In addition to reducing the landlord’s liability and increasing the property’s security, changing locks when a tenant moves out protects the new tenant’s privacy and safety. This arrangement is advantageous for the landlord and the new tenants since it creates a safe and secure living environment and provides a fresh set of keys and a sense of trust. Reducing the liability risk against the landlord is another benefit of re-keying your rental property.
Property Security
It doesn’t matter if your rental property is occupied; landlords should prioritize security. When tenants move out, there is always a chance that they may still have extra keys. By re-keying the property, you eliminate this risk and ensure that only authorized people can enter the property. Even temporarily vacant properties can become targets for criminal mischief and burglary. Limiting who can enter and when is an effective way to keep your property secure and deter criminal activity. You can make this easier by re-keying your property’s exterior doors as soon as a tenant moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys become an even bigger problem for your future tenants. Renters need a sense of security in their rental properties. A false sense of security may exist if the previous renters still have a key to the property. If a previous occupant or someone to whom they handed a key breaks in, you may be held liable for any damage or injury that occurs. If renters stop trusting you, you risk losing them, which may result in canceled leases and costly turnover. Re-keying the locks is advisable to ensure renter safety.
Increased Appeal
While the cost of re-keying the locks between renters might put you off, it can be used as a selling factor. If prospective renter is concerned about security, you can lessen their uncertainties by guaranteeing that their locks have been re-keyed; for this reason, they may choose your property over similar rentals in the area. If you can increase demand for your property in this fashion, you can charge a slightly higher rent and rapidly recoup the cost of having the locks re-keyed.
Hire a Professional
You might be able to re-key the locks on your rental property yourself if you have enough mechanical knowledge to do so. It’s not difficult, but you will need some experience. Additionally, the cost of re-keying the locks is much lower than buying the entire lock, knob, or deadbolt.
However, if you care about the quality of the work that gets done, consider hiring a professional to come in and do it for you. A professional locksmith can rekey the lock rapidly and with greater assurance that the rekeying was done correctly. The most important part is that it is done properly and that you have a whole fresh set of keys to hand over to your new tenant.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
To safeguard their property and renters, landlords are searching for other approaches. Instead of re-keying the locks each time a renter moves out, a few landlords find using an electronic keypad or smart key solution more cost-effective. If you have a keyless entry system that relies on a code instead of an actual key, you could eliminate the need for re-keying your house entirely. Even more modern keyless entry systems can only be unlocked with a smart home. However, the convenience of changing the key code or smart key tool on your own is well worth the additional cost. A keyless entry system could result in significant savings over time.
Property owners may have a hectic day when renters move out of their units. If you need assistance, why not hire Real Property Management Freedom? Our local property managers are skilled at handling everything the move-out process requires and can locate you with a fantastic replacement renter. To learn more, contact us online or call us at 813-867-2667.
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.
