Nosy neighbors and our broadband connection

You set traps?   

Yup - Charlies angel style 

It involves string, selotape and a glass of water.

ETA: As you leave the property semi close the door and place a small glass of water by the middle of the doorway entrance behind the door. Creep through the remaining gap.  The cup of water should be tucked just behind the door entrance.  When someone opens the door they will knock the glass over as they wont see it tucked behind.  They will try and replace the cup as it was before they leave....trouble is..there is a wet patch left behind as a clue that your house has been entered.  You can add oils to the water so that if the snooper is clever enough to refill the glass and the carpet has dried..if you sniff the area you will notice the smell of the oil.

Before you leave you house..... polish, clean and dont touch the door handles and light switches.  Draw the curtains so its dark.  snooper switches on lights to see and snoop and puts their hands all over the handles.  Use sellotape to lift their prints off the handles or switches.

Put a amount of string in a certain way in some of your drawers and take a quick photo of the drawer contents.  If someone riffles through them...the string will be moved and something is always slightly moved.

Yup - Charlies angel style 

It involves string, selotape and a glass of water.

Oh, cool!

added to previous post.....

LuckyCuz!

Excellent! you've been watchin some serious CSI stuff!

Not so Excellent ..  if you have to do these things!

Another one my mate told me about was that his mum was super mindful of keeping everything clean, to the extent she'd vacuum the carpet in a certain way to leave the fibres in a certain way - it was then easy to tell if someone had walked by as of course those fibres would be flattened, and short of the person re-vacuuming, very easy to tell !

Another very easy way would be to use motion detecting CCTV cameras - even some basic webcams have software to provide this functionality and also will send an email/txt message if they 'detect' movement !

I'm also in the process of installing CCTV to my property..   interesting stuff out there!

Cheers! to all you budding CSI specialists! DtM! West London & Slough UK!

You may even find that your laptop's webcam does this as well.  I think mine does and alerts me if it goes on.  That would work!

There are many home surveillance packages for computers.  Aim the camera in the right direction, and let the system do the rest.  Also, as mentioned, you can get heat or motion detecting cameras for your pute, which also come with their own software.

Back to original.   You really must get those keys back.  Demand them for yourself, or that they be handed to the landlord.  But, you must get them away from the Dragonwoman.

Just look around for Solicitors that do legal aid.  Usually posted outside, and indicated in Yellow Pages.  Go along and ask for a Green Form consultation.

Other than trying to legally get out of the contract, I am still not sure what a solicitor could do. 

Vicky

Other than trying to legally get out of the contract, I am still not sure what a solicitor could do. 

Vicky

Check the small and finer print in the lease.  If there is, within the contract, a clause forbidding installing cable, best to get it decyphered by a Solicitor.  If not, then they are clear to go ahead. It's always nice to have a fall back as well.
Plus that well worn phrase; "my Solicitor said", sometimes manages to put the willies up some people.

LuckyCuz!

Excellent! you've been watchin some serious CSI stuff!

Nah.....just crafty 

Thanks for all the replies. 

There isn't a clause forbidding exterior alterations in our lease, but there is one in the lease for the building, which I'm assuming makes things much more problematic.     Regardless, I think we're going to check with the council and possibly with a solicitor as well, since we want out of our lease.

Our flat is equipped with an alarm system, unfortunately, the neighbor has the code for it.  Fortunately, we figured out how to reset it, so we'll be entering in a new security code and setting the alarm every time we go out.  We're also going to visit the letting company regarding our complaints, and getting the keys back.

Good.

Anyway, even if you did win this, you are still stuck with the neighbour.  Don't forget, you can get out by giving a months notice provided that it is an "Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement" (this provision should also be included in the lease).  Also, unless there is any valid reason, like blowing up the toilet, and you have followed rigourously your obligations as a tenant, your deposit should also be safe.

According to our lease, we are not allowed to install a Dish, or Cable, without the Landlords written permission.  Which in our case, we have.  But then, there are already two Sky Dishes hanging outside, and the flat is fitted for cable as well as a BT line.

Many fixed term contracts have different clauses.  Ours runs on a 12 month basis, and early release requires two months notice and a payment of one months rent as a fee for the landlady to find someone else mid term.  It is only one month if there is no other provision in the tenancy.

Vicky

Please bear in mind that, unless you have the resources to move somewhere else fairly soon, you're going to be stuck with your landlord and neighbours for the time being. Setting traps, etc. doesn't sound like the best way to nurture good neighbourly feelings to me. And although you do have rights, your landlord may not take kindly to having solicitors involved. I'm not saying you should just roll over, but it's something to take into account.

Our lease is for eighteen months, with a twelve month break clause, which we will be using.  The 12 months isn't up until the end of October, though, which leaves us here for quite a while unless we can get out.  Is there a way we can get out before October, without having to pay rent for a place that we wouldn't be using?

If there is no break clause in your contract, which is unusual, then you need to just discuss this with the landlord.

Vicky