Our Rental Rant a couple of weeks ago about changing locks to keep out a ‘creepy’ landlord stirred up a lot of comments on the online version of the Herald.
“I’d suggest a bit of diplomacy; tell him that you’re very safety conscious as a woman living alone and you’re worried about unexpectedly finding someone in the flat because you might get really scared and unnecessarily bother the police, your neighbours, or your boyfriend who just left the army to pursue a full time career as a fitness model,” said DisDis.
“Can I suggest you install a hidden camera in your place?” a Sydney reader. “These days you can get hidden cameras that are relatively inexpensive … some even have a motion sensor on them so they only turn on where there’s somebody there.”
“That’s appalling that the landlord just helped himself without you knowing,” says a good landlord. “If the rental market wasn’t so tight, I’d advise you to leave and see what action can be taken against him. Or just leave anyway, despite the market.”
“Go ahead and change the lock!” says your right. “The only way he will notice it is when he tries to enter the place while you are not there, which is a tangible proof against him. If he asks you: why did you change the lock? You answer him: why did you try to enter place without my permission?”
It’s a lively debate: read it all about it HERE.