One of my children will shortly start his final year at university & has recently moved into new digs.

When he moved in, he looked at the front door lock and was not impressed. He sent me a lot of photos and videos of the door. I was not impressed.

I sent him my recommendations for the correct door lock for an HMO, (for the uninitiated, that’s a House of Multiple Occupancy) stating the relevant British Standard.

He contacted his letting agent, who was initially unwilling to listen. For all he is only 20, he is quite a formidable character, and does not take “no” for an answer, and persuaded the letting agent to visit the property to discuss the issue.

Armed with my professional advice, and being able to see the lack of security for himself, the letting agent agreed to speak to the landlord and discuss what they would do.

To their credit, both landlord and agent took on board his point of view, and a cylinder nightlatch, to BS8621, was installed.

This BS has some stringent strength tests, identical to those for BS3621 for “normal” houses, but allows immediate egress in an emergency.

If you own an HMO or student digs, and want free advice to know that your properties are both safe & secure, contact me.

#hmo #propertyinvestor #landlord