As a rental property owner in Carson, you know that your residents frequently have major concerns regarding their personal safety. When new residents move into a rental home, they may ask questions about changing the locks so that former residents or other people with keys to the property won’t be able to go into the residence anymore. In certain areas, local laws do not require a landlord to change the locks between residents, and some property owners might think that it’s an unnecessary expense.
If the resident asks, do you need to change or re-key the locks?
The simple answer is no, you are probably not required to change the locks should it be requested. Still, you should consider the potential consequences of failing to do so.
As the owner of the property, you are responsible for providing your Carson residents with the means to secure the home. When residents sign a lease, you give them the keys, garage door openers, or passcodes needed to access the property as well as a means to secure the property. Residents have an inclination to have multiple copies of their keys for family members or even neighbors, and when they move out of a rental home, they could forget to collect and properly dispose of these copies.
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. Particularly in instances of domestic abuse, divorce, or family issues, or even if a former roommate is a concern, changing the locks between residents is an essential step in protecting yourself from legal liability.
Of course, the locks are just one piece of the system of a rental home. Garage door openers, keypads, and other access devices are potential risks as well. Residents may share entry codes with babysitters, repairmen, or others who need access to the home when they are not there. Careful management of passcodes, remote controls, and so on must be part of your property management strategy, including changing codes or replacing remote controls as needed to help guarantee the safety of your residents.
At Real Property Management California Coast, we want to make sure that your residents are the only people who have access to your rental properties. That is why we include lock changes between residents as an important component of our property management services. Our approach is designed to protect you and your properties with the best practices in the industry. To learn more, contact us online or call us at 310-535-2150 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.
