Is it legal to own and use a fireman drop key to access flats?

[Karimbo]

Hi

I'm volunteering for a leaflet run in my local area to raise awareness of a local charity event.

We have a lot of flats in the area and we can access these blocks for drops if we go before 12pm and use the trades button.

I saw RM staff use something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-Brigade-Firemans-Drop-Key/dp/B004ZPASJE

To access blocks. Is it OK for a leaflet dropper to use these keys?

 

[paulears]

Perfectly legal to own - legal to use if you have permission of the owner, other than that, you gained access where you shouldn't have, so that's at the very least trespass isn't it?

 

[fisicx]

To access blocks. Is it OK for a leaflet dropper to use these keys?

No

 

[ethical PR]

No it's obviously not legal. They are for use by the emergency services and others such as Royal Mail who have been permission by the management company/owners.

Why don't you speak to whoever manages the blocks. If it's a housing association or local council they will have a website. If its a local charity event, they may agree to promote it for you.

 

[Jase4816]

No it's obviously not legal. They are for use by the emergency services and others such as Royal Mail who have been permission by the management company/owners.

Why don't you speak to whoever manages the blocks. If it's a housing association or local council they will have a website. If its a local charity event, they may agree to promote it for you.

Whilst at work as a window cleaner I quite often need to access blocks of flats or other areas in an estate that are fenced off and have FB padlocks on a gate. To save time and hassle I have been using FB keys and drop keys to gain access without having to 'buzz' the intercom system or climb over railings etc. I have not once had any problems or issues with the Police or Council Offices over doing so. I have often purchased FB keys over the counter from hardware shops without any questions being asked. Surely it stands to reason that if it were illegal to possess FB and drop keys then they wouldn't be so readily available to buy without having to produce any identification whatsoever. I have also actually been stopped and searched by Police Officers on one occasion when I wasn't even at work, but I happened to have my bunch of FB keys in my jacket pocket. Although the Police Officers obviously enquired as to why I was in possession of the keys, once I explained to them exactly why I had them and that I needed them on a regular basis during the course of my work, they had no problem whatsoever with me having them.
So I would say that if, for example you were found using FB keys to gain access to council storage rooms and so on that are sometimes located at the ground floor in a block of flats, or were accessing the dry riser cupboards in a tower block without any genuine reason or permission to do so then you could be charged with the offence of 'Going equipped to steal'. But it all depends on the situation and circumstances. It's the same as having a screwdriver. In itself a screwdriver is just a tool to do a job. But it could also be used to 'jemmy' a window open and gain access to a building. This doesn't mean that screwdrivers are illegal. So it completely depends on the circumstances that surround the reason behind possessing the screwdriver and it's exactly the same when it comes to FB keys, or a multitude of other tools and equipment for that matter.

 

[fisicx]

As already stated. It’s legal to own a FB key. But you need permission from the landlord to use it.

 

[Newchodge]

I believe it would only be a crime if you entered the property with criminal intent. Trespass is not criminal.

 

[Newchodge]

Whilst at work as a window cleaner I quite often need to access blocks of flats or other areas in an estate that are fenced off and have FB padlocks on a gate. To save time and hassle I have been using FB keys and drop keys to gain access without having to 'buzz' the intercom system or climb over railings etc. I have not once had any problems or issues with the Police or Council Offices over doing so. I have often purchased FB keys over the counter from hardware shops without any questions being asked. Surely it stands to reason that if it were illegal to possess FB and drop keys then they wouldn't be so readily available to buy without having to produce any identification whatsoever. I have also actually been stopped and searched by Police Officers on one occasion when I wasn't even at work, but I happened to have my bunch of FB keys in my jacket pocket. Although the Police Officers obviously enquired as to why I was in possession of the keys, once I explained to them exactly why I had them and that I needed them on a regular basis during the course of my work, they had no problem whatsoever with me having them.
So I would say that if, for example you were found using FB keys to gain access to council storage rooms and so on that are sometimes located at the ground floor in a block of flats, or were accessing the dry riser cupboards in a tower block without any genuine reason or permission to do so then you could be charged with the offence of 'Going equipped to steal'. But it all depends on the situation and circumstances. It's the same as having a screwdriver. In itself a screwdriver is just a tool to do a job. But it could also be used to 'jemmy' a window open and gain access to a building. This doesn't mean that screwdrivers are illegal. So it completely depends on the circumstances that surround the reason behind possessing the screwdriver and it's exactly the same when it comes to FB keys, or a multitude of other tools and equipment for that matter.

Many years ago I attended a night time police station interview in January, with 6 inches of snow on the ground, for a client arrested for 'going equipped'. When I asked what he was equipped with they said 'a paid of gloves'!

 

[IanSuth]

i did 468 leaflets sat morning (in 2.5hrs) that included entering 8 or 9 blocks of flats to put leaflets in the post boxes. Several i pressed the trades button and it opened, others either the door was open or i went round back to the door the residents who smoke use and found it unlatched.

Only 1 block was i unable to simple enter, so i left it

(was helping out a mate to advertise a local music event)

 

[cjd]

Since 2022 trespass can be criminal - trespassers actually can be prosecuted now - but this isn't one of the circumstances where that would apply.

It probably is trespass because you have no permission to be inside someone else's property, but in practice no civil case is going to be brought against a leafletter or even could be really - you'd just be told not to do it if anyone cared.

This is a 7 year old post btw