No security!

A question about : No security!

Hi everyone. I have just moved into a one bedroom flat above a Ladbrokes in birmingham uk. The flat itself is fine and i really like it, and its locality is ideal. My only issue, and it has become a major one after the story i heard tonight, is that there is no security for the premises other than a lock on the front door.

The flat itself like i said is above a Ladbrokes, but to gain access to the flat you have to walk down an underpass to the rear of the building, and up a metal flight of stair to a white front door that is unlocked and into the building where there is a regular door that is locked with a yale type lock.

there are four flats within, each with the same type of door with one yale lock to gain entry.

Now when i was looking at the place i saw it had security lights in the underpass which i assumed was motion sensitive after a certain hour (i was wrong ) they are not active. and every time i was supposed to clarify this at the office i forgot (numbskull) and just signed up and paid and moved in.

I found out after moving in how dark it was in the underpass and at the rear of the building after coming home late and realising this then.

The area is not too dodgy, so it was not an major cause for concern, but i could certainly see the potential dangers of it being so dark and secluded back there at night, i mean anyone with bad intentions could be lurking about out there and i wouldn't see them. and today a neighbor told me this really disturbing story.

He knocks on my door around 5pm and asks if i could take his bag downstairs for him as he has a broken leg (never met this guy before) So i help him downstairs with his bag, and i ask him how he broke his leg. so he tells me that a few weeks back he heard a noise outside like someone fiddling with the lock

(this neighbor has a window that opens out to the rear staircase, and one the other end of his flat that opens out into the street)

so he said he opened the window by the metal staircase to see what the noise was around 10pm, then was immediately set upon by a group of asian males who was hitting him with weapons and trying to force there way in through the window. my neighbor said he was punching them and trying to close the window but it was no good, and out of fear my neighbour said he ran to the other end of his flat and jumped out of the window breaking his leg in the fall and waking up 2 days later in hospital.

He only came back for a bag this afternoon, and is looking to now move on.

After hearing this i have ordered a large maglite torch to carry with me up this alleyway to illuminate my path and give a would be attacker a beating with it. I am also going to add an additional lock (5 Lever Deadlock) to my door to ensure no one can gain entry. But i think more should be done by the landlord to ensure would be attacker/burglars do not have the shadows to themselves to strike from.

My questions are these.

1) Is the landlord responsible for ensuring there are working security lights in the alleyway, and at the top of the metal staircase?

2)should i have been informed of this assault before i moved into the property, as it happened before my move?

3)what can i do to get the landlord to secure this property i.e Laws he is breaching etc?

Sorry for the long post, but i could not make it shorter.

I can provide pictures of the property if required.

Thank you for reading.

Best answers:

• Have you tried asking the landlord to fix the lights?
• The neighbor said he already spoke to the landlord about this with no luck. to be honest mate this is low rent accommodation with no credit check etc, so you basically expect it to be a bit neglected in areas. but this is i feel is an area that cannot be neglected because you could either fall down the stairs with it being so dark. or you could get assaulted because you couldn't see the !!!!!!s lying in wait. But yes, i will ask myself, i just wanted some ammo to take with me if you know what i mean.
• A frightening story. Iy might not be your own landlord who is responsible for this area. Do you know who owns the Ladbrooks premises? It might be them who would be responsible for that part of the building and might be more approachable.
  One thing though, it wasn't necessary to single out the race of the attackers.