4 ms·

Sadly most UK contracts include a clause where they explicitly ban you from changing locks without providing them with a key. If they discover you have changed

by nextos 8y ago

Sadly most UK contracts include a clause where they explicitly ban you from changing locks without providing them with a key. If they discover you have changed locks, you will get evicted immediately. It's pretty sad. In my home country, it's a very serious crime if your landlord breaks into your house for no reason. Actually, landlords generally do not keep a key to the property during tenancies precisely because of this.

rahimnathwani 8y ago
I don't believe your experience is typical. I've signed dozens of rental agreements in the UK, mostly as a landlord but also as a tenant, and the agreements have been drafted by several different agents. Not one of these had included a clause about changing locks. And also the part about "you will get evicted immediately" is nonsense. The process to evict a tenant takes time: the landlord need to serve notice, then wait X days for a response, then apply to the court, who will then (assuming the landlord has followed the law to the letter) issue an judgement, and then the landlord still cannot have you forcibly removed until some period has passed and they have applied to the court for an enforcement order. If you have had the experience you describe with more than one landlord in the UK, I'd suggest you look through a different agent next time.
- nextos 8y ago
  I disagree. I have been renting in Oxbridge with the grand total of 7 different high street agents: Savills, Bidwells, Cheffins, Parkers, Alistair Redhouse and another I can't remember. They all included this clause. Only Savills and Alistair Redhouse were professional and caused no problems. Savills was actually a pleasure to deal with, but extremely expensive in terms of fees. The fees were clear from the beginning, though. The others are, as far as I am concerned total scammers. I won 3/3 cases in the Ombudsman, so I say this for a reason. Cheffins went as far as taking all my deposit to cover some debt the landlord had with them. And of course they didn't tell me. Simply no reply, no deposit. Even the Property Ombudsman freaked out.
  - rahimnathwani 8y ago
    Wow. This is shocking. I've only once rented a flat in Oxford. It was over 10 years ago, so I don't recall the details, but I do recall having to argue with the letting agent about changing some wording which was totally unreasonable. Perhaps the situation is different in university towns, where lettings agents often dealing with naive tenants who have never signed a lease before.
Accacin 8y ago
I've rented for about seven years and never seen a clause like this. Advice is to change locks when you move in and put them back when you leave. The landlord can't evict you because of this, and the only reason they'd know you've changed the locks because they've tried to enter the house when you're not there.
segmondy 8y ago
Well, change the entire door. I bet it doesn't have anything against changing the door.

by nextos 8y ago

rahimnathwani 8y ago

I don't believe your experience is typical. I've signed dozens of rental agreements in the UK, mostly as a landlord but also as a tenant, and the agreements have been drafted by several different agents. Not one of these had included a clause about changing locks. And also the part about "you will get evicted immediately" is nonsense. The process to evict a tenant takes time: the landlord need to serve notice, then wait X days for a response, then apply to the court, who will then (assuming the landlord has followed the law to the letter) issue an judgement, and then the landlord still cannot have you forcibly removed until some period has passed and they have applied to the court for an enforcement order. If you have had the experience you describe with more than one landlord in the UK, I'd suggest you look through a different agent next time.

nextos 8y ago
I disagree. I have been renting in Oxbridge with the grand total of 7 different high street agents: Savills, Bidwells, Cheffins, Parkers, Alistair Redhouse and another I can't remember. They all included this clause. Only Savills and Alistair Redhouse were professional and caused no problems. Savills was actually a pleasure to deal with, but extremely expensive in terms of fees. The fees were clear from the beginning, though. The others are, as far as I am concerned total scammers. I won 3/3 cases in the Ombudsman, so I say this for a reason. Cheffins went as far as taking all my deposit to cover some debt the landlord had with them. And of course they didn't tell me. Simply no reply, no deposit. Even the Property Ombudsman freaked out.
- rahimnathwani 8y ago
  Wow. This is shocking. I've only once rented a flat in Oxford. It was over 10 years ago, so I don't recall the details, but I do recall having to argue with the letting agent about changing some wording which was totally unreasonable. Perhaps the situation is different in university towns, where lettings agents often dealing with naive tenants who have never signed a lease before.

Accacin 8y ago

I've rented for about seven years and never seen a clause like this. Advice is to change locks when you move in and put them back when you leave. The landlord can't evict you because of this, and the only reason they'd know you've changed the locks because they've tried to enter the house when you're not there.

segmondy 8y ago

Well, change the entire door. I bet it doesn't have anything against changing the door.