Paying for locks to be changed

[Eurox]

My sister moved house at the beginning of the year and left me a spare key to check for mail. Several months have passed and the landlady as said that 'someone' has been going into the house, which was me. She said as I wasn't a tenant I have been tresspassing and I must pay for the locks to be changed or she will press charges against me. I am completely against this and was wondering if I have any stand if/when she does go to the police?

[factor-fiction]

Is she still paying rent or does she still own the house. If so you had no right to enter in my opinion. But I wold just return the key and make no offer to pay. I can't see how any action could be taken

[dotty.]

if your sister terminated her tenancy with her landlord then yes, you are tresspassing, but that doesn't make you liable for paying for a new lock, just hand the keys back to the landlord and get your sister to redirect her mail via the post office, sounds daft to me.

[HowardKennitby]

If the tenancy had ended and you were entering the property then it seems to me that was trespassing.
What would you have done if there had been new tenants present?
Paying for locks is probably just a try-on, give the key back.

[Eurox]

Obviously if there had been a new tenant I would never have even tried, I would have just knocked. I haven't been in god knows how long and only ever went when I was passing. I am offering to give the key back and vowed to never set foot in the road let alone anywhere near the house as I think she has completely blown it out of proportion

[bednobs]

was she still a tenant/paying rent when you entered? If not i can quite see her point

[Eurox]

No, I was just getting important mail for her as she had been waiting for it. She has moved 100 miles away and can't come to check herself and noone has moved in since she left. I didn't do any damage or break in, if I'm handing the key back and she knows it was me then why would she need the locks to be changed?

[bednobs]

i suppose you could have made any number of copies, and if you thought it was alright to just let yourself into someone elses house just because you have a key, she probably thinks you might have done all sorts of other things

[dotty.]

it can't have been important enough for her to inform the sender of her new address nor to arrange for mail redirection service, and so it probably was pointless you getting involved.

[Mick-Talbot]

Just give her the key back and that will be the end of it, the police will not be interested.

Do not pay for new locks.

[Graham-W]

How would she know you hadn't had another key cut? I agree she is being petty.
By the way, trespass is a civil matter. The police wouldn't be interested unless damage had been done.

[dotty.]

guess mick's answer is the one you wanted

[vodkancoke]

You certainly shouldn't have been there if your sister was no longer paying any rent. However, it would be down to the landlady to pay for the locks to be changed. If I knew a tennent of mine still had a spare key, I would change the locks too but I wouldn't demand they did it!

[EcclesCake]

Is this right....

You have a 'spare' key to a property that you're sister no longer has claim to?
You have been accessing this property without the authority of the landlord.
Your sister has moved away but not made arrangements for her mail to be redirected?

I don't see how you think you might get around this.

[dotty.]

actually, if the tenancy ended, most landlords would automatically change the locks themselves anyway, so i'm surprised you were still able to unlawfully enter the property

[vodkancoke]

BTW, the landlady hasn't blown anything out of proportion. That is her property, not your sister's. Your sister should have either re-directed her mail or asked the landlady to forward it on.

[Mick-Talbot]

I change lock as a matter of course when a tenant leaves.

[ladybirder]

Dotty landlords do not automatically change locks at the end of every tenancy. Who has told you that?

[dotty.]

lol, being the nosey type, just looked at Eurox's best answer profile lol sorry, mustn't chuckle,

[dotty.]

well mick for one, oop there.

[boxtops]

Why didn't your sister just do a mail redirection service with the PO, that's what I do when I move house? I think you were in the wrong - if the tenancy had finished she/you no longer should be accessing the property, so the landlady is correct.