Unauthorised access to student house.

[Toleman]

My girlfriend is having trouble with her privately rented student house - She shares this house with 3 other girls.

Frequently one of the girls will need to see the landlady and arrange for her to come round. The other tenants are not aware of the visit and she then knocks on doors and expects to be let into rooms.

My girlfriend has black mould growing in her room and she informed the land lady. The next day she came back from uni and the landlady has given access to my girlfriends room to the handy man. He was standing on her bed drilling holes in the plaster to help it dry out. This is growing as there is a leak from the upstairs shower.

Now my girlfriend reported mould growing on the window yesterday but she is at my house for the weekend. The landlady text to say she would be letting the chap in tomorrow to have a look but my girlfriend is away from the house this weekend and is unhappy with somebody in her room whilst away. She believes the landlady will leave her door unlocked till the handyman arrives.

Is the LL allowed to keep keys for the property and each individual room? Is my girlfriend within her rights to change the lock on her room. She has no problem with the people there its just the practice which invalidates her room insurance.

Cheers, Chris

[ChuckFickens]

The landlord is allowed access to communal areas without prior arrangement, they are not allowed access to private rooms.

She can change the lock on her room as long as she replaces the original lock when she leaves without causing any damage.

[Vagrant]

Regardless of the LL's legal rights, doesn't she wants the mould problem fixed? She could get seriously ill from mould spores!
Surely it's more reasonable to just let the repairman get on with the job - the LL is trying to help here - if your GF is awkward about it, the LL may well decide to be equally awkward - and there will be little anyone can do about it.