Changing locks after a tenant moves out must be done for a variety of factors, including property security, safeguarding new tenants’ privacy and safety, upholding a reputable and expert property management system, and limiting the property owner’s responsibility. In addition to giving the landlord and new tenants a fresh set of keys and a sense of confidence, this creates a safe and secure living environment. The threat of liability is also decreased by re-keying your rental property, making the property management process safer and more responsible.
Property Security
Regardless of whether your property is occupied at the moment, landlords should prioritize security. It’s always possible that former tenants may have kept spare keys after they moved out. By re-keying the property, you may get rid of this risk and guarantee that only people with consent can enter the property. Even short-term vacant properties can become targets for criminal mischief and burglary. You must have the capacity to manage who has access to it and when to keep your property secure and put off illegal behavior. You can make this easier by re-keying your property’s exterior doors as soon as a tenant moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys become a much greater problem for your future tenants. Renters seek a feeling of security in their rental properties. However, if previous renters still have a key to the house, that feeling of security could be a dangerous illusion. If a previous occupant or someone to whom they gave a key invades your property, you may be held liable for any damage or injury that occurs. In addition, you’ll lose the renter’s confidence, which may result in canceled leases and costly turnover. Re-keying the locks is recommended to ensure renter safety.
Increased Appeal
Although the cost of re-keying the locks between renters may put you off, you may utilize it to benefit you when marketing your property. If the prospective renter is concerned about security, you may relieve their worries by ensuring that their locks have been re-keyed; due to that, they could pick 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 your level of technical proficiency, you might be able to re-key the locks on your rental property yourself. Even if it’s not challenging, some expertise is needed. Re-keying the locks also costs less than replacing the entire lock, knob, or deadbolt.
You might consider hiring a professional to come in and complete the work for you, to ensure that it is completed correctly. A professional locksmith will be able to accomplish the operation faster and with greater confidence that the re-key was done correctly. The primary concern is that it is done perfectly and that you have a whole fresh set of keys to distribute to your new tenant.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
Landlords nowadays are looking for additional approaches to safeguard their property and renters. Some landlords notice that installing an electronic keypad or smart key solution is more cost-effective than re-keying the locks each time a renter moves out. Implementing a keyless entry system that operates with a code rather than a physical key, for example, could eliminate the need for re-keying your house entirely. There are even more modern keyless entry systems that require a smartphone app to unlock. Even while these options are more costly in the early stages, they have the advantage that you can easily update the password or smart key tool yourself. A keyless entry system could result in significant savings over time.
It may be stressful for landlords when a renter moves out. Why don’t you leave it in the hands of the experts at Real Property Management Hampton Roads? Our local property managers are skilled at handling everything the move-out procedure needs and can help you discover an excellent new renter as well! To learn more, contact us online or call us at 757-395-4274.
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