Moved house - problems with previous owners.

[Unisu]

Hi,

We moved house about 9 weeks ago although we were only given one key and no instructions for any of the electrical appliances that we paid them for - including an oven which was broken - obviously it shouldn't have been! We've tried to follow up a number of times to get the spare key, instructions etc... but they say they'll drop round with them once they've found them etc... So if we have a burglary etc... with them having the other key, could they be held responsible? What legal options do we have?

Thanks,
Unisu.

[Doofay]

Not quite related to the main question of your post, but if you find a good locksmiths near you you can get new keys cut for £3-4 - markets are often good for having a cheap locksmith.

[Scary Monster]

I don't think you'd get very far with trying to hold them responsible for a burglary, unless the police found that the burgular had come through the front door with their own key.

When we've moved we've always had the locks changed because you don't know how many friends/neighbours./family members of the previous owners had keys.

[Kazbo]

It only costs £3 - £4 at Timpsons to get a key cut and if you're worried about them breaking in then you're better off getting the locks changed than trusting they just have 1 other key and haven't given anyone else a key.

As for the instructions etc, there's nothing in the contract that says they will provide you with them, just the appliances. I had a similiar incident except it was my freezer that wasn't working which had been left. No come back though, just have to lump it and move on.

[BumbleBee]

Count yourself lucky that the only problem is a missing key and a broken oven. When we moved in to our house in April there were loads of problems that we should have been told about, including a leaking roof that the previous owner had supposedly had fixed on his insurance. Because it didn't rain for a few weeks we didn't find out about it straight away!

[Kermit]

If you bought the house, then as part of the contract of sale all keys should have been handed to you when you moved in. I'd give the previous owners a quick bell to remind them of this.

The oven is your problem now.

[Mist]

Yes all part of the fun I'm afraid. When I moved in to my last house I was only given one set of keys. Pretty rubbish but they said that's all there was. Sigh.

And now in our new house we have nine copies of the keys. One extreme to the other.