Conveyancers, I need your help regarding keys

[Airandmungbeans]

Hoping someone here will know if there is anything I can do.

We completed on a house and moved in four weeks ago. The vendors were selling through an online estate agent and as such there was no office to pick the keys up from. Our old house is only round the corner, so we popped round and they agreed to drop the keys into us when they had finished loading their van (we were already done and waiting around), which they did. As she gave them to me she said that they had accidentally packed the window keys and would bring them to us in the next day or so. It didn't happen. Thankfully they had left them unlocked, it would have been hell to have them shut in this heat, but we can't lock them. I have been told that our home insurance is invalid as should we have a burglary, the house is technically not secure. I have spoken to the online agent four times now, each time they tell me they have spoken to her. The first time she said she would bring them round, a week later she apparently still hadn't unpacked them, another week on she still had two boxes to unpack and would bring them round and this week, she seems to be uncontactable.

Now, since she had signed the contract stating that ALL keys would be left, which they weren't, do I have any grounds to invoice her for a change of locks on each of the windows or at least issue her an ultimatum or time limit before I change them? I am not feeling very secure in my home, especially with two young children and feel like we can't leave as we can't lock up.

TIA

Don't speak to the agent contact your solicitor.

What does your solicitor say. If the contract stipulated keys, then you have a right to have them. If not a right to change the window locks. Are the locks generic? Many window locks are. Have you contacted a local locksmith for advice?

My solicitor is away until next week, long summer break, but I'll speak to him then. DH says he can change the locks himself, but it will cost a fair bit to buy new locks, lots of Windows! Just so annoyed at her attitude towards it, if she didn't have the keys (and I suspect she doesn't) she shouldn't have signed to say she did or could have at the very least told me!

If you know the make of the locks find out if the keys can be replaced. Do you have serial numbers?

You almost certainly have a legal claim against the seller,the difficult will be enforcing it.If she does not pay up you will have to take her to court and it may not be worth the cost /hassle
You really need to get the keys,if ou get burgled and are not covered the insurance company won't care why the windows arent locked

You may not be covered if you told the insurers there were window locks

I would probably have one more go.contact the agent ,refuse to get off the phone until they do something etc,or get your solicitor to do it,someone will becovering for him
If no joy get replacements and put it down to experience

I found a company online that can send you replacement keys for just about any window, you just have to email them a picture of the window handle. Seem to remember it cost about a tenner. Cant remember the name but suspect I just googled replacement window keys or similar.

Are they tilt and turn or just ordinary lockable Windows? If they are just ordinary ones there is a website you can take photos of the handles and they will work out what key you need. You can then buy one, although I bought from elsewhere as it was cheaper.

If they are Anglican windows there is a reasonable chance they will send them to you free.

Thank you so much for your replies, apologies for not getting back sooner. I spoke to our solicitor who advised the same, that we'd need to take her to court if she didn't produce them. She didn't, but turned up at our door, with a bunch of keys, none of which fitted anything, and offered to get some master keys next day delivered to us. That was two weeks ago, still nothing. We gave up in the end and hubby went out last weekend and spent £150ish on new handles and locks. Annoying, but we'd just lost my grandma, my new job fell through, the car got broken into on the drive and hubby was due to have an operation this week (home and recovering now), so we didn't want the added stress of taking her to court, it's not worth it. I just wish she'd have said in the first place.