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AIBU?

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Cleaner has cost me £1600

231 replies

Bootsybugs22 · 08/01/2025 19:47

I was out of the country for two days and my regular ckeaner (for 5 months) went in to clean whilst I was away. She letnherself in via a back door key left in a safe place. Our decking is really slippy so I said if she needed to go in and out she coulds use the front door once she was in. I text her to say the front door keys were square yale , labelled and in a key pot in the hall.

We have a front modern door to the porch and an older wooden self locking door from porch to house.

She called me whilst away to say she was locked in the porch because the keys i left didn't fit the door. She had picked up some other keys out the fruit bowl in the kitchen.

I called a locksmith. In the meantime she called back and said that stressful situations increase her risk of a seizure (she's epileptic) and I needed to get her out now. So I called my neighbour and asked them to force the rear back paito door. This is because the cleaner had passed the keys she had through the letterbox and one of them was for the rear patio door but not the main opener. So the neighbour tried to force the secondary door open as it could be unlocked. Anyway door got broken in the process.

Locksmith arrived. Drilled the lock, got her out, fitted a new lock. But before he'd arrived the door had been damaged by the neighbour (I gave them permission to force the door)

Today I paid the locksmith £85. Had a man round to quote on repair of the door (£1500 for new set of doors.... not repairable).

I messaged the cleaner and asked if she had insurance. She's now blocked me on WhatsApp but messaged me separately on normal text messaging to say she cancelled her insurance last year when she got her epilepsy diagnosis (why?!).

I'm at a total loss. AIBU that I want SOME recompense even if uts £85?

OP posts:
MadnessIsMyMiddleName · 08/01/2025 19:54

Having just re-read your post, why didn't you leave the front door keys in a safe place, rather than letting her in the back door in the first place?

Tinselinthewhoopsiebasket · 08/01/2025 19:54

Can you review her honestly online? I am a cleaner and in no way defending her.... Did she ever tell you she was insured?

Motheranddaughter · 08/01/2025 19:52

You have virtually no chance of recovering this money

MadnessIsMyMiddleName · 08/01/2025 19:52

Sorry OP, but I think as you gave the neighbours permission to rescue her, then you have to accept responsibility for the cost of repairs. Of course she should have made sure that she had the correct keys before shutting herself in the porch, but these things happen when you're not used to another person's house.

Hoppinggreen · 08/01/2025 19:52

I doubt you will get a penny out of her.
Try your Home insurance

OurDreamLife · 08/01/2025 19:49

Can’t you claim on home insurance?