Q. My tenant is unhappy about the lock on the door of his rented property and wants to change this to one which will lock automatically when the door is pulled to, such as a Yale lock. Has he the right to request this?

A. He does not have the right specifically to tell you what kind of lock needs to go on the door, no. There is no law which specifically covers this. 

However, there may be requirements in his insurance policy about the type of lock to go on the door. Also if your property is an HMO and subject to additional fire regulations, these often specify that a lock should allow tenants to exit the property easily in case of fire. So for example mortice locks would need to have a thumb turn on the inside.

Ask your tenant why he wants the lock changed. If there is a good reason then it would probably be best to agree to this. Although you may want to make this at his expense and on condition that you are provided with a set of keys.