Recently we attended a faulty multipoint locking mechanism that resulted in a family being locked out of their rented property. Due to the fact that the mechanism was at fault and required changing, our customers went to their landlords and agent for the re-imbursement of the bill.
Unfortunately the agents refused and informed our customers that in addition to the original invoice paid, as they had also sent out a maintenance contractor who although not a qualified locksmith, had stated there was no fault to be found, and therefore would be charged an additional fee on top.
As we had already supplied our customers with a complete written report of the incident and the facts relating to the multipoint failure, we insisted that this be handed to the agents to encourage them to pay back the fees requested. Unfortunately, once again they refused.
In this instance, we were able to confidently say that the agents and owners were in the wrong, so our customers took the agents to a claims court where all the evidence together with an accompanying letter from ourselves were submitted.
This resulted in the court upholding our customers claim and the cost of our invoice to the customers had to be paid in full by the agents concerned.
We often come across doors with in-sufficient locks fitted or working correctly. No matter whether the rental agreement is via a registered agent or via a private agreement, the owner has a right to secure the property and ensure their tenants safety. This is called
“A Duty Of Care” and applies to other services, not just locks.
We are not able to get into direct conflict with agents or owners on behalf of the tenant, but we believe in providing correct information to our customers, whether tenant or landlord which will ensure, that all security issues are sorted out efficiently for both parties.
This is an issue relating to one specific agent. It must not be taken that all agents and landlords act in the same manner.
