Can I charge landlord/agent for the spare sets of keys we had to have cut?

[ScarlettInSpace]

Quick question really, when we moved in here we were given 1 set of keys & told to get more cut ourselves if we needed them.

We're leaving next month & have been told we have to drop all sets of keys off at the agents office when we do & not to retain any - I have no issue with that, we don't need them, but can we charge for them?

We don't have receipts as we moved in 8 years ago, but I don't see why we should just hand them over, they would charge us if it was the other way round?

It's £5 a key, sets of 3 and we've had 2 full sets cut. Not really about the money I guess just the principle that they would be charging us if we'd lost a set - we had to pay £45 for their admin fee when they put our rent up earlier this year!

[PigletJohn]

drop off the original set, with a note saying that all copies will be destroyed, but are available at £x each if they want them.

Since they were quite happy to only give you one key, I doubt they will care to pay for copies.

keys can be made unusable by cutting off the serrated part with bolt croppers or a hacksaw, or hammering them flat.

If they kick up a fuss, post them the smashed keys. They have no way of knowing how many copies you have, or how many all the previous tenants and previous agents have kept.

[ScarlettInSpace]

Thanks yes that sounds like a plan.

It seems so daft just destroying 2 sets for someone else to have to pay to get more done anyway, but I suspect you are right that they couldn't care less either way

[mooneypie]

Love the idea of returning them damaged/unusable if they don't pay! It is right you return them though, thinking of next tenant. I would hate someone having a spare keys to my house

[orangesinpyjamas]

To be honest I would just hand them over, at least it will help the next tenants who won't need to get more cut. A good gesture never did anyone any harm

[mooneypie]

If they had to pay £45 to have their rent increased who knows what new tenants would be charged for a spare set of keys!

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

It's seems a bit mean spirited of you quite honestly. You've been there 8 years! £45 over 8 years is nothing.

[ScarlettInSpace]

Mean spirited that's really funny , I have a long long list of things we have had to put up with over the years despite never missing a payment and basically maintaining the house at our own cost, the £45 was 1 teeny example.

If I thought the keys would be handed on without charge to the next tenants I wouldn't think twice, but there's zero chance of that!

Maybe I'll hide them in the house & hope the new tenants find them!

[ScarlettInSpace]

Oh I could leave them with the neighbour to drop in when someone new moves in! Or would that be out of order...

The neighbours are good friends so they are trustworthy.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

As a landlord I would have paid for them/reimbursed you from the outset provided you had given me the receipt as they are tax deductible. In fact I'd have reimbursed you without receipt its such a low amount in the grand scheme of things.

Say you'll return the one set and offer the others for sale. Your idea of passing to the neighbour is a hood idea if they want to be stingy!

[Allthebestnamesareused]

Good idea!

[5rivers7hills]

I'd hand them over. It was £30 over a year ago!

[PigletJohn]

you could give the neighbour a "welcome to your new home" parcel to give to the next tenants. Tea bags, coffee, longlife milk, sugar cubes, mugs, teaspoons, loo roll, spare keys, matching paint for touch-ups, neighbourhood watch names of neighbours, note of bin days, other useful stuff.

I did that last time I moved, and a new lock in its box so they could change it.

Window keys are the things that get lost from rented homes.

[twofloorsup]

I always leave our (lots of) spares in the kitchen drawer so hopefully the next tenants benefit.

[ScrubbyGarden]

Giving them to the neighbours sounds good- along with instructions for what to do with any escaped post (even if you have a redirect done some always goes wrong...).
Bloody letting agents!!!

[Pikmin]

We got new keys cut at our expense for a short term let, the new front door keys lock up ok but take 5 minutes to get back in, the new back door key locks from inside but not outside, they can have the flipping things and good luck to them! Question is do I label each one or let them figure it out.

[PigletJohn]

Attach a label warning them not to use the same inaccurate key shop.

[specialsubject]

Generally it is two sets per property ( even if only one tenant) unless HMO when it is a set per tenant.

Give back what you were given. Landlord has no idea how many other sets there are anyway.

[planetclom]

Brilliant I had this dilemma shit landlord but I have lots of set of keys, hide 1 set in the house, handed back 2 sets we where only given on, but still own 2 sets.
Sometime I think the American system is good where they new owner/tenant changes the locks on occupation.

[Ecureuil]

I wouldn't have cared enough about this to even think about it

[ScarlettInSpace]

Not sure why you cared enough to comment then

I did say at the start it was a 'quick question'