A "stranger" has a key to my house. Martin and Co don't care.
- Thread starter fiveub
- Start date
As much as I sympathise with your situation, I can completely see how agency would de-prioritise the incident right after hanging up - "some guy just called, he thinks someone has keys to his house because the door was locked not the way he likes" "locked?" "yeah" "signs of entry?" "no" "anything missing?" "no, he just had a feeling" "right, let's call CSI straight away" "mhmmm"
As for lock, change it, once you do push a safety pin or needle into old lock after removing it and break the pin in half, take the old lock and one key to the new lock to the agency and tell them you had to replace the lock last night because the old one stopped turning. This time tell them you think some kids were just playing around.
As for lock, change it, once you do push a safety pin or needle into old lock after removing it and break the pin in half, take the old lock and one key to the new lock to the agency and tell them you had to replace the lock last night because the old one stopped turning. This time tell them you think some kids were just playing around.
I didn't have a feeling someone has come in the house. Someone has deadlocked my front door with a key. - As far as I am aware you cannot deadlock someones front door without a key. Unless you're some incredible pick-lock artist! Or you have a key and you have entered the house. I highly doubt someone with a key didn't enter and just decided to deadlock it.
If buying a new barrel for the lock, be sure to take the old one out first and measure its length. They come in varying lengths and you don't want one too short as they are insecure if they don't fall flush with the door. One too long will protrude out and look silly
Actually, a protruding lock is very insecure. There are locksmith tools that you put over the protruding part and you can snap the lock in a second if it has enough poking out. I was shocked at how quickly a locksmith got in an old house, although thankful at the time I got in so quickly! They need to be flush to avoid the use of these simple tools.
When you do get the lock sorted - think about locking the door properly going forward.
If the person that previously entered the property did so under poor intentions, he/she will know that you don't dead lock your door.
You can open a door that hasn't been deadlocked in a few minutes (or seconds if you are a pro) with just a piece of plastic.
If the person that previously entered the property did so under poor intentions, he/she will know that you don't dead lock your door.
You can open a door that hasn't been deadlocked in a few minutes (or seconds if you are a pro) with just a piece of plastic.
To be honest, i would feel better if 'I' had the locks changed myself rather than someone else.
Of course, could it also be that someone (Burglars) were doing the rounds with keys they had trying different houses and that is what set the deadlock? I don't know much about locks so i may be miles off base!
Of course, could it also be that someone (Burglars) were doing the rounds with keys they had trying different houses and that is what set the deadlock? I don't know much about locks so i may be miles off base!
I would change the locks, despite what the contract/people on here say, then contact the landlord / letting agency and give them a key. If they're not happy with that, you put the old locks back and you move on to another solution.
You could also set up a webcam or if you feel like tinkering with a Raspberry Pi, then you could set up a pretty cool CCTV system using that, either motion detection based or just permanently on a loop that overwrites old footage after x days/weeks.
Even when my landlord sent the freezer repair man out, I left my PC on with webcam running. Yeah, I don't trust many people alone in my house. It's also quite entertaining watching what they get up to!
I used this: https://www.ispyconnect.com/ for webcam surveillance which worked flawlessly, so it's ideal if you're happy leaving a PC on.
Even if you get the locks changed, I would still set up some sort of surveillance, it could be the landlord or agency letting themselves in after all...
If someone had been in my house I wouldn't be worrying about what my contract says about changing locks.
It could have course just be some pesky troll that goes round dead locking doors to make them paranoid.
You could also set up a webcam or if you feel like tinkering with a Raspberry Pi, then you could set up a pretty cool CCTV system using that, either motion detection based or just permanently on a loop that overwrites old footage after x days/weeks.
Even when my landlord sent the freezer repair man out, I left my PC on with webcam running. Yeah, I don't trust many people alone in my house. It's also quite entertaining watching what they get up to!
I used this: https://www.ispyconnect.com/ for webcam surveillance which worked flawlessly, so it's ideal if you're happy leaving a PC on.
Even if you get the locks changed, I would still set up some sort of surveillance, it could be the landlord or agency letting themselves in after all...
If someone had been in my house I wouldn't be worrying about what my contract says about changing locks.
It could have course just be some pesky troll that goes round dead locking doors to make them paranoid.
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Well, quite so.
That is why I opened my initial reply specifying that it was in relation to some advice as to what was, and I quote, "legally" done. I also carefully said I wasn't advising what to do, but what the legal risks of it would be, in the face of previous assertions.
Discovering that some unknown person or persons has free access to your home would be enough to upset, and seriously worry, just about anybody, including me. Deciding that addressing that risk, and ignoring potential legal issues, is the sensible and pragmatic approach is also probably what I'd do. My sole point was to correct some previous distinctly incorrect legal advice so that in the event 5UB changed locks, or whatever, he did so knowing the downside. It would take an especially hard-nosed landlord to take umbrage in the circumstances but, as I suspect many here would agree, not all landlords are exactly liberal when it comes to a tenant's point of view.
Now that progress seems to be happening, I'll add that if I were in his shoes, as described, I'd do much as he has done, but probably a bit faster. My view is that protection of my property, and for that matter, my personal security in my own home, is sufficiently important that addressing that security issue is imperative, and urgent, and that the agent getting their ass in gear was mandatory, in my view. If they didn't, I'd deal with the security issue and be quite prepared to sort out any legal concerns, and in the unlikely event of legal action, that too, at a later point.
Personally, the only circumstances I'd want anyone else in my home in my absence, without my explicit permission, would be in an emergency. Other than that, whether for gas inspection, maintenance, or whatever, I would insist on being there. I don't rent, and haven't for a very long time. When I last did, it was as a student and there wasn't really any personal possessions worth worrying about. But as a house owner, if work is being done on the house, I will ensure either I or someone I trust (close family) are present at all times, even if that means taking a week off while windows are being replaced, etc.
Whether I rent or own, my home is my home, and my expectations would be the same either way. An unknown individual, or individuals, wandering around unsupervised, and unannounced, is a non-starter. I would, therefore, for "legal" reasons, inform the landlord, in writing, that any inspections, maintenance etc was only to be done in my presence and that permission to enter unattended is expressly refused. That eliminates the "course of dealing" argument for him.
One concern would be insurance. Policies often preclude cover if entry is gained without visible signs of forced access. This is one reason, though by far not the only one, I would advise landlords to never enter other than preferably in the tenants presence, or at the very least, with explicit permission. Another is the risk of catching a tenant especially of the opposite gender, undressed. Worse yet, catching their kids undressed. That sort of situation opens some nightmare risk scenarios for landlords.
So yeah, I'd either want an explanation, in short order or locks changed. And if it wasn't done as a priority, I'd get it done myself.
And 5UB .... as a longer term security measure, I'd advocate installing a hidden camera or three. If you aren't 100% sure the landlord/agent doesn't have a key, those cameras might be an eye-opener. Had the door not been locked in a different way, would you have known someone had been in? Could they have been in and out regularly before, but not slipped up with how they locked the door? What assurances do you have for the future?
You know the type of camera .... motion-activated, hidden in a book, power block, alarm clock, fluffy toy, wall click, or whatever, recording to micro SD card, etc, or for more sophisticated examples, wifi'ing to your broadband, uploading or streaming to the web, and monitored remotely from your phone It's worth it for peace of mind, and you never know what might come to light.
Risk yes, but I'd risk that any day to secure the place I live. Also, if the landlord wants to evict you for changing locks after somebody has been in your house, then maybe it's not a place you want to be living.
I honestly don't know why the legality of changing a lock even crosses people's minds here. Someone has been in my house, with no explanation. The locks are getting changed. End of.
Because if it's rented accommodation you're not allowed to do it without the landlords permission...
So you'd honestly be comfortable/happy living in a place where you know somebody has been in without permission until you get permission from the landlord to change the locks?
Sometimes people follow the rules a bit too much.
Soldato
- Joined
- 8 Sep 2003
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- Was 150 yds from OCUK - now 0.5 mile; they moved
5UB, what's your address? We need to know!
Same place all the OCUK samples are sent....