Roommate Locks Bedroom Door

(Original post by Anonymous)
It is probably quite a sensible thing to do now that I think of it, it's just that there's only 4 of us in the flat (at the moment it's only me and him as everyone else is away) and none of us have ever gone into any of each others room without permission, we've even said lots of times, we'd never do that. He's been a bit offish with me in the past few days so I just thought maybe he's a bit cautious of me/doesn't trust me for whatever reason or something, lol.

also, you've got to consider that sometimes your other flatmates may bring over other people they know (or don't know) for a little social or whatever

I did that in halls and during my brief spell at a house last year - Halls because I didn't trust my flatmates: they were complete arses who'd regularly trash the kitchen, go round banging on doors and from January onwards pretty much hated me because they thought I "ratted them out" over them smoking cannabis in our kitchen (I didn't, that you could smell it from the elevator shaft is the bigger point), and last year because I felt really rather paranoid without it locked (well, actually I did in general in that house, was driving me to the brink).

Possibilities I can see is safety (if you're in halls you don't know them all that well), security (might not trust that nothing will happen while asleep), privacy or sleep-walking and damage limitation. It's not unusual behaviour in the slightest and likely means nothing.

I trusted my flat mates in halls and I still locked myself in my room at night. In fact I now rent privately with my 4 best friends and I still lock myself in at night. I don't want my flat mates to bring someone back after a night out and have them walk into my room by accident. And also the lock on our front door sometimes doesn't work so I don't want to risk leaving my bedroom open.

Wow I feel like a bit of a weirdo now..ha I pretty much never lock my door, but then the only thing of value I have is my laptop (and we all have laptops) and a really cheap android phone..so I doubt anyone wants anything of mine! I lost my key about a week ago and it took the reception 4 days before I got the new key as they had to order it, all that time by bedroom door was always unlocked when I went out...maybe I'm too trusting I guess

[s]innocent[/] But the security here is really good (24/7) and we live on the second floor and our main door is always locked. Also everyone is in long-term, serious relationships which for some reason makes me trust them more. And we've been living together for over a month now and everyone's very nice/non argumentative . But I think I maybe consider locking my door at night too now, it is quite a good idea I suppose

:^_^:

Yeah I'm a bit worried he might be on here too lol. I'm a girl though

(Original post by LolaLowe)
I amazed to read that there are people who DON'T lock their door!!

I kinda envy them, most of them probably feel so at ease and comfortable with their flatmates and general surroundings, that it wouldn't cross their minds to lock their doors.

(Original post by Jack93o)
I kinda envy them, most of them probably feel so at ease and comfortable with their flatmates and general surroundings, that it wouldn't cross their minds to lock their doors.

maybe, but for me I wouldn't stop to evaluate it like this, I always lock my door without thinking, like the most natural thing in the world.

I locked myself in at halls as I felt more safe thatr way. Your in halls with people you don't know, I just felt safer when I heard them all coming back at 3 am pissed knowing they couldn't get into my room as I had people try and one guy walked straight into my room when I was asleep once and it was terrifying.

Its also a privacy thing if your door is locked nobody can come in.

I always do it at uni. The front door to my flat isn't always locked and I don't want randomers from the rest of the building walking into my room when I'm asleep.

As a campus representative we're told at training specifically to urge all freshers to lock their rooms at night, no matter how safe the building appears or how much they trust their flatmates. Theft from student halls is overwhelmingly the most common crime reported at the majority of universities. You think it won't happen, but wait till your laptop is stolen and you spend several hundred pounds kicking yourself for being so careless. There really are people who go round at night (or even during the day) checking every single door for one that one nobody bothered to lock. They might be in your flat, they might be at the university, or they might be some random off the street. They walk straight in your room and take your stuff while you're lying right there in the bed sleeping. This actually happens, and more often that you'd like to believe. If you're awake, they just say "sorry, wrong flat," or pretend to be drunk, and walk out to try the next one.

Seriously, it's best not to risk it. Also don't ever let anyone into your flat unless you personally know them or someone right there in the flat can vouch for them. So many flats have an open door policy where they leave the flat door unlocked (because they can't be bothered answering the doorbell) or just buzz in everyone without challenging them. Top way to just robbed.

I know I sound overly wary. But honestly, when you spend so much time dealing the people who didn't bother to do the above, and lost all their possessions, you realize that self-preservation habits like the above are extremely important.

Also, if you have a ground floor flat, for the love of God, don't leave your window open unless you're physically in the room right at that second. I really mean it. If you're going to the bathroom, lock it. If your friend comes to the door and you need to go let them in, lock it. A thief only needs ten seconds to be in, take your stuff and get out. It really happens.

For as long as I've had locks on my bedroom door I've locked it before going to bed and whilst I'm out, even now I'm sharing a house with people I know and when I lived at home with my family. It's nothing to do with not trusting the people I live with, it just seems as normal as locking the front door and is for the same reasons really (ie making it harder for someone to break-in to my room specifically) and for privacy reasons (even if you agree not to go in each other's rooms without knocking & asking people may forget that when drunk or if they have friends round they may accidentally open the wrong door).

It's also a condition of my contents insurance (and possibly yours too if you have it) that I use the lock on my bedroom door so I'd rather be in the habit of using it all the time just in case we do ever have a break-in and I need to claim.

(Original post by russellsteapot)
the urge to experience the joy of waking someone up by holding a saucepan over their head and hitting it with a wooden spoon. Or other 'fun jokes'.

I don't know what i would do to someone who did that to me, i'm not the type to get angry but something like that would drive me over the edge, and might make me do something very bad :lol:

I always lock my room (can't anymore as i don't have a lock), but it's just a case of security i guess, an extra layer if someone tried to burgle the house or something and if housemates decided to play a trick or something...

(Original post by StacFace)
For as long as I've had locks on my bedroom door I've locked it before going to bed and whilst I'm out, even now I'm sharing a house with people I know and when I lived at home with my family. It's nothing to do with not trusting the people I live with, it just seems as normal as locking the front door and is for the same reasons really (ie making it harder for someone to break-in to my room specifically) and for privacy reasons (even if you agree not to go in each other's rooms without knocking & asking people may forget that when drunk or if they have friends round they may accidentally open the wrong door).

spot on tbh.

I can't sleep without the door being locked, feels too vulnerable.. my boyfriend goes mad and says it's a fire hazard but tbh as others have said as long as youre sure you can unlock it quickly if needed (mine just bolts on the door) then it's not an issue

I've lived in halls throughout uni and I've always done it, even though I'm living with people I like and trust now. In first year I didn't really get on with my flatmates and they'd often have people round, so I would lock myself in if they were having a party or something. I also had a scary experience early on in first year - I was woken up by someone opening my door and then promptly slamming it shut after I forgot to lock it once, presumably because they thought it was their/someone else's room so I always made sure I locked my door after that because it frightened me a bit. My flatmates would be really noisy after coming in from nights out too and I once got woken up by someone banging on my door and shouting at 3am, I was so relieved that I'd locked the door!

he must be having a power ****

(Original post by doodle_333)
I can't sleep without the door being locked, feels too vulnerable.. my boyfriend goes mad and says it's a fire hazard but tbh as others have said as long as youre sure you can unlock it quickly if needed (mine just bolts on the door) then it's not an issue

I don't even see how its that much of a fire hazard

I like to lock my room (but keep the key in the door) as I don't like people barging in, making noise and letting light through when I'm trying to sleep. :unimpressed:

I lock the door and I'm in my final year of university. Even when I lived in a house last year, I locked my door. I guess I just feel more secure, plus on campus, random/drunk people can walk in at anytime.

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When I was in halls everyone locked their doors at night, security of the main door wasn't great and next door which had an internal door into our side left their external doors open all the time. Even in my student house a couple of people locked their doors. I only locked it when my bf and I were having sex, but I usually left it unlocked even when I was sleeping cos my best mate liked to come and get in bed with me if we were sleeping in in the mornings.

Everyone I knew in halls locked their doors at night, since you're living with people you don't know all that well, who may even be taking back complete strangers at night.

(Original post by hippieglitter)
cos my best mate liked to come and get in bed with me if we were sleeping in in the mornings.

Roommate Locks Bedroom Door

Source: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2495796&page=3

Roommate Locks Bedroom Door