Changing the locks once a tenant vacates is essential for various reasons, including property security, safeguarding new tenants’ privacy and safety, maintaining a professional and dependable property management process, and less responsibility for the landowner. This gives a safe and secure living environment for both the property owner and the new tenants, as well as a new set of keys and a feeling of security. Re-keying your rental property also diminishes the risk of responsibility, leading to a safer and more responsible property management process.
Property Security
Whether or not your property is currently leased, landlords should prioritize security. There is always the possibility that former tenants will still have a few extra keys after they move out. You may eliminate this risk and guarantee that only authorized people have access by re-keying the property. Even briefly vacant properties can become targets for criminal mischief and burglary. Controlling who enters and exits your property at a specific time is crucial to keep your property secure and discouraging criminal activity. You can simplify this by re-keying your property’s exterior doors when a tenant moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys produce additional problems for your future tenants. Renters want a feeling of security in their rental properties. Nonetheless, if previous renters still have a key to the house, that feeling of security may be false. If a previous occupant or someone to whom they handed key attacks, you may be held liable for any damage or injury that occurs. You risk losing the renter’s trust, which could lead to canceled leases and costly turnover. Re-keying the locks is crucial to ensure renter safety.
Increased Appeal
While the cost of re-keying the locks between renters might scare you, it can be used as a selling factor. If a prospective renter is concerned about security, you can reduce their anxieties by ensuring that their locks have been re-keyed; due to that, they may 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 immediately recoup the cost of having the locks re-keyed.
Hire a Professional
Contingent upon your degree of mechanical skills, you might be able to re-key the locks on your rental property. Although simple, it requires a bit of expertise. Plus, re-keying the locks is cheaper than replacing the whole lock, knob, or deadbolt.
However, to guarantee that the task is done accurately, you may want to consider hiring a professional to come in and do it for you. A professional locksmith will be able to finish the task faster and more confidently that the re-key was done correctly. Accuracy is of utmost importance, as is having a fresh set of keys ready to hand over to your new tenant.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
To safeguard their property and renters, landlords today are looking for new strategies. Instead of re-keying the locks each time a renter moves out, some landlords find it more cost-effective to utilize an electronic keypad or smart key solution. Installing a keyless entry system that uses a code instead of an actual key could eliminate the need for re-keying your house again. More modern keyless entry systems can now only be accessed with a special smartphone app. While these options are more expensive initially, you have the freedom to change the key code or smart key tool whenever you like. A keyless entry system could lead to significant savings over time.
Property owners might encounter increased stress during tenancy termination. Instead of doing it yourself, why not have Real Property Management Greenway take care of it? Our local property managers are experts at organizing all aspects of the moving-out process and can find you a fantastic new renter as well! To learn more, contact us online or call us at 770-771-6102.
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