To raise this with neighbours?

[LaLaLanded]

My flat was burgled this week. I am upstairs flat, and there is a shared door with the downstairs flat leading to a small hall and then the two doors to the flats.

I had left in the morning. Shared door locked. Downstairs neighbour then left for a couple of hours during the day. The shared door was not forced open by the burglar - no sign of damage. The repairs person confirmed that the lock does work.

The most reasonable assumption is that the downstairs neighbour didn’t lock the door? It’s a door that needs a key to open it IF it’s locked properly. You don’t need a key to close it, you just have to ‘lock’ the handle in place if that makes sense. If it isn’t in place, you can just turn the handle and get into the shared area.

I need the neighbours to make sure it is in fact locked. Every time. It isn’t hard, it takes 2 seconds just to make sure. They are lovely neighbours and I don’t want them to feel bad - it would have been an accident. But I need them to lock the bloody door! If they had, I wouldn’t have been broken into. I don’t want to be nasty about it - just to let them know it needs to happen. WWYD?

Just tell them what happened when you see them /when they get home - you know it was a mistake so tell them that, they’ll probably feel awful about it and never forget again!

Yes of course you should tell them.

Somebody could have had lock picks. Seems a bit random to go and just try front doors in case one is unlocked.

Be calm until you know.

DragonRoar I did consider that - but if they had a lock pick for the shared door, why not for the inner door which is a much simpler lock? The intruder smashed the inner door in - debris everywhere; that lock was taken apart.

I’m trying to consider all options before blaming the neighbours. I don’t want anything from them, I don’t consider it their ‘fault’ at all - just to ensure that if there were a mind slip with the door, that it doesn’t happen again.

I’m sure they will feel awful - argh.

Also the police said people do just try random doors sometimes - it’s an opportunity crime.

Dragonroar someone taking the trouble and time to pick a lock would be less likely. Most burglaries are not planned like that. People DO go round trying doors. It has happened in my area many times since I have lived here.

You don’t need to ‘blame’ the neighbours - why not talk to them in a “I just want to warn you about this so it doesn’t happen to you too” way?

Just tell them you have been burgled, be extra vigilant.

It's a neighbourly thing to say and they will be more careful.

Hope you're ok, must have been awful

ah cross post OP

Or they've had tradespeople in recently that have copied the key?

If they've genuinely messed up then I'd imagine they'd be mortified after you've informed them, though in theory the police should have questioned them but understandably some forces struggle more than others.

In my area we have had a spate of random door tries though.

You neighbour may not actually know how to lock it. Definitely bring it up with them.

Ah ok, I didn't realise that. Did your neighbors also get broken in to or just you? That's shit. I hope not too much was lost (and nothing sentimental) and the insurance quickly sorts it out.

Really sorry to hear. I would look at getting your own door strengthened or reinforced. I would also look into you both joint funding better catches on your shared entry door.

I would raise it with them, not in a blaming way but just in a 'we should all check that it has locked behind us properly' way. I would also mention that burglars often come back to a place that they consider a soft target (I have no idea whether this is true, but it sounds logical) so they may come back in a month or so to try the other flat. Maybe that will focus your neighbour's mind on making sure it's secure.

Also, if you can afford it, get a better door to your flat. People doing a chance burglary will always go for the easiest option, so if your door is very solid they will burgle your neighbours instead.

I had this in a flat I lived in. I was on the second floor, and interestingly, the police said the upper and lower floors were least likely to be burgled, because on the middle floors the burglar can run up or down to hide f someone comes in. I had one floor above me. I went to each of my neighbours’ doors and said I had been burgled, and could everyone please be extra careful when they came in and left to make absolutely certain the communal door was properly closed. (I put a letter through those who weren’t in.)

Whoops, pressed post too soon. My neighbours were fab and we paid for new kicks on the communal door jointly. I had my own door replaced completely with five-bar locks.

God. Locks not kicks.

Thanks for all replies! Neighbours didn’t get broken into, no.

Dairy I suspect neighbours may not know how to lock it, no. I sometimes hear hem having issues with it - it is a tricksy door but if properly locked is very secure with multiple ‘catches’ as it were.

MargeSimpson good idea - police said the burglar(s) are unlikely to target me again as they didn’t get much at all (I have very little of value!) but it would make sense that they might try the property again as they didn’t get into ground floor. I think I’ll pitch the conversation this way. Constant vigilance!

And yes I am getting a better door to my flat - it was a good door - the burglar had to literally rip it apart - but now I’m getting three different locks. Fortress.

I would frame it around you being concerned about the risk to their flat, if you're worried about upsetting/accusing them.

ladysybiil yes that’s what I think I’m going to do. I genuinely don’t want this to happen to them too and think I’m at less risk from the same people/person than they are, so me talking to neighbours could be a win for everyone. I don’t want or need anything from them so the talk is only about security.

I have a way forward - thank you everyone!