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Original poster

Tenant locked out twice in days

50 replies

Birdsofafeather123 · 26/12/2023 15:44

NC for this as know that landlords are not always popular here.

I was asked to deal with any dire emergencies by a landlord friend who is away. (neither of us expected any).

Her flat is rented to a group of friends. One, at her request has a lock on her bedroom door.

She locked herself out on Saturday.

Standard advice is for tenant to employ a locksmith. Unfortunately it was edging into unsocial hours and likely to be more than the typical call out charge of £79 for picking the lock.

I had a builder doing odd jobs for me at a nearby property. ( I don’t live there). He said he would drill out lock and replace for £40 plus cost of lock. I found a spare lock, so £40 in total.

Passed information onto tenant and gave choice pointing out that it was an agreement between her and whoever she chose and not landlord responsibility to arrange or fund.

Builder sorted problem Saturday evening.

She phoned him this morning. She has locked herself out again.

It’s Boxing Day, he had plans, and is a 20 mile return journey away, but as he still had the spare key said he would go and let her in for £20.

She then sends loads of messages to me and him. She says she doesn’t have £20, wants to send a friend to him to collect spare key, or just pay for his fuel for him to take key ( fuel alone would probably be under £5).

He doesn’t want random strangers calling at his family home or to release the only spare key ( which he retained to pass on/ post to landlord) to a friend of someone who has locked herself out twice in a few days.

I don’t live nearby and if I was to go and collect the key and let her in it would be around 80 mile; also I have a particular reason for not wanting to be away from family this Christmas.

This has taken ages back and forth and now the £20 visit is also off the table, at least for today, as builder having food and drink.

But, she still can’t get in her room and I have run out of suggestions.

OP posts:
GreatGateauxsby · 26/12/2023 16:47

His stupid choice...
his door...
his problem.
His idiocy is NOT your emergency.

You offered loads of reasonable options .
He can sleep on a sofa or the floor.

Honestly if I was the LL I'd be looking to serve notice asap on this tenant he sounds beyond annoying.

thecatneuterer · 26/12/2023 16:50

DragonFly98 · 26/12/2023 16:23

No that's really inappropriate tenant needs to have the spare key. The landlord can't have a key to her bedroom.

Of course landlords should have copies of keys.

Original poster
Birdsofafeather123 · 26/12/2023 16:54

I appreciate these replies. I couldn’t think what else to do and it’s a relief to have others confirm there is nothing I can do right now.
I had my phone on silent and have just seen a message from around an hour ago saying she has a friend who can break in. She hasn’t elaborated. I have just messaged back to that she shouldn’t permit any action which will damage the property.
I will speak to my friend when I can about the lock. The flat is let as a single unit with joint tenants and individual door locks are not typical in this type of let. I am also fairly sure it’s been in place for several months so it’s very unlucky for her to have locked herself out twice so close together.

OP posts:
Schoolchoicesucks · 26/12/2023 17:08

She's your tenant not your child so this is her issue to sort out - emergency locksmith, sleeping on the sofa and sorting out spare tomorrow or gaining access and then repairing whatever is damaged.

Builder retaining the spare sounds unusual to me though. I wouldn't have been happy with that if I was her.

Ponderingwindow · 26/12/2023 17:10

It may be an emergency for her. She could have essential medication or medical equipment inside the room. Calling a locksmith is still an option, even if it will cost a small fortune.

if she feels like she needs a locked door, which is understandable, she really should invest in a keyless entry. She could enter by code or fingerprint and never get locked out. There are a variety of price points, but if the lock she chooses is expensive, she should just work out with the landlord that she takes it with her when she moves out and replaces the space with a standard lock.

Hatty65 · 26/12/2023 17:22

Agree with all the others. If she's old enough to rent a property then she's old enough to deal with her own stupidity.

She was bailed out once by you/your friend and she's done the same dumb thing again. She's then added to her problems by being a CF who not only expected a stranger to do a 20 mile drive on Boxing Day but wanted them to do it for free. It's not your circus, and she's not your monkey.

If she feels it's an EMERGENCY then she can fork out for an emergency locksmith. Would LOVE to know what the cost of that will be on Boxing Day, if she can even find one.

Or she can sleep on the sofa, crash at a mate's, ring her Mummy and wait til she can afford to deal with her own idiocy.

Original poster
Birdsofafeather123 · 26/12/2023 17:22

Schoolchoicesucks · 26/12/2023 17:08

She's your tenant not your child so this is her issue to sort out - emergency locksmith, sleeping on the sofa and sorting out spare tomorrow or gaining access and then repairing whatever is damaged.

Builder retaining the spare sounds unusual to me though. I wouldn't have been happy with that if I was her.

I agree that the builder should not have the spare key and there is no intention for him to keep it. It will be passed on to the landlord as soon as possible.

OP posts:
Paddleboarder · 26/12/2023 17:27

It's beyond stupid to have a yale lock on a bedroom door. She needs to get a different lock, that doesn't lock on closing, or get multiple copies of the key and keep them elsewhere in the house. If I had that type of lock on an internal door I would be constantly doing the same thing.

MrsTerryPratchett · 26/12/2023 17:34

Yale are ridiculously easy to break into. 10 minutes in Google and a Coke bottle will do it.

Was she at least apologetic about dragging a load of people into her stupidity on Christmas?

Original poster
Birdsofafeather123 · 26/12/2023 17:55

MrsTerryPratchett · 26/12/2023 17:34

Yale are ridiculously easy to break into. 10 minutes in Google and a Coke bottle will do it.

Was she at least apologetic about dragging a load of people into her stupidity on Christmas?

She hasn’t been in the least bit apologetic. The builder blocked her first and she has phoned and messaged me a number of times being quite demanding.
She thinks she should have the spare key. Even if I agreed with her there is no way of physically getting it to her if the builder won’t allow collection from his home .
I asked him to keep it to pass onto the landlord as when the first lock was installed all keys were accidentally left with her, they were all in her room and there was no option for anyone to let her in.

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 26/12/2023 17:57

She hasn’t been in the least bit apologetic.

I wouldn't give her a second's thought then. She is the author of her own fate.

StragglyTinsel · 26/12/2023 18:00

She can call a locksmith herself.

I have ADHD and I am dreadful for forgetting my keys. When I rented, I never saw this as my landlord’s problem.

WickDittington · 26/12/2023 18:06

It’s her problem. Not the landlord’s. Might be a useful lesson for the tenant to learn.

roarrfeckingroar · 26/12/2023 18:32

She's an absolute moron and the landlord shouldn't be liable

Grimchmas · 26/12/2023 18:42

She is being unreasonable. I'd reiterate that it is boxing day, builder isn't available and damage to the property isn't permitted. If she's being a pain to you maybe check your phone on the hour and no more often.

Is LL completely out of contact for you? I'd want to let them know now, if the issue had ended with the new lock yesterday then fine but at this point I think you should involve them.

I wonder if she is afraid of another of the house mates doing something to her in her sleep, if she's so frantic about having a lock(?), but having locked herself out two days in a row, tough shit, she will need to either use the sofa, find a friend who will have her, or find money for a hotel. You have fulfilled a LL's responsibility for out of hours and emergency intervention.

StragglyTinsel · 26/12/2023 18:48

She’s not even locked out of the house. She can sleep on the sofa until she sorts out her own locksmith.

SheilaFentiman · 26/12/2023 18:53

To be fair, if her purse is in the room, she may not be able to go to a hotel, but she is an idiot for not taking the £20 offer

Original poster
Birdsofafeather123 · 26/12/2023 18:55

Grimchmas · 26/12/2023 18:42

She is being unreasonable. I'd reiterate that it is boxing day, builder isn't available and damage to the property isn't permitted. If she's being a pain to you maybe check your phone on the hour and no more often.

Is LL completely out of contact for you? I'd want to let them know now, if the issue had ended with the new lock yesterday then fine but at this point I think you should involve them.

I wonder if she is afraid of another of the house mates doing something to her in her sleep, if she's so frantic about having a lock(?), but having locked herself out two days in a row, tough shit, she will need to either use the sofa, find a friend who will have her, or find money for a hotel. You have fulfilled a LL's responsibility for out of hours and emergency intervention.

I would hope she’s not frightened of another tenant. They all moved in together as friends and she refers to one of them as her cousin.

I could make contact with my friend, but she is spending a lot of time at hospital with a seriously ill family member, and I am trying not to disturb her.

I have my phone on do not disturb and am only checking messages/ voicemails periodically.

I will let my friend know what has happened when her emergency is over.

OP posts:
IsEveryUserNameBloodyTaken · 26/12/2023 22:57

She’s a flipping idiot, which would t be so bad except for her attitude and being a cf expecting someone to come out for free on Boxing Day.
Has she left any more messages.
Either way it’s over to her to sort out now by paying a locksmith or waiting.

Original poster
Birdsofafeather123 · 27/12/2023 00:18

IsEveryUserNameBloodyTaken · 26/12/2023 22:57

She’s a flipping idiot, which would t be so bad except for her attitude and being a cf expecting someone to come out for free on Boxing Day.
Has she left any more messages.
Either way it’s over to her to sort out now by paying a locksmith or waiting.

She left a message a few hours ago saying she would wait until tomorrow for the builder.

I assumed she had agreed this with him, but sent him a message just to check.

He now has a very urgent job which will take him in the opposite direction tomorrow. He hadn't heard from her ( he did block her and I am not sure what happens to messages when blocked), and says that normal work at proper rate of pay takes priority. I can’t argue with that.

He has now unblocked her and says if she contacts him tomorrow he will still try to help her, but it will have to fit in with his other work.

I have sent her a message to tell her and advised that I don’t need to be involved any further.

It’s so frustrating that for the sake of the £20 she’s now committed to pay tomorrow she could have been in her room this morning.

OP posts:
Original poster
Birdsofafeather123 · 31/12/2023 09:07

Just a quick update.
Builder went and let tenant in next day.
He took a padded envelope and immediately after posted the spare key to the landlord, making sure he told the tenant this so she wouldn’t involve him in future.
It’s all quiet so far.

OP posts:
Torchdino · 31/12/2023 09:16

Paddleboarder · 26/12/2023 17:27

It's beyond stupid to have a yale lock on a bedroom door. She needs to get a different lock, that doesn't lock on closing, or get multiple copies of the key and keep them elsewhere in the house. If I had that type of lock on an internal door I would be constantly doing the same thing.

It needs to be able to be opened from the inside without requiring a key, thumb locks for internal doors aren't used much and so these types of locks are regularly used. I do agree it's easy to forget though, I used to get into the habit of either leaving the door on latch if I was in and going to be popping in and out of my room, and keeping the key somewhere prominent that I'd see it whenever I left.

Coconutter24 · 31/12/2023 09:21

Why did the builder keep the spare key and not hand over all keys to the tenant?
Sounds daft to lock herself out twice, once fair enough but surely you’d be extra careful going forward. The builder has no obligation to go and do anything on Boxing Day when he already had plans, you agreed to the responsibility so it was on you to sort emergencies out. Although it’s not really an emergency (I would class, leak, broken window etc as that) so I would suggest lock smith and nothing more.

MILLYmo0se · 31/12/2023 13:21

Coconutter24 · 31/12/2023 09:21

Why did the builder keep the spare key and not hand over all keys to the tenant?
Sounds daft to lock herself out twice, once fair enough but surely you’d be extra careful going forward. The builder has no obligation to go and do anything on Boxing Day when he already had plans, you agreed to the responsibility so it was on you to sort emergencies out. Although it’s not really an emergency (I would class, leak, broken window etc as that) so I would suggest lock smith and nothing more.

Because the tenant cannot leave the landlord without a spare to a lock in the property I presume

Coconutter24 · 31/12/2023 18:02

MILLYmo0se · 31/12/2023 13:21

Because the tenant cannot leave the landlord without a spare to a lock in the property I presume

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But he’s not the landlord. Sounds like it’s sorted now though

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