Locked keys inside apartment - landlord no spare

ponzook

So basically locked my keys inside an one bed apartment in an converted house. My "landlord" has no spare key for the apartment, only for the front door which he said he will give to me tomorrow and basically said its my problem to get back in. This landlord basically looks after numerous properties around Dublin and doesn't own any of them.

Basically need to know if I call a locksmith will he let me in or do I need some documentation?
I want to get this out of the way as early as possible and work have kindly given time off if needed at any stage tomorrow to meet him.

Should it be the landlord paying for the lock? Most sites quote 70 euro including call out.

worded

Basically if they can pick the lock you will have your keys back when the door is open.

ID - if you have a licence ID that could be enough, ask the lock smiths.

Phone one ASAP or you will be paying after hours fees ?
It's 10 PM now

challengemaster

ponzook wrote: »

Should it be the landlord paying for the lock? Most sites quote 70 euro including call out.

Did the landlord lock your keys inside the house?

pablo128

Go onto you tube and look at 'how to open a door with a soda bottle'. I've used that method a few times.

brandnewaward

last time it happened to me, the guy asked me to quickly describe the living room to prove it was actually my place. sickened me because it took him about ten seconds to jimmy the lock with some type of gun and i had to hand over 120$

ponzook

challengemaster wrote: »

Did the landlord lock your keys inside the house?

No haha. Thought they were meant to always have a spare set but I'm obviously wrong!!! Don't mind paying the money.

Im staying in a friends 2nite. I have my license and passport so hopefully that will suffice for locksmiths but have different addresses on them in a different county.

Probably shouldnt have bothered creating a thread but cheers for the comments everyone!

ted1

ponzook wrote: »

So basically locked my keys inside an one bed apartment in an converted house. My "landlord" has no spare key for the apartment, only for the front door which he said he will give to me tomorrow and basically said its my problem to get back in. This landlord basically looks after numerous properties around Dublin and doesn't own any of them.

Basically need to know if I call a locksmith will he let me in or do I need some documentation?
I want to get this out of the way as early as possible and work have kindly given time off if needed at any stage tomorrow to meet him.

Should it be the landlord paying for the lock? Most sites quote 70 euro including call out.

Why would a landlord pay for your negligence ?

ponzook

ted1 wrote: »

Why would a landlord pay for your negligence ?

Yep he shouldn't. Don't mind paying.

Fiskar

So many people these days want their hands held. Take some responsibility yourself, leave your landlord alone and get the locksmith yourself.

massy086

ponzook wrote: »

No haha. Thought they were meant to always have a spare set but I'm obviously wrong!!! Don't mind paying the money.

Im staying in a friends 2nite. I have my license and passport so hopefully that will suffice for locksmiths but have different addresses on them in a different county.

Probably shouldnt have bothered creating a thread but cheers for the comments everyone!

Hi i am a locksmith When this happens witch is about 3-4 times a week. a drivers licence is always enough proof. If you need any help op send me a pm and i can try help

Arbiter of Good Taste

Fiskar wrote: »

So many people these days want their hands held. Take some responsibility yourself, leave your landlord alone and get the locksmith yourself.

In fairness to the OP, it's ridiculous that the LL doesn't hold a spare set. What if he needs to enter the property in an emergency? What if the tenants move out and forget to return the key?

the_syco

Fiskar wrote: »

So many people these days want their hands held. Take some responsibility yourself, leave your landlord alone and get the locksmith yourself.

The OP has no proof that he lives there. The landlord could get a locksmith that he uses to have the door opened for a fee.

Mrs OBumble

Arbiter of Good Taste wrote: »

In fairness to the OP, it's ridiculous that the LL doesn't hold a spare set. What if he needs to enter the property in an emergency? What if the tenants move out and forget to return the key?

I'm sure that the LL does actually have a spare set.

But why should s/he have to go to the bother of travelling to the apartment to unlock it (he's probably got better thing to be doing), or hand them over to the tenant - after which they'll probably not get returned to the LL in a timely manner.

Your LL is not your mammy.

Arbiter of Good Taste

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'm sure that the LL does actually have a spare set.

But why should s/he have to go to the bother of travelling to the apartment to unlock it (he's probably got better thing to be doing), or hand them over to the tenant - after which they'll probably not get returned to the LL in a timely manner.

Your LL is not your mammy.

Ah come on. It's part and parcel of being a landlord - I'm a landlord, I know. It's comments like these that make tenants think that rental properties are money trees and play into the "greedy landlord" myth.

MrMorooka

Yeah, ideally the LL should have a key, and while not ideal, to be able to travel out to let a tenant in.

I was in a similar situation, locked myself out. My landlord was gracious enough to come out and let me in, I was very grateful and apologetic, and then the next day I got some spares cut and gave them to family so I would never have to bother him again.

For OP, just get the locksmith out, then get a spare cut and give it to your parents or something, Live and learn.

Victor

massy086 wrote: »

If you need any help op send me a pm and i can try help

Folks, we have no idea who this random person on the internet is.

Take any such offers with a grain of sand.

Moderator

frag420

Victor wrote: »

Folks, we have no idea who this random person on the internet is.

Take any such offers with a grain of sand.

Moderator

I prefer a grain of salt myself......

ponzook

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'm sure that the LL does actually have a spare set.

But why should s/he have to go to the bother of travelling to the apartment to unlock it (he's probably got better thing to be doing), or hand them over to the tenant - after which they'll probably not get returned to the LL in a timely manner.

Your LL is not your mammy.

Yep, I know the Landlord is not my mammy. I actually know he lives very close by and said on the phone to him if you available in the next couple of days to let me in to get my keys that would be good. It's common courtesy like and been nice is a trait I like in people which you obviously seem like you don't have going by the above post.

Anyway end of the story is the landlord called me back and gave me the number of someone living there to let me in the front door. Also asked would I get a keys cut for him for the front door and one for my room. Locksmith charged 70 euro and he knocked that off the following weeks rent. You see there is good in people and going out of your way to help people is a good trait to have instead of letting people suffer!

massy086

Victor wrote: »

Folks, we have no idea who this random person on the internet is.

Take any such offers with a grain of sand.

Moderator

Well if you look trough my posts I have helped many on the site. And last time I checked a good guy

Eugene Norman

ponzook wrote: »

Yep, I know the Landlord is not my mammy. I actually know he lives very close by and said on the phone to him if you available in the next couple of days to let me in to get my keys that would be good. It's common courtesy like and been nice is a trait I like in people which you obviously seem like you don't have going by the above post.

Anyway end of the story is the landlord called me back and gave me the number of someone living there to let me in the front door. Also asked would I get a keys cut for him for the front door and one for my room. Locksmith charged 70 euro and he knocked that off the following weeks rent. You see there is good in people and going out of your way to help people is a good trait to have instead of letting people suffer!

Don't listen to the landlord classes on here. They prefer to see renting out a property as an distant hands off investment where they should be left alone, rather than a service they should provide. A professional landlord should have spare keys, just as a hotel room, a hostel, a short term leased apartment should have, and would have.

ponzook

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Don't listen to the landlord classes on here. They prefer to see renting out a property as an distant hands off investment where they should be left alone, rather than a service they should provide. A professional landlord should have spare keys, just as a hotel room, a hostel, a short term leased apartment should have, and would have.

Thanks for the reply. Talk about high horses. I don't understand how people have that state of mind. I always go out of my way to help people within means, if people are ignorant and rude and only care about themselves personally I would want nothing to do with them. Maybe it's just me and the way I was brought up.

A landlord who couldn't be bothered letting someone into their home because its an "inconvience". Come on like!!

Arbiter of Good Taste

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Don't listen to the landlord classes on here. They prefer to see renting out a property as an distant hands off investment where they should be left alone, rather than a service they should provide. A professional landlord should have spare keys, just as a hotel room, a hostel, a short term leased apartment should have, and would have.

Would you cop on with "landlord classes" we're not in the 19th century. I am a landlord and I agree completely with the OP's position, as do other landlords on this thread. Why don't you try and lose the chip.

Mrs OBumble

Arbiter of Good Taste wrote: »

Ah come on. It's part and parcel of being a landlord - I'm a landlord, I know. It's comments like these that make tenants think that rental properties are money trees and play into the "greedy landlord" myth.

If the property was being professionally managed by a property management company, then there would definitely be a call out fee, and as a LL I can assure you that the tenant would be paying it. And that it's likely an office-hours only service.

ponzook

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If the property was being professionally managed by a property management company, then there would definitely be a call out fee, and as a LL I can assure you that the tenant would be paying it. And that it's likely an office-hours only service.

And your point been? Allready said earlier in the thread I didn't mind paying or waiting a few days for the LL to come around . TBH I wouln't like you as a landlord. You seem very bitter or up your own hole or something.

Arbiter of Good Taste

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If the property was being professionally managed by a property management company, then there would definitely be a call out fee, and as a LL I can assure you that the tenant would be paying it. And that it's likely an office-hours only service.

Fine, that's how you manage yours, and I respect that. For me, I would be inclined to overlook a first "offence".

Eugene Norman

Arbiter of Good Taste wrote: »

Would you cop on with "landlord classes" we're not in the 19th century. I am a landlord and I agree completely with the OP's position, as do other landlords on this thread. Why don't you try and lose the chip.

The term landlord class means anybody who is a landlord. What chip? <MOD SNIP>

( and I too am an accidental landlord albeit in another country. An agent has my keys).

Eugene Norman

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If the property was being professionally managed by a property management company, then there would definitely be a call out fee, and as a LL I can assure you that the tenant would be paying it. And that it's likely an office-hours only service.

Call out fee? The management company is there to provide a service to you so you can provide a service to the tenant who you are contracted to rent property too. Which means letting them in if they are stuck outside.

Mrs OBumble

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Call out fee? The management company is there to provide a service to you so you can provide a service to the tenant who you are contracted to rent property too. Which means letting them in if they are stuck outside.

Indeed. And they charge for that service. Some of the charges are covered on a % of rent basis, some eg maintenance are pay-per-use. And some are charged back to the tenant, and of course these are spelled out in the tenant's lease.


FYI, the largest landlords in Ireland are local councils and voluntary housing associations. They as a matter of course don't even hold keys to tenanted properties.

daheff

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'm sure that the LL does actually have a spare set.

But why should s/he have to go to the bother of travelling to the apartment to unlock it (he's probably got better thing to be doing), or hand them over to the tenant - after which they'll probably not get returned to the LL in a timely manner.

Your LL is not your mammy.

I think this attitude is appalling. Nobody expects the LL to be your mammy, but a little bit of common decency in helping out the tenant wouldn't go amiss. Maybe the tenant could go to the LL to pick up the key??? Doesn't always have to be the LL that does all the running around

An alternative ending here is that the tenant had to pay a locksmith to change the lock. And doesn't provide the LL with a new spare key. They move out, feel bitter that the landlord wouldn't help and gives the landlord the key to the old lock (after she has gotten it when she got back in). Landlord now has to pay somebody for changing the lock.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If the property was being professionally managed by a property management company, then there would definitely be a call out fee, and as a LL I can assure you that the tenant would be paying it.

And that would be reasonable. I cant see anybody having a reasonable objection to this.


Common sense all round is needed. It would seem from the OPs other comment that the LL genuinely didn't have a spare key and has acted reasonably in asking for a spare and reduced the rent by the cost of the locksmith.

Gumbo

daheff wrote: »

An alternative ending here is that the tenant had to pay a locksmith to change the lock. And doesn't provide the LL with a new spare key. They move out, feel bitter that the landlord wouldn't help and gives the landlord the key to the old lock (after she has gotten it when she got back in). Landlord now has to pay somebody for changing the lock..

I change the locks between every tenancy no matter how good or bad he previous tennant was. It's a very very small cost in the local hardware (€25) and you get new locks, and 3 keys, 2 of which go to the tenant and I keep one.

Gazzmonkey

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If the property was being professionally managed by a property management company, then there would definitely be a call out fee, and as a LL I can assure you that the tenant would be paying it. And that it's likely an office-hours only service.

I had a female landlord once before, you can guess where I told her to shove her keys?

athtrasna

Right folks. This thread has run its course

Mod