Bedroom locks in a shared flat

Gumbo · 10-09-2019 1:00pm

Raquel Raspy Sociology wrote: »

I would see it as highly unreasonable for a LL not to have locks and the reasons given are bordering on tin foil hat stuff.

I would consider it reasonable not to want a key lock from internally in a bedroom.

If a tenant doesn't like that, move on.

TheBoyConor · 10-09-2019 1:18pm

So not wanting a door locked and requiring a key to open while potentially in a fire is tin foil hat job? Is all fire safety a conspiracy?

There is also the problem of someone taking ill, perhaps an elderly person getting a stoke or heart attack and not being able to be reached because their door is locked, they are incapacitated and the door cannot be opened from outside either. Or a small child turning a key or thumbturn and locking themselves inside unable to be reached.

There are multiple reasons why a homeowner might want to stay clear of locks on internal doors.

You must remember that 99% of houses are intended as family homes. They are not intended as house shares with multiple people living semi-independent lives.

10-09-2019 2:01pm

kceire wrote: »

I would consider it reasonable not to want a key lock from internally in a bedroom.

If a tenant doesn't like that, move on.

I would consider it unusual and very unreasonable.

TheBoyConor wrote: »

So not wanting a door locked and requiring a key to open while potentially in a fire is tin foil hat job? Is all fire safety a conspiracy?

There is also the problem of someone taking ill, perhaps an elderly person getting a stoke or heart attack and not being able to be reached because their door is locked, they are incapacitated and the door cannot be opened from outside either. Or a small child turning a key or thumbturn and locking themselves inside unable to be reached.

There are multiple reasons why a homeowner might want to stay clear of locks on internal doors.

You must remember that 99% of houses are intended as family homes. They are not intended as house shares with multiple people living semi-independent lives.

But any family house I’ve ever been in has keys on the bedroom door so that’s not a reason. There aren’t often reasons to want to lock your door even at home in a family home.

I’m shocked this is even a topic for conversation having a lockable bedroom door to be is an absolute given, I am very surprised to hear some people don’t have this and even more bizarrely people are finding fault with it.

Del2005 · 10-09-2019 2:03pm

Claw Hammer wrote: »

All he needs is a thumb turn on the inside and the ability to lock it from the outside when he is outside. Plenty of euro-profile locks are made that way.

Bedroom doors aren't designed for Euro cylinder locks though. You can only get the locks which can be easily opened.

Raquel Raspy Sociology wrote: »

I would see it as highly unreasonable for a LL not to have locks and the reasons given are bordering on tin foil hat stuff.

If the property isn't built with internal locks, apartments and new builds, then why should the landlord alter the property. The only way to install a lock would be to remove the door and cut out a new lock profile or drill into the doors/frames.

The other thing is that the property was viewed and accepted without locks so why should the landlord change them afterwards.

TheBoyConor · 10-09-2019 2:28pm

Raquel Raspy Sociology wrote: »

I am very surprised to hear some people don’t have this and even more bizarrely people are finding fault with it.

I'm sure you would change your tune if someone you know or family member got severely burned or died in a house fire because they couldn't find the key of their locked bedroom door timely enough to get out or dropped it on the dark floor in the panic of the moment.

Of if a toddler locked themselves into a room and choked on something and couldn't be got to in time to save them because of a locked door.

Millenial generation strikes again with this perpetual house sharing.

Graces7 · 10-09-2019 2:42pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

I'm sure you would change your tune if someone you know or family member got severely burned or died in a house fire because they couldn't find the key of their locked bedroom door timely enough to get out or dropped it on the dark floor in the panic of the moment.

Of if a toddler locked themselves into a room and choked on something and couldn't be got to in time to save them because of a locked door.

Millenial generation strikes again with this perpetual house sharing.

So logically we cannot then eg lock the door when we are in a shared bathroom or toilet?

Why not also a lock on the outside eg a padlock and short chain or similar, and a simple bolt on the inside ?

When we had bedsits, it was similar and we had locks and keys and never once was there a problem like fire or injury. It was like house sharing is now in that.

Claw Hammer · 10-09-2019 2:47pm

Del2005 wrote: »

Bedroom doors aren't designed for Euro cylinder locks though. You can only get the locks which can be easily opened.

.

You can get casings which are the same size as the existing lock with euro profile
keyholes. It is just a matter of enlarging the keyhole.

TheBoyConor · 10-09-2019 3:01pm

Graces7 wrote: »

So logically we cannot then eg lock the door when we are in a shared bathroom or toilet?

Why not also a lock on the outside eg a padlock and short chain or similar, and a simple bolt on the inside ?

When we had bedsits, it was similar and we had locks and keys and never once was there a problem like fire or injury. It was like house sharing is now in that.

The issue with proper bathroom locks doesn't occur because there is a thumbturn on the inside and s slot on the outside that can be turned with a coin or any flat bladed instrument like a screwdriver or knife. It is easily openable if needed.

That is because there wasn't a fire. When there is a fire, it is an emergency situation. You don't have the luxury of time to try remember which pants the key might be in the arse pocket of, nor do you have time to warm up and stretch before kicking a door down, which is wishful thinking anyway. You shouldn't need to kick a door down.
Bedsits were usually dangerous hovels anyway, good riddance to them.

10-09-2019 3:36pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

I'm sure you would change your tune if someone you know or family member got severely burned or died in a house fire because they couldn't find the key of their locked bedroom door timely enough to get out or dropped it on the dark floor in the panic of the moment.

Of if a toddler locked themselves into a room and choked on something and couldn't be got to in time to save them because of a locked door.

Millenial generation strikes again with this perpetual house sharing.

Sure you wouldn’t leave the house for what if’s if you get so worried. You are in far far more danger crossing the road than getting in a house fire.

Also why would you take the key off the inside of the door? I’m fine with thumb locks too but especially for houseshares they need to be lockable from outside.

I’m racking my brain and I can’t really remember a house that you can’t lock the doors, either by key or thumb lock. The vast majority of houses have keys on all room doors. I was in a new build recently alright that had thumb locks on the bedrooms but it still had locks.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 10-09-2019 3:57pm

kceire wrote: »

I, as a landlord would not provide locks for bedroom doors.
I believe they are a great fire hazard should they be mistakenly locked at night.

I don’t think I’ve ever mistakenly locked a door in my life. That’s seems like a statistically really unlikely thing to happen. It could happen but so could lots of things. Is accidental door-locking a scourge I’m not aware of?

Topgear on Dave wrote: »

I rarely had a bedroom lock and iv been through a few shared houses.

If I couldn't trust the other occupants in a small house then it was time for one of us to leave.

Yeah, this is a good point. If I felt I needed to lock my door in a house-share, I wouldn’t have wanted to live there any more.

Gumbo · 10-09-2019 4:12pm

Graces7 wrote: »

So logically we cannot then eg lock the door when we are in a shared bathroom or toilet?

Why not also a lock on the outside eg a padlock and short chain or similar, and a simple bolt on the inside ?

When we had bedsits, it was similar and we had locks and keys and never once was there a problem like fire or injury. It was like house sharing is now in that.

Bathrooms are not habitable rooms and typically people do not sleep in them.
Therefore cannot be woken in the dead of the night by a screaming fire alarm and possibly panic trying to escape safely.

Gumbo · 10-09-2019 4:14pm

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

I don’t think I’ve ever mistakenly locked a door in my life. That’s seems like a statistically really unlikely thing to happen. It could happen but so could lots of things. Is accidental door-locking a scourge I’m not aware of?

Yeah, this is a good point. If I felt I needed to lock my door in a house-share, I wouldn’t have wanted to live there any more.

Yes. I’ve seen teenagers go to their rooms, lock the door from the inside, pop in head phones or turn on music and not even hear the smoke alarm on the landing.

Homelander · 10-09-2019 4:27pm

Do you mean there's no locks, or just no keys? I've never lived in a house-share that didn't have locks, though keys were never supplied.

hotshot88 · 10-09-2019 4:51pm

Homelander wrote: »

Do you mean there's no locks, or just no keys? I've never lived in a house-share that didn't have locks, though keys were never supplied.

The door handles have no locks built in, not even a thumblock

Homelander · 10-09-2019 4:55pm

Ah, right. Surely you can just change the one or two easily enough. I don't get why you would be concerned about lease/landlord. You'll get a new one in Woodies or B&Q for €20. It's not like it's involves extensive DIY, it's just a replacement job. You can put back in the original set when you're leaving.

Claw Hammer · 10-09-2019 5:11pm

Homelander wrote: »

Ah, right. Surely you can just change the one or two easily enough. I don't get why you would be concerned about lease/landlord. You'll get a new one in Woodies or B&Q for €20. It's not like it's involves extensive DIY, it's just a replacement job. You can put back in the original set when you're leaving.

The o/p has said there is no lock there. Just handles on spindle. The house must be ancient. Every modern house built in the last 70 years has door locks o all internal doors. Apparently it was a requirement for the building grant.

riclad · 10-09-2019 8:59pm

it would be easy to install a lock that can only be locked by the tenant from the outside,theres no key slot on the inside of the door.

and put a sliding door bolt on the inside.
If theres a fire the tenant will not have to lock the door , i would not live
in a shared house where there was no locks on the door,s .
What if someone steals your laptop or something else when you are gone out.
You have no security from anyone who gets inside the house.
The landlord can claim the expense of installing locks as an an
expense like buying a fridge .
Theres certainly new apartments being built where the internal door,s
have no lock,s .

a door stop stops the door being opened when you are inside the room,
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-898104-Door-Stop-Alarm/dp/B015HMKRVC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_60_t_1/257-4021204-2677605?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=W8MJ29NQ8ZKNRDKSVKPK

and it needs no holes to be drilled anywhere .

10-09-2019 10:28pm

kceire wrote: »

Bathrooms are not habitable rooms and typically people do not sleep in them.
Therefore cannot be woken in the dead of the night by a screaming fire alarm and possibly panic trying to escape safely.

If you can open a door you can unlock a door.

Honestly the numbers of people killed per year in house fires is compatible with the numbers who win the lotto.

Of course you take precautions like have a fire alarm downstairs and upstairs etc but getting all bothered about locking doors is paranoia.

Graces7 · 11-09-2019 5:48am

kceire wrote: »

Bathrooms are not habitable rooms and typically people do not sleep in them.
Therefore cannot be woken in the dead of the night by a screaming fire alarm and possibly panic trying to escape safely.

Living in fear is not healthy? I have in all my decades of varying rented accommodation never ever been in a fire or any situation when a locked door was a danger. More danger from leaving doors unlocked frankly . Only time a fire alarm has ever gone off was when they were put in recent years in idiotic places like above a cooker or hearth and they have been disabled now. The door is within reach

Gumbo · 11-09-2019 8:47am

Graces7 wrote: »

Living in fear is not healthy?

I agree, that's why if you are living in fear of your room being entered and items removed then its time to move on and find another house. You cant live like that.

Graces7 wrote: »

I have in all my decades of varying rented accommodation never ever been in a fire or any situation when a locked door was a danger.

That's like saying I don't need to wear a seat belt as I haven't been in a car crash in my whole life. Silly statement.

Graces7 wrote: »

Only time a fire alarm has ever gone off was when they were put in recent years in idiotic places like above a cooker or hearth and they have been disabled now. The door is within reach

Again, no excuse for dodgy / cowboy builders. The detectors should be placed in the correct location and you shouldn't have a smoke detector anywhere near a kitchen, Heat detectors are required within a certain radius of the hob.

Graces7 · 11-09-2019 9:32am

kceire wrote: »

I agree, that's why if you are living in fear of your room being entered and items removed then its time to move on and find another house. You cant live like that.

:rolleyes: Up to the person and if in a shared would always lock my door whether I am in or out as I do out here even though no other folk living near. No great hassle or burden. Also my cats can open the door unless it is locked and they let all the warmth out..

Again, no excuse for dodgy / cowboy builders. The detectors should be placed in the correct location and you shouldn't have a smoke detector anywhere near a kitchen, Heat detectors are required within a certain radius of the hob.

It was the council electrician actually. Heat detector directly over the gas hob. I killed it. Dead.

Really it is individual choice re precautions of all kinds. You feel you need them in some cases but not others whereas others do not and that is fine . You are happy with your choice and I with mine.

Dial Hard · 11-09-2019 11:35am

Claw Hammer wrote: »

The o/p has said there is no lock there. Just handles on spindle. The house must be ancient. Every modern house built in the last 70 years has door locks o all internal doors. Apparently it was a requirement for the building grant.

My house is 15 years old. None of the internal doors other than the bathrooms have locks fitted, literally just the handles. Entire development is the same and we're not talking a cowboy developer here by any stretch of the imagination.

TheBoyConor · 11-09-2019 11:37am

Graces 7, your attitude to fire safety is very cavalier and careless.

davindub · 11-09-2019 11:49am

Graces7 wrote: »

It was the council electrician actually. Heat detector directly over the gas hob. I killed it. Dead.

Really it is individual choice re precautions of all kinds. You feel you need them in some cases but not others whereas others do not and that is fine . You are happy with your choice and I with mine.

I think when it comes to yourself that is fine, but if there are others in the house, it's not fair to take risks.

11-09-2019 11:51am

kceire wrote: »

I, as a landlord would not provide locks for bedroom doors.
I believe they are a great fire hazard should they be mistakenly locked at night.

If only the technology existed where you didn't need a key to leave the room, but did need a key to get into it. Like the one on my front door.

Gumbo · 11-09-2019 12:23pm

Deleted User wrote: »

If only the technology existed where you didn't need a key to leave the room, but did need a key to get into it. Like the one on my front door.

Somehow I cant see a LL paying out to upgrade to smart locks.
It would be a good idea and the LL can add/remove tenants access rights on change over etc

They do have manual over ride from inside though which makes them acceptable for means of escape purposes.

There's a whole grey area with regards to insurance cover though when fitted to a front door.

11-09-2019 12:40pm

kceire wrote: »

Somehow I cant see a LL paying out to upgrade to smart locks.
It would be a good idea and the LL can add/remove tenants access rights on change over etc

They do have manual over ride from inside though which makes them acceptable for means of escape purposes.

There's a whole grey area with regards to insurance cover though when fitted to a front door.

Smart locks. Jesus. Bang head here. :rolleyes:

I meant a thumb turn lock. You need a key to get in, to get out you turn the knob. Eleven euros from Screwfix.

Claw Hammer · 11-09-2019 12:54pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Smart locks. Jesus. Bang head here. :rolleyes:

I meant a thumb turn lock. You need a key to get in, to get out you turn the knob. Eleven euros from Screwfix.

That is just for the cylinder. how much for the casing, faceplate and receiver?

11-09-2019 1:00pm

Claw Hammer wrote: »

That is just for the cylinder. how much for the casing, faceplate and receiver?

Not huge money. I'm sure the OP could afford to spring for it himself.

My point is, there is a page and a half of replies here saying why it can't be done, health and safety, what if theres a fire etc etc etc.

It can be done, with no fire hazard aspect, and for not a lot of money.

Gumbo · 11-09-2019 2:05pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Not huge money. I'm sure the OP could afford to spring for it himself.

My point is, there is a page and a half of replies here saying why it can't be done, health and safety, what if theres a fire etc etc etc.

It can be done, with no fire hazard aspect, and for not a lot of money.

LOL
Maybe you should read page one of this thread, specifically post No. 15 and then Post No. 20 which mentioned thumb turns as an options and a suitable option. Maybe you missed those posts

Bedroom locks in a shared flat

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