When to rekey locks for a new tenant is this week’s question for veteran real estate investor, landlord and property manager Hank Rossi.
Dear Landlord Hank:
Do you rekey your rentals every time you change a tenant? Our tenants are good about returning keys to us when they vacate the units, especially if they want to get their full security deposit back. We try to avoid the extra cost of calling a locksmith and rekeying every time a new tenant moves in and wondering what is the best practice? And, if you do, do you just rekey or do you replace the whole lock?
– Sam
Dear Landlord Sam,
I don’t know of any legal requirement to change locks between tenants.
But I think it’s a good idea to do so.
I don’t rekey a lock due to the expense but will change locks. I keep a reserve of locks and keys and it’s a five-minute job to change a single lock.
Smart locks might be a consideration
As locks go bad, you can replace with “Smart Locks” and can rekey those in one minute yourself.
They are more expensive but sure are easy to use, and then you can tell your new tenants that the locks have been changed, for their piece of mind.
Sincerely,
Hank Rossi
Ask Landlord Hank A Question
Other recent Dear Landlord Hank posts you may have missed:
If A Good Tenant Loses A Job How Long Before You Evict Them?
Dear Landlord Hank: What Do I Do With A Tenant Who Consistently Pays Rent Late?
How Do You Raise Rent For A Long-Time Tenant?
How Do You Know When To Change Property Managers?
If A Rental Has Been Burglarized Do We Have To Put Up Security Cameras?
Where Do You Draw The Line On Normal Wear And Tear?
Dear Landlord Hank: Do You Conduct Rental Inspections? How Often?
Dear Landlord Hank: How Do I Motivate My Tenants To Conserve Water?
Is An Old Drug Conviction A Big Deal?
Dear Landlord Hank: Should I Give A Tenant More Time To Pay?
Dear Landlord Hank: Tenant’s Sewer Line Clogged With Tree Roots
Do You Call A Prospective Tenant’s Employer For Verification?
Dear Landlord Hank: Service Dog Ruined Backyard In My Rental Now What?
Dear Landlord Hank: Why Can’t I See The Property Before I Pay A Deposit?
Dear Landlord Hank: Is This A Valid Deduction From A Security Deposit?
