‘My landlord wants a spare key’: Chennai tenant battles homeowner over bedroom lock access

A tenant in Chennai is facing a dressing standoff with their landlord over the fundamental right to privacy. After moving into a room in a building shared with the owner’s family, the resident was told they must remove their personal lock and use a door lock provided the landlord, one for which the owner holds a spare key. Despite the tenant’s willingness to allow coordinated inspections, the landlord is insing on unrestricted access, citing “emergency safety,” leaving the tenant to wonder about their right to privacy.The tenant asked Redditors if it was legal for landlords to ask for spare keys to a tenant’s room. (Representative image). (Pexels)“My landlord is demanding unrestricted access to my room,” a Reddit user wrote. Explaining, the tenant shared, “I’m renting a room in a building where the owner and his family live on the floor below me. Yesterday, the owner messaged me saying he noticed that I’ve been using my own lock on my bedroom door. He told me I must use the lock they installed instead, and they have spare keys to it. This would mean they can access my room whenever they want.”Also Read: Indian-origin landlord with 23 properties explains why he still rents his home in AustraliaRecalling their conversation with the landlord regarding the matter, the individual posted, “I’m very uncomfortable with that. I told him I would prefer to continue using my own lock. He said they need access for cleaning and inspections. I replied that I’m fine with inspections/cleaning as long as I’m given prior notice and we coordinate a time.”However, the landlord cited a previous “electrical fire” and claimed they needed access to the room during an emergency. He kept on insing that the tenant stop using their own lock.The person continued, “None of this was discussed before I moved in, and there was no mention of them keeping keys to my private room. There is also no written clause about unrestricted access.”The tenant concluded the post with a few questions. “Is this legally allowed in Chennai/Tamil Nadu? Can a landlord demand keys to a tenant’s private room like this? What are my rights here?”How did social media react?The Reddit post prompted a series of reactions. While many advised the OP on how to handle the situation, some suggested the tenant look for new places and labelled the landlord a “red flag”.An individual posted, “Feels like he’s demanding too much.” The OP replied, “I don’t know how to handle the situation anymore.” Another advised, “Maybe contact a lawyer.”Also Read: