Painter Stole Key

[roibustea]

I just had an empty property painted and gave the painter a spare key. The painter completed the job and it looks lovely, but he took the key when he went. He said he'd drop it back today or tomorrow first thing, which I said is fine. But he's text this morning to ask whether I've paid. I am not inclined to pay until I get my key back, as once I've paid he has no motivation to return it, and I do need it to give to other people coming next week. And I obviously also don't really want this man to have full access to my house! Is it normal for tradespeople to hold keys hostage until you've paid? This seems really dodgy to me, is he planning to go into my house and do something if I don't pay?! Am I unreasonable to text back telling him I'll pay when I get my key?

Why don’t you tell him you’ll go to his house and pick it up? Problem solved. And transfer him the money on the way over. I see his point, but also yours too.

Why haven't you paid ?

You don't go to Tesco and say you will pay later , you pay when you go through the till !

@yaychocolateginandwine why haven’t you read the OP’s posts?
Also, in general trades work isn’t paid on the spot. Quite often they send an invoice in the post or by email after they’ve completed the cost calculations. It’s really not comparable to Tesco at all.

OP I would get the locks changed, and then text the painter to say that you’ve changed the locks so no need to return the key, and that you found his attitude to the key uncomfortable. He sounds like a sexist pig who was throwing his weight around. Bit of a twat basically.

Why haven't you read the thread?

Why wouldn't you pay if you are happy with the job on completion ?
I can see OP has paid - don't understand why it wasn't paid on completion of work ( hence the 'Tesco' example )
You pay for a service which you are happy with when you get the goods !

Get a lock with a security keycard that makes copying difficult (you can't easily copy it without the code on the card).

Any lock without one of these codes is likely to be pretty poor quality and easy to break anyway.

Anyone who has your keys for a period can copy them just by taking them to a supermarket. Then can then give the copy to someone down the pub if they wish.

Once someone else has held your key unsupervised for a time, your house is no longer secure.

I’d be extremely angry with a tradesman removing my key from the property. He’s already had ample opportunity to copy it now, so actually getting it back is meaningless. Have you asked him why he took it?

I’d be tempted to have the locks changed and deduct the cost from what I owe him. If you’re a woman who lives on her own he’s put you in a potentially dangerous situation.

He's finished the work, you've checked the work,you're happy with the work, you should have already paid him.

Why should OP have the expense of changing the locks?

You’re very trusting! He could get the key copied.

Go to his house and ask for it. Say I've paid you,and there is no reason for you to keep it

Maybe he’s been screwed over before and doesn’t want to be ripped off again by people not paying. Painters have families to feed too.

I think changing a lock is a skill everyone should have.
Buying the right lock is the most important part.

Pretty sure it’s illegal to hold someone to ransome like that!

It feels sleezy doesn't it. Man holding woman's house key until he gets paid. He has legal options if he doesn't get paid.

Yes…I’d have been concerned he’d have trashed the place on non-payment or quibbling over price! I think he has held on to it for insurance. I’ve given tradesmen my keys before, however, I have been their customer for years.

It probably is but

A) Most people probably wouldn’t bother wasting police time on it
and
B) Tradies get treated like shit all the time and he’s probably sick of being stitched up so doesn’t care.

It’s an empty house before you start worrying about a poor helpless woman living in fear in her (empty) home 😉

He’s a little bit of a shit…

Unless you gave him very specific instructions of where to leave the key I imagine that he held on to them then would return the key to you. I had a dog walker say that they had left the key, couldn’t find it then it turned up in a plant pot about a year later.

I'd mention it in the review (not "stole" but the painter withheld your key having removed it from the premises contrary to instructions).

Seems like poor behaviour and quite needless on his part.

No wonder he's cheaper-- his disrespectful attitude towards women, ignorant parking, inability to follow simple instructions about the key or to reply to a simple question directly are all things that would stop people recommending him by word of mouth or from using his services again.

If it’s a new property you should absolutely change the locks - who knows who the previous owner gave keys to, the estate agents, previous trades etc. I absolutely wouldn’t feel safe in a new home without new locks.

Why didn't you pay him as soon as he'd finished?

@yaychocolateginandwine the job wasn’t complete as the painter still had possession of something belonging to the customer. Using your Tesco analogy, would you allow the checkout assistant to run all your food through but hold back one item, and refuse to give it to you till you’d paid? Would you not think that was a bit strange?