Locked in bedroom and 'rescued' by firemen - is landlord responsibly for fixing based in doors?

[Margerine78]

I had an incident in my newly moved into a rented flat where I got locked in my bedroom late one night. The door handle wasn't moving the bolt. I managed to take the front of the door handle off with nail scissors and whole lock mechanism collapsed. I managed to get on Facebook (I had laptop but not phone with me) and my sister saw the post, tried to find a locksmith who could get to me quickly and couldn’t, so called the fire brigade, which involved them bashing in the front and bedroom door. Now the bedroom and front door need repairing and letting agency seems to be avoiding the issue.

There’s a much bigger background to this — the flat when I moved in had a big electric issue that took a week to fix, so I was without heat, lights, working sockets etc on and off for days and I had to resort to using a chain of extension leads plugged into a socket in the communal hallway, leading through to my flat. The electrician suggested I do this so I wasn't completely in the dark and without heat but said not to leave the extension lead plugged in for a long period of time (definitely not overnight) for safety reasons.

Also, I moved in to discover the flat’s very easily accessible balcony door doesn't lock and the large main large lounge window that didn’t lock or even shut, so it’s Baltic but also a break-in waiting to happen (and I’m a woman living alone). I should note the flat ain't cheap either!

If it wasn’t for the flat being so woefully unprepared for a tenant to move into, me being locked in my bedroom wouldn't have been such an emergency as the fire and break-in worry wouldn’t have been an issue. Also it’s clear the door must’ve been faulty/sticking for ages for it to have broken on me, so it’s another issue with the flat not being up to scratch.

I feel like it’s 100% the landlord (via letting agency’s) problem as it involved locks and fixtures, plus after letting me move in when so much was seriously wrong with the flat I kind of feel like the least they owe me is to not argue the toss!

AIBU expected the landlord/agency to fix the doors?

[kleew1]

I’m saying HER landlord may expect her to prove it (I’m not her landlord). ME being a landlord would pay the costs no questions asked - as stated above. But thanks for reiterating the OP’s post in case I didn’t read it (by the way I did).

[NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1]

Also, if the firefighters burst the front door down, how was it safe for you to stay they throughout the night? and how did you secure the premises when you left the next day?