To ask who you think is the thief?

[Evangelinedream]

DP and I have just recently moved into a shared house with 4 others; A who is quite well off and the lead tenant, B of unknown income, and C&D a couple who don’t have a lot of disposable income.

This weekend we went away and came back to find both our laptops missing. Mine was in our bedroom which is on the top floor, and was either on the desk or the bed. DP’s was in the living room.

Upon realising that the laptops were gone, A seemed quite freaked out at the possibility of someone having been in the house. He has now decided to get the locks changed. I strongly believe it wasn’t him who took them.

B isn’t home but has written a message in the group chat to say he would also like the locks changed and doesn’t feel safe.

C&D don’t seem at all bothered (though I guess some people are just chilled). When I asked if their laptops were kept on show in their bedrooms (based on the hypothesis that someone has broken in and quickly taken what they could see), C said theirs were out in their bedroom. This hypothesis is also supported by the fact that my charger was left behind. When I explained my hypothesis, he said they’re tucked away next to the bed.

So either a) someone with a key has come in and taken them, b) someone has noticed the unlocked door and taken them, or c) someone in the house has taken them.

I think it is option b, my mum thinks c. So, wise mumsnetters; whodunnit?

Remember landlord will have a key also...

How old are you OP? These are sadly the cases with shared accommodation with virtual strangers

C

How long have you been there and why are you leaving your belongings anywhere other than your locked bedroom?

Well I think the incomes are completely irrelevant to be honest, people from all walks of life and all income brackets steal nor just lower income people.

I would definitely be getting a lock for my bedroom door though

Dont you have locks on your bedroom door? Sadly this is the risk you have to take when living with people you dont know very well.

Phone the police 🤷‍♀️

Sadly the locks only lock from the inside of the door...safe to say we have learned our lesson. The consideration now is whether to spend money on moving out (if we’re living with a thief), or to stay. We don’t really have the money to move again as only moved in here recently.

Janet you’re right!

twooutofthree were late twenties, London prices mean that we have to share with others if we want to save, despite our age

Incomes wholly irrelevant.
If it were me I would suspect C before the other options.

Reaction of c is odd however reactions of a and b fit a ‘guilty party’ just as well.

However it is crap to think that and of course you may never know so can’t assume as they may all be wholly innocent. If it were me I’d be moving out of at all possible as you’ll probably not ever get back to trusting the house.

Or d, someone has unobtrusively broken in.

Or e, a guest of one of the residents took them. Which I think might be more likely than a resident themselves stealing.

heron there lies the problem...we’ll never know (and would never accuse without being certain) :(

Cab you get a lock for outside your door? And a cheap camera set up to watch the door, you can flick it off when you are in there. It might make you feel better if you can't move

safari I did think maybe D, but it would surely take a lot of guts to go all the way to the top floor of a house you don’t actually k ow is vacant, just to steal a battered old laptop? And why steal only our things but nothing else,

I actually think I'd be more concerned about a very concerned reaction. C don't feel like they haven't to put on a front about worrying where your laptops have gone.

Could also be an exhousemate who has had a key copied.

I think the only very slim chance of getting them back (if someone in the house took them and hasn’t sold them) is to say to all in the house you are considering contacting the police but wanted to check whether there had been any guests staying or similar? Only way of enabling a return.

Then actually you will presumably have to contact police anyway for insurance reasons ? Does your insurance require sign of break in ??
So sorry - what crap situation. Good luck.

Previous occupier with a key?

step one, call the police (the non-emergency number), and just give the others a friendly warning that obviously, the police may want a word. I don't think you'd get your laptops back (they would rematerialise, due to a scared B or C), but maybe insurance purposes, and it may take people think twice.

Regardless of who it was, if you have no way of securing valuableswhere you live then your accommodation is not suitable.

The same thing happened to me when I lived in a flatshare, they just took the laptops and some jewellery from my housemate's bedside table. We called the police, and they said it was likely the burglar knew we would all be out at work during the day and that our lock was picked. I'm 100% sure none of my housemates did it. Could your situation be similar?

And definitely call the police. Whoever took your laptops committed a crime which needs to be reported.

Should have mentioned; C didn’t go upstairs to check if his valuables were still in his room like A did.

RE ex housemate, yes think this is a possibility also.

Heron my mum suggested the exact same thing - even if we don’t get anything back, their reactions might help inform our decision as to whether to throw more money at moving again?

Regardless, we’ll be getting a lock on our door (and kicking ourselves for not doing so as soon as we moved in)

beans think lock picking is unlikely as our door is on a busy road with lots of pedestrians. Out of curiosity, what made you sure it wasn’t your housemates?