How is this not illegal?

somerandomusername

My front door, and every door in my block that I've looked at, has a mortice lock which requires the key to lock and unlock it from the inside… Imagine if there's a fire and I need to get out, only to realise I can't find my keys.

So I am leaving the keys in the lock whenever I'm in the flat, but this isn't really a solution because firstly someone could theoretically hooked them through the letterbox and remove them, unlikely but still possible. But also if I am woken suddenly, the fire may be close to the door, I may be dizzy from smoke inhalation or just groggy from being asleep. Then I have to fumble with the key to open the door.

So yeah, how is this not illegal? According to the fire risk assessment thing my solicitor received during the conveyancing process, this lock issue never popped up as a risk.

Anyway the management company has said I'm allowed to change it as long as it's brass coloured like everyone else's, so I've got a lock smith coming who will change it for a regular euro cylinder that obviously has a thumb turn on the inside.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6659880/how-is-this-not-illegal

When you say…

and every door in my block 

Do you mean everyone else's front door or are you talking about other doors you have to pass through to get in and out of your flat? Most blocks would have at most two locked doors, one to get into the building and one to your personal flat. It would be unusual to have locked doors for each floor etc as well.

If you own your property then you could replace the mortice lock with one that takes a euro cylinder fairly easily and then choose a cylinder with a thumb turn rather than key operation on the inside. As you say however you are potentially sacrificing some security if you have a letterbox or glass in the door.

flaneurs_lobster

Make sure your house contents insurance doesn't specify a mortice lock on the main door as part of your details.

Don't want to give them any reason to not allow a claim….

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81924659#Comment_81924659

Home insurers will be interested in the lock on the door to their flat, not the security of the lock on the main door to the building. Unless it's some high net worth type policy most won't ask about the main building door at all.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6659880/how-is-this-not-illegal

Typically insurers require the lock to be key-operated on both sides, so having a thumb turn on the inside may cause issues if you need to claim on your insurance policy at some point in the future.

Personally I'd opt for the thumb turn and accept that I might not be able to claim for theft/burglary if that happens, because overall I'd rather take the risk of financial loss than finding myself trapped inside a smoke-filled building. It does mean answering the "type of lock" question accurately, to make sure the policy isn't voided in its entirety.

That said, your comment about not being able to turn a key due to the effects of smoke/sleep also apply to some degree to the thumb turn. The difference between a thumb turn and a key left in the lock isn't great, when it comes to being able to operate the lock in those circumstances.

Something else to consider is that many locks can't be operated from the outside if there is a key in the lock on the inside. So the habit of leaving a key in the lock on the inside in case of emergency would potentially increase the risk of being locked out by accident if the door locking/latching mechanism is an automatic one (i.e. locks/latchs automatically when the door is shut, without the need to turn a key)

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81924663#Comment_81924663

Sorry, meant main door to the flat. the front door, the one with the letterbox.

MyRealNameToo

Havent had a letterbox in our door since leaving Scotland. All of our flats have had mailboxes by the building door (some inside, some outside) so the posty just has to get to/through the building door rather than walk round the whole building. 😇

user1977

Typically insurers require the lock to be key-operated on both sides

That's not a requirement I've ever seen specified. Any examples?

born_again

Tape a spare key somewhere near the door, where you can easily get at it.

artyboy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81924678#Comment_81924678

indeed… my own front door has a thumb-turn on the inside. It's a very solid door as well (in fact it's a Solidor!) so hard to see why it would be any sort of insurance issue. Unless insurers are expecting you to trap any burglars inside until the police arrive!

I suspect if that was the case, they'd be dead of boredom, starvation or possibly old age…

Emmia

We have two locks on our flat door, a night latch at the top which locks when the door closes, but which you can deadlock from the inside by pressing the button and deadlock from the outside using a key and rotating it in the lock - this wouldn't be allowed on a rental property, as someone could be locked in. If we were going to rent it out, I'd change the night latch type (we have one provided with the door)

As the door closes and locks automatically it is quite easy to lock yourself out.

The bottom lock has a thumb turn on the inside. And can be locked from the outside