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AIBU?

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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:
Original poster
MillyA · 09/12/2020 12:44

I ended up with one that wasn't quite flush to the door - it stuck out a few mm - as a friend gifted it to me which saved money. But it worked fine and wasn't a security risk

I think that's the case with my current one too, it sticks out alot on the inside.

So it doesn't really matter if they're not flush to the door then?

OP posts:
Original poster
MillyA · 09/12/2020 12:57

I've just been chatting to a neighbour and she was broken into two nights ago, that has only compounded my worry Sad

OP posts:
sergeilavrov · 09/12/2020 13:01

Text your landlord and that idiot decorator to explain you were told they can’t tell you which one would work. Include the number of a locksmith, and say it’s a safeguarding issue that you will have to report if a qualified locksmith isn’t sent out within the hour, as they are invalidating your insurance and putting a disabled child at significant risk of harm. PC Plod sounds like he needs several kicks up the arse. Don’t be worried about ringing the station and saying your property is insecure and you have a disabled child.

And no, the previous commenter who said you pay half is ridiculous. My DH and I rent out properties and that isn’t a thing. Nor is anything to do with outside locks not an emergency Hmm

ilovebrie8 · 09/12/2020 13:03

Hey OP, hope you get this sorted asap...I think you should have just called a locksmith and got them to invoice the LL... simples.

Original poster
MillyA · 09/12/2020 13:05

Relayed the above to my landlord hoping to invoke a sense of urgency and he's completely unbothered.

Apparently the fact thieves and burglars are operating in the area currently doesn't mean they're going to come in here because "breaking into empty cars and trying doors is alot different to entering somebody's home where lights are on"

So what's that implying? He wants me to sit in the front room awake all night with the lights on.

I've just sat and had a cry about this im getting really stressed.

OP posts:
WhereverIGoddamnLike · 09/12/2020 13:10

Have you called shelter for advice?

Have you tried a very firm text saying "you have left.my home unsecured for an entire night and now most of the day. As a landlord, your responsibility was to call an emergency locksmith last night when you were first informed. You are currently breaking the law. You must arrange a locksmith now or I will seek legal advice on what action can be taken against you".
And also call the station he works at and leave a very detailed forcefull message for him.

HowManyToes · 09/12/2020 13:11

@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!

Perhaps try reading the bloody thread before jumping down OP's throat? She's already said that he was aware of it and had done nothing about it.
WhereverIGoddamnLike · 09/12/2020 13:12

Could you try calling some local locksmiths and see if any would be willing to carry out the work and send the invoice to your landlord?

WhereverIGoddamnLike · 09/12/2020 13:13

@CuriousaboutSamphire

She has been telling the LL about it since it started acting up. He ignored it.

Original poster
MillyA · 09/12/2020 13:18

My aunt has just called and offered me £50 toward the cost of a locksmith, bless her.

She can't afford it any more than I can.

I didn't ring shelter no as I rushed down to wickes thinking I would be able to sort it easily.

I will however call them now.

I'm going to have to send a very blunt and forceful message to LL now as I've simply had enough.

I sent a message to both LL and decor idiot telling them what wickes have said. No reply from decor but LL is in back and forth comms with me going round in circles, convinced decor bloke will be magically appearing today to sort it.

When decor bloke rang me he said if I can get a new lock from wickes he'll pop down this evening and install it. He clearly doesn't want to be going to and from wickes himself and doing the donkey work.

Thank you all for the advice you've been far more helpful than all of these cowboys.

OP posts:
PatriciaPerch · 09/12/2020 13:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mumdiva99 · 09/12/2020 13:25

So sorry this isn't yet resolved.

Look at this
It shows how to measure when in the door.

Dannydevitoiloveyourart · 09/12/2020 13:25

This is awful. A previous poster suggested calling the police station he works at to embarrass him into sorting this. I would do that,

IntermittentParps · 09/12/2020 13:27

OP, contact your LL's work and drop him right in it. You cannot spend more time and worry on this and you cannot have a malfunctioning door over another night.

Original poster
MillyA · 09/12/2020 13:31

Decor bloke has just called me, he said he's going to ring somebody and see if they can come and have a look.

He works full time decorating all over the city which is why he hasn't been able to come yet himself, he said he did tell LL this and reiterated that he can't be called on for emergencies.

Neither he nor I know why he's making it the decorators problem.

If the man he rings can't come then he's going to drop by when he finishes work.

How ridiculous is this honestly.

OP posts:
Original poster
MillyA · 09/12/2020 13:32

I've not a clue which station he's based at unfortunately, I just know he works for the MET.

OP posts:
DianaT1969 · 09/12/2020 13:45

I don't think the suggestions of contacting the landlord's station are at all helpful. You want your lock fixed this afternoon. Not to escalate a row with your landlord.
Call your landlord and say the decorator won't fix it today as he hasn't got the right lock. That a locksmith is needed by 3pm latest, otherwise you'll move to a family member's home and leave the property unsecured, invalidating insurance and very likely to be trashed by burglars or drug users. Plus the possibility of squatters is high. Does he want that instead of paying a £80 locksmith fee?

IntermittentParps · 09/12/2020 13:48

I don't think the suggestions of contacting the landlord's station are at all helpful. You want your lock fixed this afternoon. Not to escalate a row with your landlord.

He needs a kick up the arse. And he's a police officer and I wonder what his employers would think of how he's handling this?
OP, try ringing a main number and giving his name.

sergeilavrov · 09/12/2020 13:48

Maybe there is a local locksmith who could give you a free quote? That will also subtly give you more details, and you can phone the landlord when they’re there and that might mean he will speak to them. There is a good locksmith near Peckham I can recommend if that’s nearby to you (Callow). They came out to Pimlico years ago but not sure if that’s changed as it was on a contract.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 09/12/2020 13:48

Take your own advice Howmanytoes I have already explained why I hadn't read OPs additional information!!!

Original poster
MillyA · 09/12/2020 13:49

My reluctance to call an emergency locksmith myself is the concern that LL may refuse to pay for it on the basis that he's (In his mind) sorting it via the decorator. I can't really afford to be lumbered with a big bill, even if my lovely aunt did donate £50 to it, which I don't want her to have to do.

Sadly this is a common theme where I am, I'll be approaching the council again and pleading my case to be rehoused even if it means another private rent, hopefully they will be able to support me in some way.

OP posts:
Original poster
MillyA · 09/12/2020 13:52

I could definitely call some local locksmiths for quotes. I'll do a Google search now and present LL with the findings.

From what decor bloke has said he wouldn't be able to get here himself until the evening anyway, by which point wickes will probably be closed.

No idea who this other bloke is that decor man is calling to ask a favour that he pops down.

I've never known such a fuck about for what should be a simple solution.

OP posts:
WhereverIGoddamnLike · 09/12/2020 13:56

What did you landlord say when you sent a message spelling out his legal responsibilities? Have you also told him that the longer he waits to call a locksmith, the more likely it will be that he has to pay out of hours fees as well as the normal rate?

LakieLady · 09/12/2020 14:12

@MillyA

Total waste of time that was. The man in wickes said there's no way of knowing which lock is needed without removing the existing one completely and bringing it for comparison.

I'm getting really peed off with this now.

Even wickes think it's not my responsibility to be pratting about with all of this, it's the landlords responsibility or the person he delegates the job to.

It absolutely is NOT your responsibility. The one advantage of renting is that you don't have the hassle of sorting out and paying for repairs. This LL is taking the piss, leaving someone with a child with a disability in an unsecured property.

We have a local "Good Neighbour" scheme where people do small jobs for other people on a voluntary basis. It's mostly fetching prescriptions etc for elderly people, but I do form filling and letter writing and there are a couple of active retired people who'll come and do small jobs like the OP's.

YoungScrappyHungry · 09/12/2020 14:18

Ugh our LL is like this, I hate it. He has this Jack of all trades, master of none bloke come over whenever there is an issue, no matter what it is. I know this bloke then scuttles off to tell him how to get away with not paying. If this jack can't do it he just tells us we have to wait until he can go through his insurance, like that's our fault. He's currently trying to fight the buck with me about not paying to have the chimney swept (we've paid it, shouldn't have done, didn't realise until another LL told us it's no longer tenants responsibility since last year)
I hate LL's like this. I hate renting so much.

As an aside, I'm also a police officer, he's behaving appallingly and should know better.

Has anyone been out yet OP?