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Original poster

Moved 22/12, still not been given utility room door key...

18 replies

DrunkenUnicorn · 27/02/2016 09:27

Hi all,

Wondering if you had any advice, please.

We moved house on 21/12/15. It was a bit of a rush in that we were supposed to exchange the week before and then complete, but there were delays (partly caused by our sol) and exchange was two days later than planned. It was all rather stressful.

The family whose house we bought were moving in with relatives as they couldn't move to their new house till mid Feb. One of the big selling points of this house when we viewed/made offers was that they would be flexible and move to our timetable because the house we were selling was shared ownership and had time limits on it. After accepting the offer I think they tried to wriggle out of this as when offer accepted they hadn't found their new house, but had a few weeks later. Think there was grumbling but they agreed to the original plan and move in December and live with parents.

Anyway, before moving in the guy found me on FB and asked if we would like to keep trampoline for our kids, otherwise he would bin it. I said thanks, that's nice.

When we moved in there were a lot of bits left, nothing huge but irritating- kids sand pit, rotten outdoor benches, very rusty kids slide, bbq, garden bits and bobs, hoovers, Tupperware, kids cutlery, random things in cupboards. Mildly annoying on their own but not worth getting in a fuss over.

The night before we moved he msged my dh to say his wife had left the day before with kids and she's taken utility room door key with her accidentally. They would post it up ASAP and it should be with us just before new year. This was a huge irritant for us as we had planned to use that door to let our two large dogs into the very muddy garden but ok, these things happen.

In the middle of January I sent s polite message via fb asking if they'd sent the keys as we still hadn't received them.

I got this back:

'Hi, Happy New Year. I hope you are settling in well.

I'm sorry, but we haven't yet moved into our house & won't be until after the 22nd February. All of our stuff is in storage in xxx and we won't be able to let you know about the key until after that arrives with us.

I'm convinced it is there, it was there the day before we moved out, but just must have found it's way into one of the boxes by accident.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but will let you have it as soon as I can.'

They seem reasonably nice people but I'm now really fed up. They didn't let us know in January that they didn't have the keys and must be in storage. We haven't heard anything since. It's now over two months since we moved and Im fed up of not being able to use part of my house!

Any ideas anyone? Where do I stand with this if they now admit they've lost the key in its entirety. They've moved to the other side of the country btw just in case anyone wonders why they couldn't pop round with them. Thanks

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 27/02/2016 09:29

I would just get the door open, repair any damage and forget about it.

diamondsmiles · 27/02/2016 09:30

Can you just get the lock changed on it? I wouldn't bank on them getting the key to you.

dangerrabbit · 27/02/2016 09:37

Could you get the lock changed (and Bill them for the replacement!)

QueenLaBeefah · 27/02/2016 09:38

Just change the locks.

Zucker · 27/02/2016 09:47

Change the lock it's your property. You'll never see this key from them, there'll always be some excuse or other.

PigletJohn · 27/02/2016 10:42

They locked it to keep you out. They took away the key to stop you getting in. They are keeping the key to keep you out. It's your house.

If it was you, would you put the key in your pocket, or pack it into a box and send it to storage?

As for breaking in, is it a modern cheap hollow door, or a solid panelled door? Would it open towards you or away from you? A photo of the lock on a similar door (the edge) would help. You may be able to force it yourself fairly easily.

If you want it opened professionally, ask at a local independent locksmiths shop. Don't call an Emergency locksmith number. As well as high charges, they often have no lock skills and after fannying about for 59 minutes at your expense, will drill or rip it out.

wowfudge · 27/02/2016 10:48

After a couple of days I would have just got the door open - never mind the key. Forget about it and move on.

DramaQueen38 · 27/02/2016 10:57

It's not clear whether you cannot lock it because you don't have the key or whether you can't access the room because you are locked out of it? If the latter, I'd get in there fast , there may be old rotting food etc in there. Just change the locks, a pain but forget about them. The irritation is not worth it!

SoupDragon · 27/02/2016 11:11

The key is not in storage.

If the wife knew she had "accidentally" taken it with her, it would be because she had put it in her pocket and just found it there when she got home. If she had packed it into s box, she would not have known about it unless you asked.

The fact that it won't be available until the date they wanted to move is no surprise.

Break into the room, send them the bill for repair (they won't pay it) and simply do not forward any mail etc to them, just mark it return to sender.

ovenchips · 27/02/2016 11:17

SoupDragon is spot on.

You already know they are inconsiderate anyway after leaving all the stuff in the garden. They aren't going to change!

Is it a key to an external door that is located in utility room? Not sure if it's that, or the door to the room itself.

SwedishEdith · 27/02/2016 11:27

I want to know what's in the room now.

DramaQueen38 · 27/02/2016 12:32

I suspect they have left a fish finger to defrost behind the radiator.

Original poster

DrunkenUnicorn · 27/02/2016 13:38

Hmm guess we will just have to pay for locksmith then which is irritating as another job we didn't anticipate... There have been quite a few. Grrr...

We can get into the room but not into garden. It's the back door from utility room outside. The reason it's an issue is with two large dogs in winter is the lawn is a mud patch, hence every time they go out paws and sometimes bellies are filthy.. And they are now having to come in via French doors into living room with cream carpet... The plan had always been for dogs to access garden via utility which is easy to clean and I don't mind if it gets a bit mucky.

Guess we will have to suck it up

OP posts:

PigletJohn · 27/02/2016 14:38

photo of the lock? Or the edge of the door where a similar lock is fitted?

NoelHeadbands · 27/02/2016 14:40

Like Soup says, I hope you're not keeping any post for them

wowfudge · 28/02/2016 08:30

So these people still have at least one key which they could use to get into your house? Definitely get the lock changed! The way you phrased it in your OP was as though it was a locked internal door.

Lonecatwithkitten · 28/02/2016 09:23

A developer once advised me that the day you complete you should change every external lock as you never know who had a copy of a key.
They are incredibly casual with keys don't just change the utility room lock change them all. I am moving in a couple of months and have a locksmith primed for completion.

magimedi · 28/02/2016 09:29

Every time I have moved one of the first jobs I have done is to change every external door lock.

You never know who has had a key.

Not that expensive - have just changed the barrel of the lock.

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