As a rental property owner in Livermore, you know that your residents have major concerns regarding their personal safety. When new residents move into a rental home, they may ask questions about changing the locks. They would want the people with keys— such as former residents— to be unable to enter the residence anymore. In some locations, local laws do not require a landlord to change the locks between residents, and some property owners might feel that such an expense is unnecessary.
If the resident asks to change or re-key the locks, do you have to do it?
The plain answer is no. In all likelihood, you are not required to change the locks upon request. Nonetheless, it is important to think about the potential effects should you not do so.
As the property owner, you are responsible for giving your Livermore residents the means to safeguard the home. Once residents sign the lease, you supply them with keys, garage door openers, or passcodes. By doing so, you give them access to the home, but at the same time, you also give them the means to secure the property. Residents have a habit of making several copies of their keys for family members or even neighbors, and they aren’t always careful to collect and correctly discard these copies once they move out of a rental home.
If you don’t change or re-key the locks, and a stranger gets illicit access to the residence, you could be sued and held responsible for damages. This is especially the case in issues of domestic abuse, divorce, or family problems. Sometimes, even a past roommate could be a concern. These risks make changing the locks between residents a necessary step in preventing legal liability.
Of course, the locks are only one part of a rental home’s system. Garage door openers, keypads, and other access devices could also be potential risks. Residents may share entry codes with babysitters, repairmen, or other people who they think need access to the home when they’re not there. Careful management of passcodes, remote controls, and so on should be part of your property management strategy. On top of that, you need to include changing codes or replacing remote controls as needed. These should be done to help guarantee the safety of your residents.
At Real Property Management One, we want to make sure that your residents are the only people who have access to your rental properties. That is why we consider lock changes between residents as an important element of our property management services. Our approach is designed to protect you and your properties with the best practices in the industry. To find out more, contact us online or call us at 925-794-8339 today.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
