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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To call the police if someone tries to drill the lock on my front door?

133 replies

MelamineTeapot · 19/07/2015 22:05

To cut a long story short, this is what my letting agent is threatening to do tomorrow morning. They informed me of this on Thursday evening by email and the only way I could avoid it was by giving them a set of door keys by 5pm Friday, which was impossible due to my working hours and also that I only have 1 set myself!

I've been panicking about it all weekend. I tried to get some advice from the council and Shelter, but all they can tell me is that it is illegal for the letting agent to do this, but no one can suggest what I should do if they keep to their word. I'm scared to be here tomorrow as I'm a single parent with 2 young children, but I'm worried that if I go out, I won't be able to get back in later.

So I don't have to drip feed, I'm not behind on my rent, or breech any other terms of my tenancy which I signed in March. In fact I paid the rent then in advance for the full 6 months up to Sept 12th. Then last month the letting agent contacted me to ask if i wanted to renew it for another 6 months from September. I said yes, but they told me they would only draw up the contract if I paid another 6 months rent (plus they put the rent up by another £100 a month) and a £120 renewal fee within 14 days. I wasn't able to do that so they put the house back on rightmove. Fair enough and I've started looking for somewhere to move to but then out of the blue on Thursday I got the email demanding keys back or they will drill the locks.

I'm really worried about what is going to happen and the only thing i can think to do is phone the police, if someone does start drilling the locks. My address and phone numbers are gold listed, due to abusive XP, so they would come quickly. But is that the right/best thing to do? I don't want to waste police time. AIBU?

OP posts:
DayLillie · 20/07/2015 09:50

If you still have the landlords address, I would contact them, for their information. It would not be in their interests to lose a tenant of five years to this.

So much better to have a known tenant who pays up rather than a constant string of different ones every 6 months. Do they really want the lock drilled?

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/07/2015 09:54

Abso-fucking-lutely call the police - they have no more right to do this than a burglar would.

differentnameforthis · 20/07/2015 10:00

Their reviews on fb aren't good either!

Redglitter · 20/07/2015 10:04

I think you're jumping the gun packing your belongings. They've said they want keys not that they're evicting you if I've read your posts correctly

Have you changed the locks? Do you know why they don't have a key?

I'd definitely suggest calling 101 for advice. Please however don't as a pp suggested call 999 when they're there and say someone is breaking into your house. If they do turn up and start drilling by all means call the police again but explain the situation properly

What a nightmare for you

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/07/2015 10:09

" Please however don't as a pp suggested call 999 when they're there and say someone is breaking into your house."

whyever not? it would be the truth.

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/07/2015 10:10

but yes, no need to pack your belongings.

Hobbes8 · 20/07/2015 10:12

I called the police when I had a problematic landlady a few years ago. She kept threatening to come round and was very aggressive. They took it very seriously. They contacted the landlady on my behalf and told her under no circumstances was she to turn up at the house, told us to call 999 if she did "tell them you're being burgled and they'll be there within 8 minutes". They even popped round to check we were ok one evening. This was in Lambeth, so it wasn't as though they didn't have a lot on!

Redglitter · 20/07/2015 10:16

Because from a police perspective that sounds like house breakers. If a housebreaking in progress is reported any cars I had on duty would leave what they were doing and blue light it to the call. This situation is totally different. If the OP explains the situation especially when her address is getting flagged up on the police system as vulnerable she's going to get a fast response anyway

A housebreaking in progress and a letting agent drilling the locks are very different things Smile

Redglitter · 20/07/2015 10:19

OP when this is settled I'd suggest you contact whoever you've dealt with in the police who's got your house flagged up. Sounds as if you're right to be concerned about your house being photographed internally. I'd seek advice about that too

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/07/2015 10:19

" This situation is totally different. "

no, redglitter, it is not 'totally different' it is exactly the same.
If someone is trying to break into your property (which it is because OP pays the rent) then you call the police. Simple.

Redglitter · 20/07/2015 10:21

Well have to agree to disagree on that one then Smile

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/07/2015 10:23

" A housebreaking in progress and a letting agent drilling the locks are very different things "

no they are exactly the same in the eyes of the law Smile

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/07/2015 10:23

you will find that I am right. Smile
Perhaps you could explain the difference?

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/07/2015 10:24

and it is not a case of 'agree to disagree' - you are wrong in a legal sense.

Redglitter · 20/07/2015 10:25

As a matter of interest is paying 6 months rent in advance when you've been a tenant for so long really a thing now? I'm really shocked at that. I can understand a new tenant maybe with a bad credit rating being asked for more but to be expected to pay that after 5 years?Shock Or is that just an indication of how bad this agency is

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/07/2015 10:28

sounds pretty bad glitter - call me paranoid but it is no coincidence that OP is a lone parent is it?

Redglitter · 20/07/2015 10:33

Hmmmm that crossed my mind too. That and the £100 rise. I've been in my flat 5.5 years now. Rents not gone up a penny as the landlord would rather have a good tenant.

It's a shame the OP can't contact the LL direct. It would be interesting to see what his view on it all was

SunnyBaudelaire · 20/07/2015 10:35

is there not some renting law that states you HAVE to be able to contact the landlord direct? rings a faint bell with me.

NittyDora · 20/07/2015 10:38

I think you should contact the owner of the property if you can. We rent and after a series of problems with our house asked to meet with the landlord. The letting agents told us
that the landlord was very reluctant
to meet us but I persisted. It turned
out that not only was the landlord
very keen to meet up but that the majority of the problems were caused by the letting agents not passing on messages. When either the landlord or I complained the letting agents blamed it on the other party.

Redglitter · 20/07/2015 10:42

Sunny I think you're right. There's a website with LL details but I'm not sure if that's just Scottish ones

Redglitter · 20/07/2015 10:46

the one I was thinking of is Scottish but there's this one

www.nidirect.gov.uk/sm/landlord-registration-scheme

Apologies. I can't do clicky links

BerylStreep · 20/07/2015 10:52

My DH lets property, and he has always had to have his name and home address on the tenancy agreement.

I agree with contacting the police and reporting this as harassment. The police can issue a 'Police Information notice' (PIN) to the agency, basically advising that if they carry through with their threat, they could be arrested and prosecuted for harassment. OP, if / when you are speaking to the police, do not let them try to tell you it is a civil matter.

Hope all has gone ok this morning. I think you need to put your concerns in writing to the agency, preferably via a solicitor.

ActiviaYoghurt · 20/07/2015 11:54

I think a calm email is needed tbh.

State that you are not refusing them reasonable access to the property but you only have one set of keys. (they may not know that this is the case). The threat to drill the lock seems like an extreme reaction and ultimately will cost money. Ask them why they want access and if it can be arranged to suit you, when you will be home.

If you want to stay there then on email say that you can pay another six months rent at the current amount on September 1st but no earlier, if you have been there 5 years without incident then there isn't really a reason to refuse this.

Do not feel that you have to move out before 12th September.

Spamminit · 20/07/2015 13:05

Just read through this, what a terrible situation. I would stand firm, refuse them entry and call the police if a locksmith turns up. Technically, the agent cannot enter your home unless agreed with you 24hrs in advance

Original poster
MelamineTeapot · 20/07/2015 13:07

Just updating to say that nobody has yet turned up, despite the letting agent saying it would be first thing. They have not replied to the email yet either, though the council were able to offer me an appointment for Friday. I am also going to view another house after work tonight. i am still worried that I could find myself locked out when i get home and will be taking an overnight bag/valuables just in case. I keep jumping every time I hear a car outside and nearly wet myself when the post came this morning.

to answer previous questions, I told them on Friday I didn't have a spare set to give them, would need get this done and then drive over to the city they are based in (I live 45 mins away) so wouldn't be able to do it that day. I offered to do it sometime this week by the reply just said by 5pm today (friday) or locks drilled first thing monday morning. There has never been any explanation why they need them or that they didn't already have a set. The first email about began with "we will be instructing someone to drill the locks of....."

Going back through all my paperwork i have had 2 letters from them regarding inspection visits in which they state "if you are not available on this date, we will let ourselves in" so I'm not crazy to have believed they already had some keys to the house. I wasn't available either of those dates so assumed that is what they did, as i never heard anything afterwards. again I hated the thought of them being in my home while i was out but that is the kind of thing you have to accept if you rent your home.

OP posts: