Tenant’s ’friend’ locked out

The extra guy living there can still refuse to leave if you ever need to end the tenancy. You’ll be evicting two people instead of one, and even if your tenant goes, the friend may or may not. It’s more risk for you.

The guy needs to go now.

I’d be pissed off in your situation, getting a phone call of this nature on Boxing Day at blood 10pm..
A locksmith call out would be a pain in the arse and means you having to get a key re issued to you , whenever they get round to
doing it. It also means you won’t have access to your property until then. So if anything a courier at their expense would be maybe cheaper and a better option.
The tenant is responsible here , I’d urge them to collect the keys from you and not deal with this other person.

Or that person makes alternative arrangements and sleeps somewhere else for the night. I couldn’t ring someone this late on Boxing day , I’d feel terrible doing so.

Oh what an awful thing to be dealing with, i hope this ends in a way that doesn't cost you.

They need to pay whether a 'real' tenant or not why on earth would a landlord pay for something not actually wrong with the place?

What a nightmare but apart from anything else, this is not your problem. It’s between the tenant and his friend.

It sounds like you should enforce the tenancy agreement now. If you agree to let the "friend" enter the property it could become even more difficult. You may already have cause to end the tenancy agreement.

As an aside, do you believe the story about locking up without realising the "friend" was out? So they left without saying goodbye to their friend? 🤔 Nope.

Call 999 and tell them you've had a report of people trying to break into your property.

I hope the cops arrest them for trying to break and enter. They can't prove they live there after all.

I'd suggest turning phone off and going to bed, but... It's your property so any damage etc will need sorting.

I don't envy you.

If this were the US I would feel confident that what has happened is that your tenant has illegally sublet the apartment (for a fee) and has left the country without relinquishing the key. He has simply chosen this method of getting an authorized key into the hands of his “tenant” while maintaining the appearance of being the main tenant in your eyes. Not even clear he isn’t airbnb’ing the place.

This crossed my mind too.

Just seen your update. OP

The tenant has an audacity calling you on BOXING DAY to sort out an issue that is not yours to sort out, and in relation to something in which they are breaching the terms of the AST.

I'd be having words with the tenant over this.

I'm curious.

And I'm not sure how to phrase it.

Who told you the tenant went away today?
When did you see the tenant last?
Is there a possibility that actually the tenant that has the contract lives somewhere else whilst collecting rent from this 'friend'
And basically, this friend could very easily become a squatter that you'd have to spend thousands to get out of your property?
(Does that make a kick of sense?)

I locked myself out as a tenant. The landlord didn't have a set of keys (or at least the agent didn't - landlord lives abroad). It was my problem to solve. Definitely wouldn't have expected the landlord to pay for a locksmith or drive over with keys although if they'd have offered a key I would have been grateful. As this person isn't even meant to be there they have been quite trusting or quite entitled even to contact you really.

He locked up thinking the friend was in the house but knowing his friend has no keys? How was he expecting the friend to get out of the house?

This isn't your cockup and you are not the person to solve it.
If someone's Christmas week is getting ruined by this it shouldn't be yours.
You definitely should not drive.
You could theoretically hand over a key to an appropriate person whp travelled to where you are but you'll need proof in writing that the request is definitely coming from the tenant (are you 100% certain of this) and that the person who comes (if not the tenant) is legitimately acting on behalf of the tenant. If you don't have proof of this it could come back to bite you.

If allowing an additional occupant is contrary to the contract then you can consider using a Section 8 notice to evict, or it would be reasonable to increase the rent in exchange for changing the terms to allow an additional occupant.

I think you’ve done right.
Even if it was the tenant and you were minded to go there, you’ve had a drink, you can’t drive, full stop.

If you don't hear about when someone is calling over to collect the key, I'd put a time limit on it also, so they're not calling over too late!

You are doing more than enough as it is in my opinion. His friends name isn't on the lease and isn't an official tenant and you are over 30 miles away and its still Christmas time. A locksmith was also contacted quoting 400 which is a bit odd because he wasnt officially a tenant there. Ideally the tenant should return and be there to let him in my opinion and also explain in time how long he is living there. If the original tenant is a longer term tenant and someone you feel you can trust, then allowing them to send someone to pick up a key is a good option. If it's a shorter term tenant, I wouldn't be too concerned about helping out and your offer is plenty. You don't fully know the reasons for it and why the friend is staying there. I wouldn't go to drop over the key yourself, my opinion. They can figure it out for themselves, especially if they're not too old

Have they told you the locksmith cost because they expect you to pay it?

Even if this was your tenant, it wouldn’t be your responsibility to pay for the locksmith.
This isn’t your problem at all. He comes and gets the key from you or pays for the locksmith himself.

But, after this has been sorted, I’d be looking into the fact that someone else has moved else in without permission.