You may ask, what is my first responsibility as a landlord? Your resident’s safety. If ever your tenant changes your property’s locks without soliciting your blessing, continually give them the benefit of the doubt. Should it happen that the locks were switched with new ones as a consequence of roommate difficulties, domestic abuse, divorce, etc., you’ll want to remove any risk of liability. This will not only enable you to avoid lawsuits but also situate you as a dependable landlord who is available for tenants in difficulty.
Should you discover that your tenant changed the locks on their own, have a talk with them before making speculations. For all you know, awaiting the arrival of a locksmith may result in them being more vulnerable to more situations of domestic violence. Believe that your renters would only swap the property locks to new ones to secure themselves and their belongings from theft, vandalism, and other dangerous behaviors.
Open communication with your tenants will see to it that you’re on the right side of the law. To begin with, specify in your lease terms whether they are empowered to change the locks and if/when they must provide you with a new set of keys. Your power in connection with these clauses just might be impacted by state law. For example, California and New Jersey permit residents to change locks without providing additional keys unless it’s explicitly stated in the lease that they may not do so.
You will want to lay stress on the seriousness that your renters give you a current set of keys so that you’re able to enter the premises of your property in Orlando without fail. Unfettered access will be needed to perform emergency repairs that could be harmful to the resident, their belongings, and your property.
What does this mean? Whenever a tenant moves in, your job as the landlord is to supply working locks and keys. Then they call the shots. What this means is that they’re on the hook for replacement costs of keys and locks. With the result that they stick to the procedures outlined in your lease or you remind them to do so, you won’t find yourself dispossessed of anything from their venture to secure themselves and their personal effects. In the event that you’re unable to perform an emergency repair due to a lock change, negotiate with the tenant as to whether or not you’ll deduct the cost of the repair from their security deposit.
Always document the renter’s request or notification of changing the locks and answer at the earliest. Documented communication should cover whether the tenant plans to present you with copies of the new keys or if they intend to restore the locks to their original condition when they vacate your property. If your tenant fails to participate or to make other arrangements after an ample grace period, don’t be afraid to notify them that you are going to deduct the replacement costs from their security deposit.
One possible way to discourage tenants from changing locks on their own is by changing them between every tenant. Just because a former renter was honest, yet, they should still never have the possibility of re-entry after vacancy. You ought to be constantly aware of who has access to your property so that you may block the slightest chance of being sued for a future resident’s monetary losses. Yet, when keys are returned, you cannot be certain as to how many copies were made, who they were lent to, or where they currently reside.
You can place your trust in Real Property Management South Orlando to substitute the locks with brand new ones before a new resident moves in. We also manage all tenant communication to guarantee your Orlando property is shielded. Call 407-982-2000 today to learn about all our property management services and how you can reap the financial reward.
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