MUM AND TODDLER 'STARTLED' IN THEIR OWN HOME DUE TO ODD APARTMENT BLOCK RULE

When you live in a flat, or apartment, you'll assume that nobody else will be given keys to access your home, unless you've made prior arrangements with the building manager.

That's why one m was left mortified when workmen allegedly entered her home without her knowledge or permission, leaving her startled and fearing for her safety.

The mum explained that she was "startled" out of her sleep, by "three quick knocks" and then someone "entered" before she had the chance to get out of bed, where she was sleeping with her toddler. "I jumped up and called for them to get out from my bedroom door", she recalled on Mumsnet.

"They said 'hello?' I told them again louder to get out and they left. My bedroom is at the far end of the hallway so I didn't see them", she explained, sharing: "Once the door was closed I went to check through the peephole and saw a man writing something on his clipboard. There were definitely two men as I heard them speaking but only one remained when I peeped through the hole."

After the incident, she "locked and barricaded the door", and she rang the apartment offices to ask why they'd been given a key when they didn't have her permission to enter. " They explained it was maintenance and per my contract, they have a right to enter. I know this is not the case. I received no email informing me of the work and was given no time to respond to the knock on the door", she fumed.

The woman explained that she arranged a convenient time for them to come back and do the work, but nobody showed up - and she'd even stayed in all day, just in case someone let themselves in again.

"This has left me quite shaken and feeling very unsafe in my own home. It is just myself and my daughter here. I could have been in a compromising state, or my daughter in the living area (closer to the entryway) whilst I was in my bedroom or we could have returned from somewhere to find them in our home", she wrote, and then she shared a new policy which she believes is unreasonable.

She explained: "They've sent an email to all tenants today about some more maintenance next week and state that the workmen will knock three times, and if there is no answer will be letting themselves in."

In the comments, people advised the renter to try and secure her home further without doing any damage. One wrote: "I'd get a door wedge. I'd prefer a chain, but they probably won't allow that if you rent. A wedge is non-permanent and won't damage anything but will stop the door being opened. They should definitely have given you time to answer the door and prior warning they would be coming."

Someone else wrote: "We use the Tapo cameras in our house which seem to work well and are fairly easy to set up." Another penned: " I hope you are ok. What a terrible way to treat you."

A Mumsnetter said: "Can you leave the key in the door lock on the inside? With most doors, if you do that then you can't enter from the outside with the key."

Someone backed the contractors, however, writing: "Sorry to sound ignorant but why can't you get ready in time and let them in?", but another defended her, saying: "What business is that of yours? The original poster is entitled to quiet enjoyment of her flat."

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2024-06-29T13:13:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd