Because of a deceased relative I'm in the odd position of co-owning a house with my sister. We've cleaned it out - mostly - and were out in touch with a local realtor to go about leasing it.
Turns out the realtor lost the keys to the house within an hour or so of me handing them over. They've got a good rep and it's pretty clear it was an honest mistake, but suddenly the house is…insecure.
What kind of rights do I have? Can I ask - or insist - they pay to have the locks changed?
What did they say?
"What did OzBargain say when you asked them??"
Also, they lost the keys and any good REA will have an on-call locksmith they use. Just get them to do a re-key and issues a new set of keys. Not really that hard. If they wont come at that after losing your keys, it's a safe bet to find another REA.
"What did OzBargain say when you asked them??"
Doesn’t get old :)
Ask how they lost it ? It is obviously a severe security breach on the realtors behalf to lose the keys to your place.
Ask them to pay to get the lock barrels changed and new keys, depending on how they respond.
That would be enough for me to get a new realtor if they refused.
I agree withe @garetz
Concrete boots
Just get the REA to foot the bill for replacement. They should have professional indemnity insurance
Bikies.
Either to guard the house, or sort the agent out.
Get locks changed and send them the bill, totally reasonable. (Yes, tell them REA 1st).
They probably didn't lose them.
They probably held a secret auction.
😮
Maybe was planning to moonlight as an airbnb.
If the keys didn't have the address attached, is it really a big deal having them re-cut?
Tell them to check the waste paper basket…
Change the locks and bill them. Easy.
Hmm … problems with that are:
Why should the OP and sister spend the time and money required to do this?
When presented with a large bill a few weeks later, the real-estate agents may (by then) have 'miraculously' found a set of keys, and claim that the whole thing was a misunderstanding on the part of the OP/sister, and attempt to absolve themselves of any financial responsibility.
The OP needs to 'strike while the iron is hot'/no facts are in dispute/memories are clear, and have these real-estate clowns rectify the problem they have created ASAP, at their expense from the outset. Paying 'good cash-money' to rectify the mistakes of others in the hope that they might pay you back one day is folly.
If they admitted to losing the keys, they can solve the problem - make them organise & pay for a locksmith.
Hey Llama … re:
'Can I ask - or insist - they pay to have the locks changed?'
Forget 'ask', go straight to insist that they do that, forthwith. In writing (via email, with a few extra dudes CC'd onto the email), and in person. If necessary, remind them that if they don't do that 'it could compromise their good reputation and standing in the Australian community'. They will understand what this means, in this day and age. If your account of events is true these guys have been the entire cause of this problem, so they should rectify it ASAP at no cost (and very little delay) to you. If perhaps neither you nor your sister are 'good' at potentially 'confrontational' exchanges such as this, recruit a favour from one of your friends who is. I bet one of you knows a smart/forthright girl or guy who could quite forcefully make this simple and justified demand of them (put it to them in an email first though) …
You can ask anyone anything. At least once. What did they say?