a clause, the landlords options are ask nicely or go for eviction, s8g12 breach of contract.  I can't see any judge granting possession on sole grounds of not providing copy key. 

Such circumstances provide income for lawyers..

Old Git seems very quiet..

I have been quiet as I have been at work all day . 

Old_Git

Norman_Castle said:

Old_Git said:

my tenants have been renting from me for 6 years . 
A few months ago I went around to see them . 
Male tenant answered the door and told me he changed the locks to keep me out .

Why tell you, had you tried your key? Why the need to specify, "to keep me [you] out"?

I have never used my key to gain entry . I didn’t even have my keys with me . 

Old_Git

lookstraightahead said:

Does your tenant have a key to your home?

Well you could argue the tenant lives in my home 

Slithery

Old_Git said:

lookstraightahead said:

Does your tenant have a key to your home?

Well you could argue the tenant lives in my home 

You could try, but you would be incorrect. You may be the property owner but it's the tenants home, there is a massive difference.

Old_Git

theartfullodger said:

- unless there is a clause in tenancy requiring tenant to provide key.

Dear Git, care to speculate about what prompted tenant to behave like this, please?  Calm polite question from another landlord.

We where discussing something entirely different and he said he had changed the door handle window handles and locks to keep me out but he couldn’t change the handles on the kitchen and patio door as they where different from the rest . . He then told be a story about an oil leak and he didn’t want that plumber back . 

AdrianC

Old_Git said:

lookstraightahead said:

Does your tenant have a key to your home?

Well you could argue the tenant lives in my home 

You could also argue that black is white.

dimbo61

Just be aware that you still need the Gas Safe engineer to carry out the Gas Safe checks every year.
Same with the EICR every 5 years to make sure the electrics are safe !
If your tenant refuses to allow access you must document that you have tried to carry out the Legally required checks and the tenant has refused you and the GS engineer or Electrician entry into the rental property.
You also need to communicate to your tenants that the checks are required and due for the tenants safety by letter, email, text, WhatsApp or smoke signals