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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this isn't good enough? Landlord

138 replies

MillyA · 09/12/2020 09:29

The barrel lock in my front door bas been getting progressively more shit for the past few months which culminated in it breaking completely last night and rendering the door (which is on a busy main road) unlockable.

I contacted my landlord as a matter of urgency as I have children in here and need to feel safe. Instead of sending an emergency locksmith which should be the first thing he did surely, he says he'll ask a painter and decorator bloke he knows to come and "have a look at fixing it"

If anything needs doing in here he always delegates it to this bloke, to save money on calling the professionals.

The bloke is notoriously unreliable and never turns up when he's supposed to, I've had work done in here by him before.

Decorator bloke gets back to him this morning and says he will "try" and get round here today, which translates as him not coming as he doesn't even turn up when he's actually scheduled to, having left me waiting in all day on at least 5 occasions before.

AIBU to think this isn't good enough? I'm now stuck in the house with three children, one disabled, and i can't lock the front door / go out / do anything.

OP posts:

1940s · 09/12/2020 09:56

@dontdisturbmenow

It's been getting worse for months but didn't report it until it broke completely? If so, you are unreasonable as it could indeed have been repaired then.

As a LL, I would have got a locksmiths in the morning but if he'd reported that there was evidence of Wear and Tear and it could have been fixed before breaking, I might expect the tenant to pay half.

What the hell?? How does one quantify wear and tear? Everything has wear and tear it could have lasted years before it broke. You sound like an awful landlord

LakieLady · 09/12/2020 09:57

@dontdisturbmenow

It's been getting worse for months but didn't report it until it broke completely? If so, you are unreasonable as it could indeed have been repaired then.

And LLs wonder why they're unpopular with many on MN ...

DiesalFive · 09/12/2020 09:57

@CuriousaboutSamphire

It is an emergency of your own making! You should have reported it is as soon as you were aware of there being an issue, that's acting in a responsible manner. Only you knew there was an issue and now the lock has finally broken you want the landlord to act instantly! That will probably piss him off a bit!

Don't attempt to withhold any rent, that is not an approprate response and will cause you issues that you will not have a legal footing to defend!

Contact your landlord again and tell him it needs doing today and his contractor's lack of response is not enough, this is an emergency - he has left you in an insecure house, one of his absolute responsibilities, for too long after notification!

It probably won't need a locksmith, just a new barrrel/fitting and a screwdriver, so anyone can do it quickly with off the shelf parts, even the slipshod workman your LL prefers!

The OP had reported it and the LL did nothing.

IntermittentParps · 09/12/2020 09:57

Curious, the OP DID report it. She says 'he knew about the problems with the lock/door'.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 09/12/2020 09:58

Oh he knew about the problems with the lock/door. This was the inevitable result of not nipping things in the bud. Ah! I answered the phone mid type!

Then yes, have at him! He has an absolute responsibility to maintain a secure home for you!

GreyishDays · 09/12/2020 09:58

@CuriousaboutSamphire
She did tell the LL.

Even if she hadn’t there’s no need for your tone.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 09/12/2020 09:58

I know, she posted additional information while I was on the phone!

CuriousaboutSamphire · 09/12/2020 09:59

[quote GreyishDays]@CuriousaboutSamphire
She did tell the LL.

Even if she hadn’t there’s no need for your tone.[/quote]
Tone?!?!

I was paraphrasing the TDS!!!

Original poster

MillyA · 09/12/2020 10:01

He knew about the problems with the front door, I alerted him to it months ago when my key was getting stuck and it was getting harder to lock the door. He wasn't bothered because as tricky as the door was becoming, it was still locking.

The barrel has come out completely on the inside now and is broken.

His response last night was to tell me to put something infront of the door overnight and he would try to get the decorator bloke to come first thing. That went exactly as I suspected it would, being told he would "try" and get down.

OP posts:

Nicknamegoeshere · 09/12/2020 10:03

I know how it feels, OP. We've been privately renting for seven years. Our first LL was dreadful and did nothing. It was horrible as I was a single mum with two young kids at the time. Mould on walls and damp issues.
We have now moved and have an exceptional LL. Fixes things as soon as they are reported and couldn't be of any more help. We had a baby in May and his wife has even gifted us some gorgeous baby things.
Could you consider moving in the future? In my experience it's very hard to get a bad LL to do anything if in private rent. It really is shocking.

Original poster

MillyA · 09/12/2020 10:05

To make matters worse I live in South East London, in an area with a high crime rate.

He's a nice bloke but far too relaxed. I've been waiting two years for a splash back in the kitchen so I've ended up DIY'ing it myself with heat resistant fablon.

OP posts:

Smallsteps88 · 09/12/2020 10:06

OP is the key sticking what caused the barrel to come out? Do you have any WD40 in the house? Failing that some spray cooking oil? It might allow you to slide the barrel back in and lock the door until the fix-it man arrives.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 09/12/2020 10:08

What Smallsteps suggested.

If the barrel is whole, just frmly attached to your key it might slide back in for a temporary fix.

But do get back to him and tell him try isn't good enough when the house is now insecure!

AaronPurr · 09/12/2020 10:09

He's a nice bloke but far too relaxed.

You're being far too generous here, he sounds more like a lazy cheapskate to me. Honestly do you think he would have been happy with the solution of put something in front of the door had it been his lock that had broken? I rather suspect he would have paid out for it to be fixed that night, just like I bet he also has a kitchen splashback in his house.

Original poster

MillyA · 09/12/2020 10:09

I've had endless problems with damp and mould, flooding etc.

I'm dying to move but finances don't permit it at the moment sadly. It cost me over 3k just to step foot in this place a few years ago, the joys of London.

OP posts:

LindaEllen · 09/12/2020 10:10

@MillyA

Why am I being unreasonable?! (Directed at those voting that I am)

I don't think you are being unreasonable. However. If you enable voting, you're always going to get some voting that way (I think some people just do it and never bother explaining why - just to rile people up). If you didn't want to see that, you shouldn't have put it on this board.

Original poster

MillyA · 09/12/2020 10:11

@Smallsteps88

I think so yes, although it has been getting progressively worse for months. When the barrel came out (with key stuck in it) about 10 tiny metal ball things fell out of the chamber and I can't for want of trying find them all

If I look inside the chamber hole in the door the springs on the base of it look broken.

OP posts:

Tomorrowistomorrow · 09/12/2020 10:12

Phone your landlord and say he has until 12 noon to sort it and he has already left you unsecure over night which is unacceptable either as a person or with children -it is an emergency. I'm not being funny but no need for a locksmith. I replaced all the barrels of all the door in my house. It took me 2 minutes to choose the locks from B&Q and less than 2 minutes to change the barrel. The new barrel lock was £20.

Cygne · 09/12/2020 10:13

As he's a police officer, can you leave messages for him at the police station? Or even report to them that you are worried about your child's safety because of your landlord, Police Constable BadLandlord, has failed to fix the lock when asked?

PatriciaPerch · 09/12/2020 10:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Smallsteps88 · 09/12/2020 10:13

Ahh. In that case I would just leave it for Mr Fix-it to sort. Can you put anything in front of the door to stop your DS getting to it? (I have an escape artist as well. Not being able to lock the door was a very serious situation when he was younger.

IntermittentParps · 09/12/2020 10:15

I like Cygne's idea. A police officer should be ashamed of himself.

tabulahrasa · 09/12/2020 10:16

You don’t need a locksmith... just someone with tools that can come out.

As in, if you end up having to do something out of desperation because his guy isn’t reliable - look on Facebook or somewhere for a handyman, it’ll be a hell of a lot cheaper than a locksmith.

Original poster

MillyA · 09/12/2020 10:17

I don't have a social worker unfortunately, I am considering trying to get a disability social worker for DS but I know they're in high demand and short supply.

We're not priority for council accommodation, I haven't been in the borough 5 years for one thing and the lists are so long here I could be waiting 5-10 years for anything to come up

OP posts:

Original poster

MillyA · 09/12/2020 10:20

I could stretch to buying a new lock myself if they're not too expensive and asking a friend to install it, if he is available (he's a dab hand at things like this)

I wouldn't know what lock/barrel to get though, would it matter?

I don't have anything big enough to put infront of the door in the mean time, if anything that's only going to encourage DS to go over to the door and investigate (he doesn't know it's unlocked at the moment)

I'm standing guard in the living room where the front door is.

OP posts:

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