Here’s a query to the blog clinic from Lillyan, who’s a tenant in England.
My landlord is insisting on having a replica of the home key as she says they’re her keys. (Locks received modified two years in the past) Nowhere in my tenancy does it state she is to carry a key.
I advised her that I used to be given three keys. I gave one every to my daughters, who nonetheless reside at dwelling, and one to myself, and to get a brand new one minimize would price over £30 because of the kind of key it’s. (Much like a automobile key relatively than a door key). She advised me once more that they’re her keys and he or she needs one, and if I want three, then I pays to get a brand new one minimize.
There isn’t any motive for her to want a key, as somebody is at all times in for repairs and many others. I advised her that I’m not completely happy, however If she insists, then I might get one minimize and deduct it from the lease. Nonetheless, she’s now gone bananas and has spoken about giving me my discover.
What rights do I’ve right here? Am I within the incorrect to have urged this concerning the lease, which I ALWAYS pay and on time)?
Reply
On this state of affairs, the very first thing to do is to take a look at the tenancy settlement. If it says nothing about keys (and plenty of tenancy agreements do have clauses about keys), then if she gave you three keys, I can’t see why she has the precise to demand one among them again once more earlier than the tenancy ends.
Then if the locks received modified a couple of years in the past – who paid? If it was you, then arguably, they’re your keys (though you need to nonetheless hand them again while you depart). In case your landlord paid, then I suppose it’s debatable that she ought to be entitled to have one among them.
Nonetheless, however all of this, in case your landlord needs you to go away, your safety of tenure is just so long as your fastened time period (when you’ve got one) and/or the 2 months discover interval of a bit 21 discover – ought to she serve one. And the size of time it could take her to acquire a court docket order for possession (most likely between six months and a 12 months), as tenants have the authorized proper to stay till the bailiffs are on the door.
In the mean time, landlords do nonetheless have the precise to make use of the no-fault part 21 discover process with out giving any motive. This is because of be finished away with within the Renters Reform Invoice, however the invoice will not be but legislation (and is being severely delayed in its passage by way of Parliament).
The query is, in case you don’t give her the important thing, is she actually going to evict you? And in that case, is it value risking this for a £30 key?
