Lost keys - big bill expected

[hodd 63]

I’ve lost a house key. It’s a key with a code, which fits the main house door as well as my apartment and cellar. I’m still looking but will soon have to admit it’s gone. I have spares, but I will move out one day and have to give back the keys.

 

I’ve thought about all the tricks, e.g. getting a key cut in Asia where the code and certificate system is probably not used, but at the very least the key will look different and probably won’t work.

 

My rent contract says for lost or damaged keys, I am responsible for “Aenderungen an der Schliessanlage”.

 

It doesn’t sound good so far, but there might be some saving graces:

 

1. I have Haftpflichtversicherung (Darmstadt PHV Vario), which covers “Schluesselverlust – fremde private Schluessel“.

2. I am a member of my Mieterverein.

3. I wasn’t so daft (OK, just a bit) to write a name and address on my key ring.

 

So, I am a little bit more confident that my mistake won’t end up costing me thousands. However, there must be a correct way of doing things, which I guess would be:

 

1) A police report

2) Inform my Hausverwaltung

3) Inform my Haftpflichtversicherung company. I won’t know the costs involved at that stage, but I assume they need to be informed.

4) Depending on the outcome of (2), contact the Mieterverein.

 

Should I be doing anything else (apart from not losing my keys)?

 

Many thanks.

 

p.s. This topic has been done before (you should be more careful with keys), but no one has followed up. I promise to do so, but I’d like some advice first.

 

p.p.s. I tried Berlin Central Fundbuero and BVG. :(

[Tap 8,460]

Good grief, I and my family have lost a few house keys over the years and our landlord just replaced them when we asked him for new ones - I actually never heard of this problem before. I'll be interested to hear other peoples experiences on this.

[Mik Dickinson 443]

Ypou are correct in assuming you should inform your versicherung.Get it all behind you now.you are covered on your insurance so do it all now and prevent any unpleasantness in the near future

[Guest]

Hi!

 

The best news is that you have a Haftpflichtversicherung (Darmstadt PHV Vario), which covers “Schluesselverlust – fremde private Schluessel“..

 

I would contact them first asap, tell them you lost your keys and ask them how you should proceed.

 

I am not an insurance expert, there are a few very competent ones here at TT - so I am sure some expert advice will crop up.

[Beuel 4,947]

Why not call your landlord first and ask him if you can make a copy where the keys come from? If he is ok with that you'll just have to pay for the copy.

[hodd 63]

The landlord is a Hausverwaltung company. Not that it’s relevant, but I previously had to get Mieterverein support over a rent increase, which was later judged unfair.

 

My contract says if keys are lost, I am responsible for “Aenderungen an der Schliessanlage”, which roughly translates as changes to the lock system.

 

Schliessanlage is ambiguous. It could mean my locks alone or those of the entire building. At the very least, that would mean a new lock and keys for my apartment and cellar door. I don't know how they would deal with the main apartment lock. They could reason that a criminal found my key (they would have only my word that my address was not attached) and could now gain access to the building.

 

I don't believe stories of landlords having to change every lock in a building. However, the costs of new locks, keys and labour for just my two doors, plus whatever needs to be done to the main door lock would already be several hundred euro.

 

I think this is like crashing into another car. Even if you're blatantly in the wrong, you don't say so until you’ve spoken to your insurance company.

[Beuel 4,947]

But you still have a key. Is there a company name on it? You could ask there directly and tell them you need another key for your girlfriend/friend/mother whoever. Maybe it is no problem at all if you have the original key.

[sosarx 1,661]

Asking the manufacturer will not help, the whole system depends on a security card which is in the hands of the Hausverwaltung .And only with this card you can get a new key.

 

But you still have a second or third key, so don't hurry. Check if you are covered by your liability insurance, and in case you aren't cancel your contract, get one with coverage, wait a while and loose your key "in time".

[hodd 63]

 

But you still have a second or third key, so don't hurry. Check if you are covered by your liability insurance, and in case you aren't cancel your contract, get one with coverage, wait a while and loose your key "in time".

 

I should be covered. I just need to make sure I go through the correct processes.

 

I was actually given SEVEN identical keys when I moved in, so I can afford to lose a few more.

[john g. 37,685]

Definitely call your Haftpflicht insurance, Hodd. Your deductible/excess is only 50 euros. Make sure you can tell them you´ve been a responsible person , informing the Hausverwaltung etc. It´s ok to take the blame - Haftpflicht insurance pays out when there IS an element of blame ( unless criminally intentioned ).

 

Sosarx: naughty....( especially your spelling of " loose " - what is it with this generation? )

[btomi 157]

personally i would fess up asap, with the insurance and your landlord.

 

worst case scenario, person who finds it, breaks in the apartment building and a series of thefts occur which could have been prevented by changing the locks.

 

Best case, you find the keys, or pay some nominal fee.

 

everybody makes mistakes, best to correct it as soon as possible to prevent any further problems. I am sure this is not the first time something like this has happened to your "landlord" and who knows they may have a solution, you hadnt thought about.

 

Plus it also gives you peace of mind, money cant buy that.

[geminispark 57]

Lost 'all' my keys once (yeah...back in the day used to have them all on one chain for convenience...sigh) so can tell you exactly what happens (usually ) -

 

Since your insurance (like mine did) covers lost keys you actually have nothing to worry about.

 

Hopefully you've already told your landlord and contacted your insurance, the process of getting the locks changed should begin.

 

1. Your hausmeister or the company that maintains the apartment will replace the post-box lock.

2. They will also give you then a duplicate key (might take a while for them to make a copy) for your apartment door unless your landlord wants to have it changed as well (mine didn't since the lost key-ring had no id on it as such).

Since all keys of the residents open the front doors but only individual keys open the house doors - no one I spoke to even mentioned changing the main door lock.

 

You pay all costs yourself initially - my total was about 120 euros for the house keys, including labor (if you could call it that).

 

You send the original bill to your insurance - within a few weeks you have your money back. That is the point of insurance and mine gave me no trouble whatsoever.

 

So you should be fine - don't worry so much I would say.

 

 

On a side note - really, don't think about doing things like getting keys made in Asia etc. You made an honest and fairly common mistake (not like you chucked them into a river in a fit), it's all right and you will take responsibility and things will all work out. Chin up

[hodd 63]

You make it sound like Apocalypse Now, the part where Martin Sheen, already deep behind enemy lines, rips open that final envelope to reveal his true mission – to get a couple of keys cut.

 

Honestly, I was going there anyway for a three-week holiday.

 

To be honest, I’ve not told anyone yet and was hoping the key would turn up. That’s clearly not going to happen now. So, geminispark, didn’t you make any sort of police report first?

 

And before I am accused of being selfish not reporting the loss straight away, leaving the outside door at the mercy of the serial burglars who now have my key, the apartment is also home to a few businesses, and the outside door is left unlocked until 8pm every day anyway.

[hodd 63]

The big bill has arrived.

 

The Hausverwaltung told me by e-mail that a replacement locking system, i.e. what’s stated in the rental contract, wasn't necessary. All that’s needed is a new key costing €40. Pricey for a key perhaps, but I was expecting a bill of ten or twenty times that.

 

I don’t know the excess on my Haftpflichtversicherung, but I’ll send the bill to the insurer anyway. Even though the new key will come with the usual Uebergabeprotokoll, maybe just maybe the property owner or whoever might change their mind and later demand that dreaded new locking system.

[fraufruit 41,944]

We've asked our Hausverwaltung for extra keys (lost or not) and they did the same - charged us around € 40.

 

They get this shit every week. No big deal.

[poppet 4,010]

 

The big bill has arrived.

 

I don’t know the excess on my Haftpflichtversicherung, but I’ll send the bill to the insurer anyway.

 

see post #12 perhaps?

[Jesspatriat 153]

In Paris with my boyfriend last year, I used my house key to open a bottle of wine. I can't remember how, but since I also managed to leave my key behind - in the grass in front of the Louvre - we must have been successful...

 

I didn't realize the mistake until our plane landed in Munich. Getting in was no problem - I retrieved the spare from my friend - but when it came time, at the end of the exchange program, to turn in both keys, I didn't know what to do. I'd attempted to have the key copied, but the locksmith had brusquely thrown it back in my face with a grunt at the "DUPLICATION PROHIBITED" on the side, and so I'd just left it in my desk drawer all semester, hoping it would multiply.

 

I wound up just writing the whole story down on an envelope, in imperfect German, and dropping it into the mean Hausverwaltung's mailbox.

 

"That will NEVER work," my boyfriend sneered.

 

But I was never billed.

 

So... either the Stusta Hausverwaltung doesn't give a shit, or they're extraordinarily receptive to sob stories. Either way, when you lose keys, try saying "Es liegt auf der Wiese vor der Louvre"; it just might work.

[adiketer 5]

Hey all

 

Someone stole my bag on Sunday (at a caffee in x-berg). I had everything inside: money, keys, passport and more.

The biggest problem now is the keys to my working place (security key for the front house!!) and it's really bad because I was not insured (after 3 years in berlin there are still some things to learn:). it means that they will ask me to pay for it and I heard it's a LOT of money. up to now I payed around 1000 euro for my stuff and I really don't have money!!!

If someone can advice, or enything I will be grateful.

[Krieg 14,926]

Maybe your employer has some kind of insurance that covers it. And you are being negligent by not informing them about it.

[punkinside 1,153]

Don't think any insurance the employer has covers that. I had to get coverage for losing "business" keys as well as personal into my liability policy.

 

So... not much you can do but get insurance for next time. I'm sure you'll have 50 euro left after they take you to the cleaners.