u/Quirky_Pool7731

I am a student living in a private room at a student residence in Lisbon, which costs around €1,000 per month. I have only been living here for a few days.

While I was away from my room, two male staff members entered my room without informing me beforehand or afterward.

Before moving into this residence, I had lived in several hotels for a long period and experienced several theft incidents. Because of those experiences, I had developed a habit of leaving a camera recording when I go out to protect my belongings. I never expected the camera to record staff entering my room.

The two staff members entered my room shortly after I left, carrying a fire alarm. This was not an emergency. If the existing fire alarm was faulty and they entered my room to replace it, the accommodation was already aware of the issue. I therefore do not understand why they entered my room without informing me beforehand.

I had only recently moved in, so many of my important personal belongings were on my desk and had not yet been organized. Several pairs of my underwear were also exposed on the desk. One of the male staff members placed the fire alarm very close to my underwear, which made me feel extremely humiliated.

If I had not had my camera recording, I would never have known that two staff members had entered my room while I was away.

I am now extremely uncomfortable staying here and no longer feel that my privacy will be respected while living here.

I plan to ask management to terminate my contract without penalty, refund the remaining amount I have already paid for the unused period of my accommodation, and return my full security deposit.

I am extremely shocked that they secretly entered my room shortly after I left and replaced the fire alarm without informing me beforehand or afterward. I am unsure how I should properly deal with the situation.

I would really appreciate hearing everyone's thoughts on this situation.

Edit: I want to clarify one point from my original post. I mentioned that the staff came into my room to replace the fire alarm, but that was only my assumption based on the camera footage showing them carrying a fire alarm. I actually do not know why they entered my room or what they did while they were inside.

The accommodation has never told me that they entered my room, either before or afterward, and they have never explained why they entered. I only know that they entered because I happened to have my laptop camera recording.

Also, this is a private student residence and is not affiliated with my university.

If it was an emergency, then of course I understand that staff may need to enter the room without prior notice. However, if they actually entered my room to fix the fire alarm, as I initially assumed from the footage, then the issue must have already been known to management. I had been living there for several days without receiving any notice or explanation about a problem with the fire alarm, and then they entered my room soon after I left.

That is why I find it difficult to understand how this could have been an emergency requiring immediate entry without notice. The timing seems inconsistent with the idea that this was an emergency. My contract specifically states that staff must provide at least 24 hours’ notice before entering my room, except in cases of emergency.

I am a student living in a private room at a student residence in Lisbon, which costs around €1,000 per month. I have only been living here for a few days.

While I was away from my room, two male staff members entered my room without informing me beforehand or afterward.

Before moving into this residence, I had lived in several hotels for a long period and experienced several theft incidents. Because of those experiences, I had developed a habit of leaving a camera recording when I go out to protect my belongings. I never expected the camera to record staff entering my room.

The two staff members entered my room shortly after I left, carrying a fire alarm. This was not an emergency. If the existing fire alarm was faulty and they entered my room to replace it, the accommodation was already aware of the issue. I therefore do not understand why they entered my room without informing me beforehand.

I had only recently moved in, so many of my important personal belongings were on my desk and had not yet been organized. Several pairs of my underwear were also exposed on the desk. One of the male staff members placed the fire alarm very close to my underwear, which made me feel extremely humiliated.

If I had not had my camera recording, I would never have known that two staff members had entered my room while I was away.

I am now extremely uncomfortable staying here and no longer feel that my privacy will be respected while living here.

I plan to ask management to terminate my contract without penalty, refund the remaining amount I have already paid for the unused period of my accommodation, and return my full security deposit.

I am extremely shocked that they secretly entered my room shortly after I left and replaced the fire alarm without informing me beforehand or afterward. I am unsure how I should properly deal with the situation.

I would really appreciate hearing everyone's thoughts on this situation.

Edit: I want to clarify one point from my original post. I mentioned that the staff came into my room to replace the fire alarm, but that was only my assumption based on the camera footage showing them carrying a fire alarm. I actually do not know why they entered my room or what they did while they were inside.

The accommodation has never told me that they entered my room, either before or afterward, and they have never explained why they entered. I only know that they entered because I happened to have my laptop camera recording.

Also, this is a private student residence and is not affiliated with my university.

If it was an emergency, then of course I understand that staff may need to enter the room without prior notice. However, if they actually entered my room to fix the fire alarm, as I initially assumed from the footage, then the issue must have already been known to management. I had been living there for several days without receiving any notice or explanation about a problem with the fire alarm, and then they entered my room soon after I left.

That is why I find it difficult to understand how this could have been an emergency requiring immediate entry without notice. The timing seems inconsistent with the idea that this was an emergency. My contract specifically states that staff must provide at least 24 hours’ notice before entering my room, except in cases of emergency.