3cm gap running down the whole length of my front door - not an emergency?

Question

I'm living in a rented house in the U.K.

A piece of my PVC front door has peeled away on the inside,which I reported to my landlord this morning - they said they'd send someone out to repair it on Fri 25th July.

Then,this afternoon I noticed that the same piece but on the outside of the door is starting to peel off too (It's stuck on with waterproof sealent which doesn't seem to be adhesive enough)

I realised that,when this piece falls off (the other piece took a few days to do so - but that was on the inside) I will be left with a wide open gap, 3cm wide and the entire length of the front door!.

I phoned my landlord again to report that the repair was worse than i'd originally stated and to ask that,given the fact that my house will be exposed to wind,rain and the obvious security risks when the second piece comes away, this now be dealt with as an emergency. I was told that I had to keep my original appointment and this could not be classed as an emergency - can that be right?!

Answer 1

Well, having a door made out of PVC might be an emergency.  It isn't too hard to break that down, not a great security door.  Steel or oak make the good secure doors.

Yes, a 3cm gap could allow someone to easily unlock the door.

Call them and inform them that you will do what you need in order to feel secure, and that might include doing something that will permanantly alter the original door such as filling the gap with hardening caulk.  If they do not want you to damage the door, they had better get out and fix it NOW, because your personal security is the most important issue.

You have to be pushy and threaten them a little.