Changing locks following a tenant’s move-out is vital for a number of reasons, such as property security, preserving the privacy and safety of new tenants, keeping the property management process professional and reliable, and lowering the property owner’s risk of being sued. This gives a safe and secure living environment for the property owner and the new tenants, a new set of keys, and a feeling of trust. Re-keying your rental property also decreases the risk of lawsuits. This makes managing your rental property safer and more responsible.
Property Security
Regardless of whether your property is occupied or not, landlords should prioritize security. When tenants move out, there is always a chance that they may possess copies of the keys. By re-keying the property, you get rid of this risk and make sure that only allowed people can get in. Even temporarily vacant properties can become targets for criminal mischief and burglary. To keep your property secure and stop criminals from breaking the law, you need to be able to decide who can get in and when. This can be made easy by re-keying your property’s exterior doors as soon as a tenant moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys become an even greater problem for your future tenants. Renters want a sense of security in their rental properties. But if previous renters still have a key to the house, that sense of safety could be a dangerous illusion. If a previous occupant or someone to whom they gave a key unlawfully entered the property, you may be held liable for any damage or injury that occurs. You will also lose the trust of your renters, which could lead to canceled leases and costly turnover. Re-keying the locks is essential to ensure renter safety.
Increased Appeal
Even though the cost of re-keying the locks between renters may discourage you, you can use it as a selling point for your property. If a prospective renter is concerned about security, you can ease their mind by ensuring their locks have been re-keyed. This may lead them to choose your property over similar rentals in the area. If you can increase demand for your property in this way, you can charge a slightly higher rent and quickly recoup the cost of having the locks re-keyed.
Hire a Professional
Depending on how good you are at tools, you might be able to re-key the locks on your rental property. Even though it’s not hard, it does require some knowledge. Also, re-keying the locks is cheaper than buying a new lock, knob, or deadbolt.
But if you want to ensure the job is done right, you might consider hiring a professional to come in and do it for you. A professional locksmith will be able to accomplish the operation faster and with greater confidence that the re-key was done correctly. The most important thing is that it is done correctly, and you have a fresh set of keys to hand over to your new tenant.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
Today’s landlords are looking for other ways to safeguard their property and renters. Some landlords find it more cost-effective to put in an electronic keypad or smart key solution than re-keying the locks each time a renter moves out. For instance, putting in a keyless entry system that works with a password rather than a key could eliminate the need for re-keying your house entirely. Even more modern keyless entry systems can only be opened with an app on a smartphone. Even though these options are more expensive at first, you can quickly change the key code or smart key tool yourself, which is a big plus. A keyless entry system could result in significant savings over time.
Property owners may have a lot to do when renters move out. Why not let the professionals at Real Property Management Azalea City do it for you? Our local property managers are good at taking care of everything that needs to be done when renters move out, and they can also find you a great new renter as well! To find out more, contact us online or call us at 251-345-6224.
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.
