Your foremost accountability as a landlord? Your resident’s safety. If your tenant replaces your property’s locks without securing your assent first, always render to them the benefit of the doubt. In the instance that the locks were changed attributable to roommate difficulties, domestic abuse, divorce, etc., you’ll wish to remove any risk of liability. This will cause you to avoid lawsuits plus position you as a dependable landlord who is there for your tenants in tough times.
If your tenant modifies the locks on their own, appeal and speaks with them before making speculations. Most likely waiting for a locksmith could leave them all the more defenseless to more incidents of domestic violence. Be certain that your renters would only decide to change the property locks to secure themselves and their belongings from theft, vandalism, and other dangerous behaviors.
Open communication with your tenants will safeguard you’re on the right side of the law. Firstly, specify in your lease terms whether it is acceptable to change the locks and if/when they must provide you with a new set of keys. Your authority over these clauses may be shaped 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’ll also wish to accentuate the significance that your renters endow you with the current set of keys so that you’re consistently able to enter the premises of your property in Lehi. Unfettered access will be needed to perform emergency repairs that could be harmful to the resident, their belongings, and your property.
The most important thing to consider? Your work as the landlord is to present working locks and keys when a tenant moves in. Then they take over. This simply means they’re accountable for replacement costs of keys and locks. Providing they comply with the procedures outlined in your lease or you make sure to tell them to do so, you don’t suffer the threat of losing anything from their struggles to secure themselves and their property. 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 act quickly. Documented communication should add whether the tenant wishes to grant copies of the new keys or if they will restore the locks to their original condition before they vacate your property. If your tenant overlooks to cooperate or to execute a plan after an ample grace period, do not hesitate to let them ascertain that you will definitely deduct the replacement costs from their security deposit.
One other way to discourage tenants from changing locks on their own is by changing them between every tenant. However truthful an outgoing resident was, they should never have the possibility of re-entry after vacancy. You should at all times be totally aware of who has access to your property to hinder being sued for a future resident’s monetary losses. Although keys are returned, you can by no means be informed how many copies were made, who the keys were were given to, or where they currently reside.
You can place your confidence in Real Property Management Utah County to change locks before a new resident moves in. We also watch over all tenant communication to make certain your Lehi property is in the right, safe hands. Call 801-224-0033 today to look into all our property management services and how you can take full advantage.
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