Is my landlord BU or AIBU? HMO and locking bedroom.

[CinnamonandGinger]

I’ve been having difficulties with my landlord, and have posted on here before about him. He is very forceful and behaves like a bully.

I live in a flat share with four other people, who I didn’t know before I moved in (it’s an HMO - house in multiple occupation).

Recently, my landlord employed a handyman to change the doors to our bedrooms, to make them fireproof (the council required this). Each door has a lock fitted to it.

The landlord now wants my flatmates and I to return our keys for the locks to him. He won’t say why he wants us to return the keys (although he didn’t want us to have locks on our doors before they were fitted, and said this was a health and safety issue - he’s trying it on, clearly).

Some of my flatmates have already given their keys to the landlord when he came to our flat today for viewings, but I and my other flatmate haven’t. He messaged us asking us why we haven’t given him the keys.

I really don’t want to give him my key as I feel it’s my right to have a lockable door to my own room.

As I live in an HMO, my understanding is that each of my flatmates and I rent our rooms separately from the landlord. Therefore, we each need locks on our rooms, and we are fully entitled to this.

I will phone Shelter tomorrow with my flatmates to confirm this, but just wanted to hear your thoughts on this. AIBU to want to lock my own room - or is my landlord BU?

I can see his point about a locked bedroom being a fire hazard but I think you’re right in your thinking that you’re entitled to be able to lock your possessions away.

I think it is normal for a landlord to have a set of keys to their property. When I rented a flat the landlord certainly had keys, but couldn't just let himself in unless it was an emergency.

Actually, rereading the post, possibly I have misunderstood. Do you mean that he wants a set of keys to the locks (while you have another set) or that he wants all the keys (so you can't lock your door)?

I think the first situation is ok, the second is unreasonable.

I would expect the landlord to have a key for all the rooms but not the only key. Each tenant should have a key to their own room.

Of course he shouldn't have a key to your door! You are renting your property from him, your property in this case is your individual room. He has no right of access to your room.

Surely a landlord should have a key in case of emergency. Like how my neighbour has a key in case there's a fire etc. I don't think this is unreasonable.

I rent a house. If I want to change the locks on the front and back doors I'd be fully within my rights to do so, as long as I replace the originals when I vacate. The OP rents a room, she pays for that room and it's her home. The LL has no right to a key to her home.

If there's an emergency he can break down the door or call the fire brigade to do it. He does not get to have a key to her home.

Unless you're tenancy agreement states otherwise, which is probably unlikely, he isn't entitled to a copy of the key.

www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2010/07/13/locks-and-keys-what-are-tenants-rights/

Do what you like.

Thanks for your replies, everyone!

Stompy, I mean that the landlord wants everyone’s keys so that we can’t lock our doors.

I understand that locked bedroom doors could be a fire risk, but our locks all have thumb-turn keys from the inside, so we can unlock our doors from the inside without a key.

I have already heard from the handyman (off the record) that the landlord have already made copies of all of our bedroom keys. So he would be able to let himself into our bedrooms anyway, which is worrying.

Is there anything written into law that says that tenants in an HMO have the right to have locks on their bedrooms? After Googling this a few days ago, I’ve only found results that say that landlords can put locks on tenants’ bedroom doors in an HMO, but this appears to be at the landlords’ discretion.

I might get my bedroom key cut tomorrow, and then give a copy of the key to the landlord whilst still having a copy for myself.

I've lived in HMOs without locking doors. No idea on the legality though. This landlord had hooked us up to next doors gas so guessing he was a crook.

It doesn't matter what the tenancy agreement says. Tenancy agreements do not override the law.

OP, ring Shelter first thing Monday. It was bad enough if he just wanted a key but that he wants the only key is pretty scary. Do not give yours to him and please ring them Monday?

In that case he is definitely unreasonable - it is normal in shared houses (when you didn't rent together) to have a lock for your room.

I don't see anything wrong w him having a copy for emergencies, but you should have one too.

He’s entitled to A key. But not the only key. What if the door is shut accidentally?

Why would he have locks put on the doors if he doesn’t want you to use them?

A locked door is only a fire risk if it blocks an exit. If internal locks are thumbturns that’s not the case.

It’s quite normal for rooms in HMOs to have locking doors. In fact, when you used to need planning permission for a change of use of a house to an HMO (is not needed anymore for up to 6 unrelated occupants), one of the things we would look for as evidence was whether there were padlocks/doors that can be locked from outside as this would indicate that the occupants were separately renting that room rather than living as a group if you see what I mean.

Tenancy agreements do not and cannot override the law @Crudd

Go to the Shelter website and print off the correct legislation for him. He's an idiot if he thinks he can make his tenants hand over their only key which keeps their possessions safe! Your insurance is invalid if you don't lock your individual door. Can you move? He sounds like a twat.

Like how my neighbour has a key in case there's a fire etc.

If there's a fire the fire brigade will just break the door down.

Is there any legislation that says that I am entitled to have a lock and key for my room?

I’m really concerned that I won’t be able to lock my room anymore.

Unfortunately, I can’t move anywhere else at the moment as I can’t afford it.

Your property is in your room, if you want to insure the contents the door would need to be locked by you when you are not there.

Pretty sure that what Stompy said is accurate but Shelter or the CAB will be able to advise you properly.

But just as an FYI - it is surprisingly easy to change a lock if you are changing it for the same type. If this becomes an issue, you may be able to get the same type of lock from your local DIY store and change it yourself and the landlord would never actually know unless he tried to open your door.

I’ve lived in a couple of houses like this and they always had locks on the bedroom doors, but I do think the landlords had keys for emergencies.

Since it sounds like he does already have a key anyway, I would just make a copy and then give him your original as well. If he finds out and kicks up a fuss just feign ignorance “sorry I thought you meant you just wanted a copy for emergencies, I didn’t realise you wanted the only one.” (You shouldn’t have to do this, but since you can’t afford to move and have said he can be quite bullying it might be simpler than arguing with him?)

Give him the key and have the locks changed. I think I would set a private cctv in my room, he sounds like a weirdo.
Is this even allowed. I hate to say tenants rights in the UK are absolutely horrendous. We have a prtb board in Ireland who mediate and put landlords and tenants to right.
The government needs to sort their tenants rights out.