Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Wtf is going on here? (mystery lovers klaxon)

26 replies

lockesmyth · 22/01/2022 19:43

Name changed as have told many people this weird story. Roll up Columbo wannabes.

FIL recently moved into a care home leaving his flat vacant. He wants to let it out so we are keeping an eye on it while we revert the mobility alterations and put in new floors. It’s sitting empty of furniture but we’ve left gas, electric and internet connections and there’s one large storage cupboard with some valuables in that we’re waiting for the auction house to collect.

One day DH went round to pick up post and his keys wouldn’t work. He assumed someone had a go at the locks in an attempted break in but no sign of that. Eventually he had to go round the back and into the flat through the French doors. Key wouldn’t work from inside either. He called a locksmith out who said the keys weren’t the right keys for the locks and so the locks must have been changed! Locksmith was similarly confused and couldn’t think of a reason someone would have had the locks changed. But also he said it’s not routine to check the person owns the property if they’re changing locks?! He also said that sometimes bailiffs will break into a house and then change the locks but surely they would have left a note - also we’ve no outstanding bills and we’ve never had post for a previous occupant. Before this, DH was round there three days earlier then during those 3 days he was with his only sibling at the other end of the country. There was nothing broken, nothing taken. Management company said it’s nothing to do with them. Prior to moving into the care home FIL was having visits from carers and using a cleaner who were using a key box. Care company says they destroy the codes when a client terminates their contract. Cleaner is a friend.

Think that’s all the info I have! So what on earth is going on?

OP posts:
CovidCorvid · 22/01/2022 19:45

Are you 100% it’s the right keys?

GingerAndTheBiscuits · 22/01/2022 19:46

Have you checked with care agency? Some very outside possibility they were concerned about something and arranged for them to be hanged?

Does the key in the keysafe work in the new locks?

Bananarama101 · 22/01/2022 19:50

Something very similar happened to someone I know. Older lady went into care home leaving house empty for a while. Went round one day and locks changed. Turns out was a lettings scam where they find empty place, change locks so can let people in, and then advertise it to rent on Gumtree or similar. They rake in 'deposits' from as many people as they can for it, then disappear. Had people turning up thinking had rented the place.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 22/01/2022 19:50

Your DH brought the wrong keys (possibly an old set for the same flat).

lockesmyth · 22/01/2022 19:55

Def the right keys. We tried the 3 sets we have. Checked with care agency - not them.

OP posts:
Cookerhood · 22/01/2022 19:57

@Bananarama101

Something very similar happened to someone I know. Older lady went into care home leaving house empty for a while. Went round one day and locks changed. Turns out was a lettings scam where they find empty place, change locks so can let people in, and then advertise it to rent on Gumtree or similar. They rake in 'deposits' from as many people as they can for it, then disappear. Had people turning up thinking had rented the place.
I bet it's this I've heard of this happening too
Hugasauras · 22/01/2022 19:57

I would think someone preparing to squat there or a letting scam where they show people around an empty flat and take their deposit etc. Is it obvious it's empty externally?

DobbyTheHouseElk · 22/01/2022 19:58

Ring local locksmiths ask if anyone has paid them to changed locks?

Georgeskitchen · 22/01/2022 20:11

Have you spoken to the neighbours? Can you possibly hang around to observe who is going in and out?

lockesmyth · 22/01/2022 20:37

We’ve put a camera up now. Knocked on a few doors but no neighbours around.

Def good shout to ring locksmiths!

OP posts:
ProudThrilledHappy · 22/01/2022 20:39

Search your local gumtree for ads?

AntiHop · 22/01/2022 20:42

I'd be worried that there's been identity theft and the house has been sold. There was a story in the news. Check the land registry urgently.

exexpat · 22/01/2022 20:48

I would also be concerned about fraud. Camera and/or video doorbell are a good idea, plus a thorough search of local sales and lettings listing and a check with the land registry. Do you have POA registered for your FIL?

lhirault · 22/01/2022 20:53

I've also heard of the lettings scam - in Bristol and Leeds. And check the land registry as per pp - shocking instances in the media recently of houses being fraudulently sold.

Tarrarra · 22/01/2022 20:53

Well hopefully now you have the camera up you will see anyone who tries to come back. I would report to police as a break in.

lockesmyth · 22/01/2022 21:00

Yes we have POA.

The thing is about squatters etc is would they not have stolen the valuables? There’s probably about £2,000 of jewellery and electronics in there.

Yes we have POA.

We reported to police for a crime number for insurance for lock changing but it was a formality really because nothing had been stolen etc.

OP posts:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 22/01/2022 21:05

Have you changed the lock again? So how does this work?

Bad guy rings locksmith and asks for locks to be changed as he’d lost the key? So basically this could happen to any of us when we leave the house?

TheCanyon · 22/01/2022 21:14

Ooh there was a thread on reddit recently where a property developer had changed locks on a vacant house and I think instructed some estate agents to rent it... I'll see if I can find it

exexpat · 22/01/2022 21:15

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/810775/Help_protect_yourself_from_property_fraud__English___June_2019_.pdf Land registry has a lot of information and contact details to tackle fraud.

The kind of people that do this are not squatters - they are after serious money from selling a property that is not theirs or taking lots of deposits for a letting. They probably wouldn't bother taking stuff stored in cupboards.

exexpat · 22/01/2022 21:17

www.gov.uk/protect-land-property-from-fraud

exexpat · 22/01/2022 21:18

My mother's house is going to be empty soon when she moves into sheltered housing, so I have been looking into this after reading the news story mentioned above.

Wafflesnsniffles · 22/01/2022 21:22

I think its a lettings scam as others have said.

EmmaH2022 · 22/01/2022 21:27

@DobbyTheHouseElk

Have you changed the lock again? So how does this work?

Bad guy rings locksmith and asks for locks to be changed as he’d lost the key? So basically this could happen to any of us when we leave the house?

Yes, this is a worry!
givemepiece · 22/01/2022 22:16

Wow the things scammers do!

Swipe left for the next trending thread