Rented house break in.. Am I covered

[Woodward1992]

So here's the deal.. Me and my parents live in a rented house an we have to leave our key in a little safe outside the back door for our landlords. The safe is just a 4 digit code .. We have been burgled and they have got in through using the safe .. Somehow they know the code .. We have only been in the house for a year and we have found out the code has remained the same for the last 3 tenants .. They haven't forced entry and they've have returned the key to the safe but have stolen .. Laptops, an Xbox, a designer bag, £15 fags and gone into the garage (electric shutter.. Thob was on the kitchen side) and stolen golf clubs and tools.. Will we be covered by our insurance company .. I'm not too sure we will be because it all seems to easy for someone to pull a insurance scam like that .. Ours is a genuine break in.

Thanks alot

Mathew x

[Canary42]

Insurance companies tend to refuse compensation unless there are signs of a break-in. You may have problems, but could always try suing the landlord for not changing the code.

[ummmm]

Have you phoned the police?

[Woodward1992]

Yeah the police are at home with my parents right now .. I'm at work but will be going home and seeing what the crack is.

[Old_Geezer]

I don't understand why your landlords would need the keys left there at all. Surely if they have a set on their person, that would suffice ? I wish you the best of luck but I can not advise whether any responsibility lies with you for agreeing to this weird arrangement, or whether it is all the responsibility of the landlords and their insurance.

BTW does it get classed as a 'break in' if nothing was broken, they just came in using the invitation key ?

[rowanwitch]

Surely your landlord has to give notice to enter the property so why do they require a key be available?

[ummmm]

My grandad had one of those combination key safes. Didn't take us long to realise that it didn't matter what order the numbers were put in.

[ChuckFickens]

And also if the code hasn't changed for a few years then it's normally pretty easy to spot the keys that are used in the code as they'll be slightly shinier than the others.

[factor-fiction]

Can you be certain that they got the key from the safe? I know it was there afterwards but maybe it wasn't used. Maybe someone had taken a copy or got in some other way?

[joko]

whats a thob

[joko]

itd be interesting to know if previous tennant were burgled... sounds weird dodgy, unecessary and wrong to have that arrangement...

[JackDanielsU]

So here's the deal.. Me and my parents live in a rented house an we have to leave our key in a little safe outside the back door for our landlords -

Why...it is their house, they are entitled to have a spare key at their own home, and can visit the property using that key to enter...following all the normal T&C of course...calling before etc

As there has been no forcible or violent entry - this would be looked at very closely by your insurers.

If your landlord insisted on your family putting this key - then it may be worthwhile pursusing them through the legal processes

joko -thob....I think he means fob?

[joko]

sounds like an elaborate, and deliberate attempt to get away with burglary... it makes no logical sense for them to onstall a safe instead of just having 2 keys. an 'accidentally' not changing code conveniently puts ex tennants in frame

its kind of clever...but transparent