Can my landlord keep a key and let themselves in?

Two things are true at the same time, and confusing them causes most of the arguments between tenants and landlords about keys.

1. A landlord may hold a key to the property. That is normal and expected.
2. Holding a key does not give them the right to use it.

Once you separate those, the rest of this becomes straightforward.

The right you actually have

A tenant has the right to quiet enjoyment of the property. In practice that means the right to live there without unreasonable interference from the landlord — including the right not to have people walking in.

For the great majority of tenancies in England and Wales:

• The landlord must give at least 24 hours’ written notice before entering,
• for a reasonable purpose, such as inspections or repairs,
• at a reasonable time of day,
• and you can say no to a proposed time and offer another.

Notice is not the same as permission. A landlord who posts a note and lets themselves in while you are at work has given notice, but has not been given access.

The exception, and it is narrow

A landlord may enter without notice in a genuine emergency — fire, a serious flood, a gas leak, or a real risk to life or the structure.

That is the whole exception. It is not:

• a routine inspection they forgot to arrange
• showing the property to new tenants or buyers
• collecting post
• “just checking”
• a repair that has been outstanding for six weeks and is suddenly urgent today

When it stops being a dispute and becomes an offence

There is a hard line here, and it is worth knowing exactly where it sits.

Under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, it is a criminal offence to unlawfully evict or harass a residential occupier in England and Wales.

Repeatedly entering without permission, in order to make you uncomfortable enough to leave, can amount to harassment. Changing the locks to keep you out is at the serious end of it.

Can you change the locks?

The honest answer: usually yes in practice, but check and ask first.

Most tenancy agreements either forbid it or require you to supply the landlord with a key. And at the end of the tenancy you will normally be expected to put the original lock back — a changed barrel left behind is a routine deposit deduction.

So do this instead of just doing it:

1. Read the agreement. Look for “alterations”, “locks” or “keys”.
2. Ask in writing — email, so there is a record — and give the reason.
3. Offer a key. That single offer removes most objections, because the landlord’s real concern is emergency access.
4. Keep the original lock in a cupboard, and refit it when you leave.

Reasonable reasons that landlords usually accept without argument: a previous tenant who never returned keys, keys lost in a bag with your address in it, a break-in nearby, or a former housemate or partner who still holds a set.

If it is a safety issue, say so plainly

If someone you have reason to fear holds a key — an ex-partner, someone you have left, anyone at all — this is not a lock question, it is a safety question.

Say it plainly, in writing, and ask for the locks to be changed. Most landlords act immediately. If yours does not, escalate to the council and to Shelter, and say clearly that it is a safety matter.

National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247. Free, 24 hours, run by Refuge. They advise on exactly this, including emergency accommodation.

Reasonable questions to ask a landlord about keys

None of these are unreasonable, and a decent landlord will answer without fuss.

• How many sets exist, and who holds them? Agent, contractor, previous tenant, cleaner.
• Were the locks changed between tenancies? Frequently they were not.
• How are keys stored at the agency? A key cabinet with tags showing the address is a genuine security weakness worth raising.
• Is there a key safe on the wall, and who knows the code? If there is one, ask for the code to be changed, or for it to be removed.

Ask by email, keep the answers.

If a landlord enters without permission

1. Write it down immediately — date, time, what happened, how you know.
2. Put your objection in writing. Reference the 24-hour notice requirement, say access must be arranged with you, and keep a copy. Most cases stop here.
3. If it continues, escalate to the council’s tenancy relations team, and get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice.
4. Keep paying the rent. Withholding it does not punish a landlord who entered without notice; it puts you in arrears and at risk of eviction. Deal with the two things separately.

The short version

• A landlord holding a key is normal. Using it without permission is not.
• 24 hours’ written notice, reasonable purpose, reasonable time — and you can propose a different time.
• Real emergencies only, for entry without notice.
• Changing the locks on you is a criminal offence, not a dispute.
• You can usually change the locks yourself, but ask in writing first and offer a key.