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Original poster

Loft Padlock??

16 replies

AmericanPastoral · 02/12/2016 22:53

I need to get a padlock for the loft and thought it would just be a simple job of buying a padlock and asking our builders to fit it .Turns out it's not so simple. Does anyone have suggestions of what we could use and where we could quickly get it- need it by Monday/Tuesday of next week. Many thanks.

OP posts:
didireallysaythat · 02/12/2016 23:07

Isn't this fixed by a trip to screwfix, or am I missing something ? I can't see why you need a builder though ? You can get combination padlocks, handy if you can't remember where you left the keys...

tiej · 03/12/2016 02:31

Is it to stop people getting in or getting out?

wowfudge · 03/12/2016 04:33

What's the loft hatch like, can you post a picture? Does it even need to be locked?

PigletJohn · 03/12/2016 06:32

is it for a house you want to rent, to stop the tenants getting in? Are there pipes up there?

Original poster
AmericanPastoral · 03/12/2016 06:57

Thanks very much for your replies didireallysaythat tiej wowfudge and PigletJohn. . I will take a picture and post later today. It's for a house I want to rent out to stop the tenants getting in. Some access will be needed. There are no pipes up there but there is a water tank.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 03/12/2016 07:08

Don't you just put a hasp and padlock on?

Or is it a loft hatch that comes off completely? Mine is hinged like a door in the ceiling.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 03/12/2016 07:18

The mountings for shed padlocks might work

specialsubject · 03/12/2016 10:01

We had one in a previous rented house where the.loft stored our stuff and was excluded from the let. What we did was fit a bolt and then put a small padlock through that.

Why ? Because it creates a boundary , especially if tenants in a big house move with packers who will take everything. The lock must be breakable in case of a tank problem, and all your stuff must be insured by you. And don't leave anything you really value up there.

BTW we had a draughty loft and everything survived.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 03/12/2016 10:32

I wish we'd had one! Our house was rented out to several lots of corporate tenants - apparently with no problems - while we were living/working abroad.

Only when we finally came back for good did we realise that someone - far too late to find out who - had stolen most of dh's old Dinky Toys out of the loft. He was gutted.

specialsubject · 03/12/2016 11:33

As I said - don't leave anything you value,lock or not . long term storage isnt viable so speak nicely to friends and family for small items. Big items - sell.

Original poster
AmericanPastoral · 03/12/2016 23:14

Thanks very much for your feedback everyone. I've attached a picture of the loft entrance. I asked the very helpful people in B+Q and they recommended this www.diy.com/departments/blooma-steel-l76mm-safety-hasp-staple/308349_BQ.prd so we've got 2 of them.

Loft Padlock??
OP posts:
WingedSloath · 03/12/2016 23:35

Having not come across this before doesn't this cause issues for you as a LL having items stored in the loft of the house you rent out in terms of insurance? Do you need contents insurance to cover the items?

Why are the items not in your loft in your house or a storage unit?

Will the keys be available should a plumber need to get into the loft for any leak? What if the tenant realises there is a leak but cannot get up there to investigate and has to wait for the plumber arranged through you?

Surely if there is a water tank, there are water pipes? Are there 2 tanks? One for the hot water cylinder and one for the central heating? Overflow pipes for both of these?

We noticed our neighbour had water gushing out of their overflow at 11pm. We went round and found the parents were on holiday (we are acquainted with them) and their 20 year old daughter had no idea how to isolate the water up there. We helped her out draining down the tank whilst speaking to her parents on the phone. I would hate to have waited for a plumber.

wowfudge · 04/12/2016 07:07

Well you're going to need two of whatever you use to secure it, either side, or a bar that goes across and is locked onto the frame. What have you got up there? Could you just put that whatever it is in a lockable container instead?

But I think it would be better if there was nothing of yours left in the loft.

wowfudge · 04/12/2016 07:09

Well you're going to need two of whatever you use to secure it, either side, or a bar that goes across and is locked onto the frame. What have you got up there? Could you just put that whatever it is in a lockable container instead?

But I think it would be better if there was nothing of yours left in the loft.

Ifailed · 04/12/2016 07:24

rather than locking it up, and hence potentially causing a problem if in an emergency a plumber needed access, why not use security tags and make it clear to the tenant that it's out of bounds?

I mean things like this:

Loft Padlock??
specialsubject · 04/12/2016 10:10

Landlords should have contents insurance anyway - carpets, curtains etc.

Cable ties are a good idea.

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