To be annoyed at my new neighbour handing out keys to our communal front door to all her friends?

[CrikeyOHare]

I live in a building that's been converted into 3 flats. We all share the front door into the building & obviously have our own doors to our flats.

A lady moved in about two weeks ago to the ground floor flat - the closest to the main door. I'm a bit annoyed that she seems to be filling up the lobby with her belongings - namely fucking hideous garden statues (think poor man's Venus de Milo), but, well, each to their own and all that, and it's not really a big deal.

But she told me that, as she hasn't got a doorbell, she's given all her friends keys to the main front door - about 6 people in all. I think it's fair enough for one friend to be a key holder in case of emergency or getting locked out, etc - but I don't feel particularly comfortable with a bunch of strangers basically having full access to our building. It's not like it's a big block or anything, just a converted house.

I did ask her why she didn't just get a doorbell, but no, this was the best solution for her apparently.

I could do without neighbourly feuds - so if it would be unreasonable for me to object to this, please tell me.

Thanks.

You oukd also post them one by one to friends in exotic locations and ask them to send your neighbour a photo of them 'enjoying their holiday'

TBH, and regardless of neighbour, I'd upgrade my flat door.

On the statues front, are they well secure? No chance of something bumping into one of them and breaking it?
She might reconsider where she leaves them...

My flat was broken into once when my arsehole neighbour just left the front main door open. His entry phone wasn't working, he had quite a lot of friends coming & going and was too lazy to get up and open the door even though he lived in the ground floor flat.

It's a burglar's dream, because they can sneak in, and are pretty much unseen. You certainly need to get it sorted out one way or another.

Sounds very odd.

Who has sets of keys to all their friends' houses ?
Do you get the impression she may be involved w drugs ?

Hey Crikey, is this your neighbour's place?
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-23787150.html

(see the thread "Is this the best house on Rightmove" on AIBU)

I would take both issues up with the Management Co. Storing stuff in the entrance hall is not only inconsiderate but is in breach of H&S legislation. Where I live we have, on a couple of occasions, got notices from the Mng Co when residents started leaving prams and bikes in the main hall.
Likewise with the keys. It is not just her own security she is compromising but the other tennants as well.

Might be worth asking LL to consider approaching other owners to install security lock (ie. where keys can't be cut).

I lived in a flat last year and desperately tried to get another one cut as the letting agent had lost one and took 8 weeks to order another one (don't worry once it was actually ordered it only took 3 days to arrive) so my OH and I were sharing one set of functional door keys.

Several locksmiths commented that for that grade of keys you are meant to alert the police if people are trying to get them cut.

The building I own in has the same system. It is very reassuring. They keys are pretty expensive though - £25 quid/ key but the locks aren't much more expensive than a standard good quality door lock. Typical brands are ASSA or Abloy. Banham and Ingersoll probably have a similar situation.

I work abroad intermittently and rent my flat out when I am away. Iam considering either installing a security keyed lock (so tenants can't get masses of keys cut) or buying one where you can change the barrel so when I'm living here I have oneset of keys and when I have tenants they have a completely different set of keys. Paranoid.... maybe!

I'd talk to your landlord, explain what's happening and that a) the shared hallway being fullof things is a bit of a hazzard, and that b) as the other neighbour is handing out multiple keys and telling people to let themselves into the main building then knock on her door, you can't consider the front door to the property to be secure anymore so will need a more secure front door to your flat. Or would your landlord like her landlord's details? I'm sure your landlord would have words with her landlord about this.

cumpfy No, don't get that impression at all. She's about 50 or so & her friends are a similar age (helped one of them up the steps with a tartan shopping trolley yesterday that was apparently full of library books ). It's not that I have any worries about the friends specifically, it's just the thought of so many people having a key to what is, effectively, my front door. Because, as many of you have pointed out, keys can go astray and get copied.

Bubble Yikes - that house . But that is very much to her taste I know 'cos I nosed through the front window while she was moving in.

We're all supposed to be getting video entry soon, so might ask my LL about updating the lock. Those ones that cannot be copied would sort this out.

Thank you all :)

Could you not arrange a "burglary" of her gnomes and garden stuff and when she complains say, well, what with all the keys in circulation it's not surprising they've been nickedliberated, you can't trust anyone

6 friends? I blame Monica Geller, OP. Your neighbour wants

I'd be annoyed if all an sundry had a key. I assume your post just comes in through the communal door, so any bank cards or confidential post is now not secure.

I assume your post just comes in through the communal door, so any bank cards or confidential post is now not secure.

See, I hadn't even thought of that, but you're right. Gawd. Not good.

I shall speak to her in the morning in the nicest way I can. If that doesn't work, I'll grass 'er up, guvs .

Celestial That scene, er, made me sob moved me slightly. Tell anyone that, though, and I'll send one of her Weeping Angels round your gaff.

If she is concerned about the fact that she doesn't have a doorbell, wireless doorbells are fairly cheap and easy to fit.