Apartment Break In

starchild27

Me and my bf live in an apt in town. Came home the other evening and we had been robbed, laptops + money + other stuff.

The window was left slightly open so at first we assumed that was how they got in. Turns out after having a look at cctv footage that they got in the door which it looks like they had a key for.

Called the police and everything and the investigation is now in their hands. Of course even if they do get the guys our stuff will be long gone. There are 2 locks on the door but when my bf left he did not lock the second one.

Naturally I feel quite shaken up by the whole thing, if these guys had a key we could have been killed in the middle of the night. Im not sure if i can stay there anticipating the next break in when im home alone. If we decided to leave are we entitled to break the lease or get our deposit back?

What I would like to know is who is responsible? Should the landlord not have insurance to cover this?

The_Conductor

The landlord will have insurance to cover the property along with its fixtures and fittings. It is up to a tenant to get personal insurance for their own belongings. Sorry.

Xiney

That is such a terrible thing to have happen

Unfortunately smccarrick is right, it is up to tenants to have their own contents insurance. I too learned that the hard way. It only costs around 150 euro a year, but most tenants don't find out until it's too late.

foggy_lad

your first thing is to change both locks on the door and you will be very safe! then ask the landlord about how someone else had a key to your apt, they may offer to cover some of your lost items? then get yourselves contents insurance, many companies will cover secure apartments for as little as €80

starchild27

Yea we got the locks changed alright. I have been in touch with the landlord and as no offer has been mentioned I would assume he is not about to fork out any costs that he doesnt have to.

We have of course asked how it is possible that somebody would have a key and the landlord is as shocked as we are or so he claims. We just moved in a couple of months ago so we really have no reason to not suspect foul play on his part! We met the previous tenants before moving in and they were lovely people, they also told us that nobody lived there before them except the landlord.

My bf is very suspicious of LL now and we were wondering where we stand in relation to the lease, if we are entitled to break it and still be entitled to our deposit back

D3PO

no this wouldnt allow you break the lease. If the landlord refused to change the locks then yes you would be but as they ahve been changed it would be deemed as secure accomadation.

Thumpette

That's crazy- surely the landlord should be accountable. Presumably its his own mismanagement of the keys that caused this in the first place!

I would certainly be breaking my lease I'll tell you and also I would be strongly following up from some compo from the landlord. IMO landlords should change locks after every resident!

Sorry to hear OP- must be a horrible feeling.

D3PO

Thumpette wrote: »

That's crazy- surely the landlord should be accountable.

why should he ? its your responsibility to insure your contents.

by your logic the garage you bought you car from should be responsible for your insurance because they provided you an associated service.

think about it ....

3DataModem

Thumpette wrote: »

That's crazy- surely the landlord should be accountable.

For what? Not double locking the apartment? Not ensuring the window was closed? Not taking out insurance for his tenants?

Thumpette wrote: »

Presumably its his own mismanagement of the keys that caused this in the first place!

Landlords have no control over who gets keys cut other than themselves.

Thumpette wrote: »

I would certainly be breaking my lease I'll tell you and also I would be strongly following up from some compo from the landlord.

Compo? That's what contents insurance is for.

Thumpette wrote: »

IMO landlords should change locks after every resident!

If they did, that would push rents up to cover the cost. If the tenants want it and are willing to pay for it then why not just do it when they move in?


I am not unsympathetic to the OP, but (a) insurance and (b) changing the locks is a tenants problem.

Obviously if the landlord knows that keys are missing / stolen then they should change the locks.

starchild27

Right. Thought as much. So what will happen if the police catch the guys? I've seen the footage, its quite clear. Even what the guys were wearing was quite distinctive.

I asked the police if they could put the footage on crimecall if it wasnt possible to identify them. I was pretty much laughed at and effectively told to leave the police to do their job.

Everyone tells me the police are no help in these kind of "petty crime" incidents. If the thevies are caught will that benefit us in any way? I mean financially will they be made pay back the money or anything like that? Sorry if that is a stupid question but this kind of thing has never happened to me or anyone I know

Hagar

Who said they had copy keys? They may have used a bump key. Google it.

D3PO

3DataModem wrote: »

I am not unsympathetic to the OP, but (a) insurance and (b) changing the locks is a tenants problem.

just reread my posts want and it may seem like im being unsympatheic. Just to stress im also sympathetic the OP. I just work on facts hense my posting.

3DataModem

starchild27 wrote: »

Right. Thought as much. So what will happen if the police catch the guys?

They charge them with the crime, and it goes to court, and they possibly go to jail or get suspended sentences.

starchild27 wrote: »

I've seen the footage, its quite clear. Even what the guys were wearing was quite distinctive.

Good... if they are caught by the cops for something else they may be linked to this crime too. Possibly.

starchild27 wrote: »

I asked the police if they could put the footage on crimecall if it wasnt possible to identify them. I was pretty much laughed at and effectively told to leave the police to do their job.

Not sure how footage gets on crimecall. Perhaps contact RTE?

starchild27 wrote: »

Everyone tells me the police are no help in these kind of "petty crime" incidents.

Sometimes true, but not always. CCTV footage and the use of a key improves your chances.

starchild27 wrote: »

If the thevies are caught will that benefit us in any way? I mean financially will they be made pay back the money or anything like that?

Usually no. You can sue them, but almost certainly not worth it.


I feel for you... I've been there. Get new locks, get contents insurance, and remind yourself that crime happens a lot less than the newspapers would have you believe (and very very very seldom do people break into strangers apartments to kill them).

starchild27

So basically weither these guys are caught or not will be little or no benefit for us at all. Whats the point to persue them at all?

According to what I have been told here I am also not allowed to even break the lease. Meaning if these guys are caught im likely to be targetted again and maybe next time it will be more than some possesions or money

GalwayKiefer

Hagar wrote: »

Who said they had copy keys? They may have used a bump key. Google it.

+1 Frightening how easy it is to open expensive, "secure" locks.

Xiney

Hagar wrote: »

Who said they had copy keys? They may have used a bump key. Google it.

dude.

****.

3DataModem

starchild27 wrote: »

So basically weither these guys are caught or not will be little or no benefit for us at all. Whats the point to persue them at all?

Er... so they don't do it again? To discourage others from doing it?

starchild27 wrote: »

According to what I have been told here I am also not allowed to even break the lease.

Why should you be able to? People get broken into all the time.

starchild27 wrote: »

Meaning if these guys are caught im likely to be targetted again

By the same guys? Knowing that they are on CCTV? Knowing they would be prime suspect? Knowing you've changed the locks? Unlikely.

starchild27 wrote: »

and maybe next time it will be more than some possesions or money

Now you are starting to sound paranoid (understandable as you've just been robbed). Would moving apartment make any difference?

starchild27

No, not by the same guys. But maybe its possible that they could have a friend or two who might not be so happy that they "cant do it again".

Paranoid? You bet I am. I only wish I had been sooner.

starchild27

By the way its very unlikely that it was a bump key. The guys attempted to get into all the apts either side of ours. Ours was the only one that worked and the locks are all the same. (Im fairly sure as once I was trying my key on my next door neighbours flat until I realised it was the wrong door!)

D3PO

starchild27 wrote: »

By the way its very unlikely that it was a bump key. The guys attempted to get into all the apts either side of ours. Ours was the only one that worked and the locks are all the same. (Im fairly sure as once I was trying my key on my next door neighbours flat until I realised it was the wrong door!)

wouldnt that make it more likely ? that indicated they didnt have a key for a targetted apartment otherwise they would have known which door to open.

seems like a case of keep trying till it works

starchild27

I thought the bump key works for the same kind of locks? Which some if not all seem to be. I thought perhaps they got this key from someone and didnt know themselves which door it opened but knew it opened one

starchild27

Just having a read over the lease agreement here and there is a section which I cant really understand I hope someone can help clear it up;

"The landlord agrees with the tenant to insure and keep insured in the name of the landlord: the landlords furniture and equipment but not any belonging to the Tenant or any other Tenant's contents, against such risks the Landlord from time to time reasonably considers should be covered"

Its a bit muddy to me. Does that mean on some occasions depending on the situation the LL's insurance can cover tenant belongings?

3DataModem

starchild27 wrote: »

"The landlord agrees with the tenant to insure and keep insured in the name of the landlord: the landlords furniture and equipment

That means he agrees to insure his own stuff.

starchild27 wrote: »

but not any belonging to the Tenant or any other Tenant's contents

That means he will not insure your stuff.

starchild27 wrote: »

against such risks the Landlord from time to time reasonably considers should be covered"

It's up to the landlord what he thinks should be insured.

starchild27 wrote: »

Does that mean on some occasions depending on the situation the LL's insurance can cover tenant belongings?

Not a chance! His stuff, not yours.

IanCurtis

starchild27 wrote: »

if these guys had a key we could have been killed in the middle of the night

Well you could have stabbed them with a coat-hanger, but when you'd look over the bannister, the body would have already disappeared :rolleyes:

You're not in Hollywood, get a grip.

Victor

starchild27 wrote: »

Naturally I feel quite shaken up by the whole thing, if these guys had a key we could have been killed in the middle of the night.

Might you consider a door chain, an alarm or one of those shop door bells?

anplaya

out of all of ye n this ,i think id be best for advice as it happened to me b4 in rented accomodation and the guards and my solictor got involved.
landlord was found to be at fault,seems he didnt change the lock when we moved in,even asked him if he did b4 we moved in etc.few weeks after living there place was broke into,no sign of forced entry.

bobbiw

starchild27 wrote: »

Me and my bf live in an apt in town. Came home the other evening and we had been robbed, laptops + money + other stuff.

The window was left slightly open so at first we assumed that was how they got in. Turns out after having a look at cctv footage that they got in the door which it looks like they had a key for.

Called the police and everything and the investigation is now in their hands. Of course even if they do get the guys our stuff will be long gone. There are 2 locks on the door but when my bf left he did not lock the second one.

Naturally I feel quite shaken up by the whole thing, if these guys had a key we could have been killed in the middle of the night. Im not sure if i can stay there anticipating the next break in when im home alone. If we decided to leave are we entitled to break the lease or get our deposit back?

What I would like to know is who is responsible? Should the landlord not have insurance to cover this?

No fun getting broke into, happened to me once and it wasnt nice.

It wasnt the landlords fault though.

You need to have your own insurance for your property.

dats_right

Everyboy seems to be singing of the same (correct) hymm sheet here anyway, so not much I can add except to say that I sympathise with OP as I too had my rented apartment burgled a few years ago and it's not a nice experience. That said I too, stupidly, left windows open and didn't have insurance so had to take loss of laptop and cash on the chin. The only positive thing is that it thought me to be a lot more careful in future and I now insure everything!

Oh and by the way, even if you were insured many insurers won't pay out if the windows are open.