Paying for locks to be changed

[Eurox]

My sister moved house at the beginning of the year and left me a spare key to check for mail. Several months have passed and the landlady as said that 'someone' has been going into the house, which was me. She said as I wasn't a tenant I have been tresspassing and I must pay for the locks to be changed or she will press charges against me. I am completely against this and was wondering if I have any stand if/when she does go to the police?

[dotty.]

obviously some lanlords i know of do, and mick changes his , but maybe the landlords you have come across don;t all do that ladybirder but if you haven't sked the question of each and every landlord you are aware of you can't say for definate that they do or don't, plus, you may know someone that is a landlord and does, but you actually are not aware they they are a landlord and so you may not have thought to ask them if they did.,

[ladybirder]

I agree you should not have been entering the property but you are in no way responsible for changing the locks. That's a try on.

Dotty I am not saying no landlord ever changes the locks but as a general rule they don't. I managed six letting agencies in London and we had the same keys for years in fact I can only ever remember one of our landlords having a lock changed and that was when a tenant did a moonlight flit.

[dotty.]

so really you can only speak from your personal experience, just like the rest of us anwering this.

[Mosaic]

It'll just be me, but Dotty I can't see the relevance of your post about the OP's profile. Seems snide, but I'm sure you didn't intend it that way.
Eurox, either put the key in the person's hand, or else post it recorded delivery to her, sit back and expect nothing else. It will cost the owner to sue you (for what? Trespass = damage done -- you were in error but haven't caused any losses). If the owner is daft enough to throw money at a civil lawsuit, well there y'go. But it would be an expensive hobby for them.
On the other hand, if they are being intimidating towards you in this matter, that's illegal and the police would be interested.

[ladybirder]

Yes dotty, but I'm speaking for about 200 landlords.
But let's leave it now shall we? This is silly.

[dotty.]

it's not snide! they gave their own reply best answer lol

[Mosaic]

best reply- Mick
OP - Eurox....I'm confused dotty.

[ladybirder]

This is what dotty is referring to mosaic.

http://www.theanswerb...4.html#answer-4315945

[joko]

actually ladybirder, i would be quite peeved to rent a flat and find that any number of people could have spare keys to my home lying about and could come back anytime they wish should they want to - lots of people get extras cut, and may not give them back....such as the case in this post ... and even worse, giving them away to other people!
some people could even do it deliberately - thinking they would get away with a perfect robbery!

and if they did, the police would say it was my fault because they must have a key!
or they could do worse than rob the place!

they really should change them with every tennant - even if they just swap them to another of their properties or something.
every landlord i know changes the locks - only about 3 people but all do it.

that said i would probably change the lock myself anyway and give the landlord a key.

[boxtops]

Every time I've moved into a rented flat I've changed the locks myself (with the landlord's permission) and given him a key, for this very reason.

[ladybirder]

As I have said, I'm not arguing about it, how can I? What I said is fact. If others have had different experiences then they have had different experiences. At least we're all agreed on the OP's answer.

[lcg]

you cannot go into somebody elses home to get mail. you should knock on the door and ask the current tenant for it (i would be livid if that were me). give the key back and don't do it again - your sister's mail is her responsibility - she could have paid to have it redirected by the post office. the landlord can call the police if she wants to, but as it has been said before, tresspass is a civil matter for the tenant to decide if they wish to persue a case against you. do not pay for the locks to be changed and tell the landlord to fuff off. and behave yourself!

[sandyRoe]

There are a couple of shops near the student area of Belfast offering a lock changing service. You could gather from that that some landlords don't change the locks.

[Twenty20]

Sorry OP, but how do you know that the LL has said this and how does she know who you are?

All sounds a little odd to me.

[joko]

aye twenty - how does the LL know it was you?

have you been doing other stuff there? did she catch you there?