landlord lost keys

[madaki]

my landlord has put my flat on the market to sell. He has also informed us that he has lost the keys and wants us to get a copy cut for him so that he could provide the estate agent with access.

We refused to get copies cut and told him that as he had lost our keys he should be changing the locks, in order to keep the flat secure.

He has finally agreed to come around on saturday with a locksmith but says he will only be changing one of the locks (there are two on the door). His reason for changing one is that he says you need both keys to enter the property.

He is also demanding that i either provide him with the other key to copy on saturday or that i have a copy of the other key ready for him to pick up.
Am i within my rights to refuse to give him the other key (Ie the one he wont be changing) or is it a waste of my time and energy to argue about this?

[Collaborate]

No need to be awkward. Provided he gives you as many copies of the new key that you have of the old, and reimburses you for your cost of getting the new key cut, why not do as he asks?

[madaki]

im not sure if i should be awkward, i think im just annoyed that it was his his fault that a set of keys were lost (with our address on the tag) and his response when we asked him to therefore change the locks was to drag his feet and try to get us to just give him a copy of our keys.

[madaki]

and also that god knows how long our keys have been missing for. it has only come up because he wants access for the estate agent

[trixymalixy]

It's his key!!

He has changed one lock and if as you say you need to open both to get in then it should be secure.

I don't think this is something to get worked up over tbh.

[madaki]

well actually when we are living in the flat they are our keys for our home.

we have sctually decided to just give him a copy of the second key. but i think the point was not who'd keys they were, more the point that he lost a labelled set of keys to our home (if someone had found them they would have the full address to walk on in) and was quite irate with us for suggesting that he should therefore change the locks instead of us just providing him with more keys.

ultimately it doesnt matter now as, as i said we have decided that as he has grudgingly agreed to change one of the locks our property will be secure and he can therefore just copy the other key.

[madaki]

basically, i know i was being over dramatic but was just so upset over his attitude.
I suppose i am asking if i was right that as he lost our keys we were in the right to demand that the locks were changed? He seemd to think that was a ridiculous request.

[HerHissyness]

You do know that you are not legally obliged to let ANYONE into your home if you don't want to, don't you?

I worry that if the EA are given keys, they will just come to your home anyway. You need at least 24 hours notice of a viewing, OR you provide them with days and times where they may book appointments (you will have to include a weekend day) and tell them all appointments can be arranged for then, but must be confirmed by you.

You can also state categorically that NO viewings are to take place unless you are present.

This is YOUR RIGHT, so don't let them bully you into being inconvenienced.
Has your LL given you notice? cos of course it'd be much easier for him to sell it it the property was empty.