Your first and major care as a landlord? Your resident’s safety. If your tenant modifies your property’s locks without obtaining your permission ahead, always grant them the benefit of the doubt. Unless the locks were switched on account of roommate difficulties, domestic abuse, divorce, etc., you’ll aim to wipe out any risk of liability. This will help you to avoid lawsuits and, in conjunction with that, will position you as a dependable landlord who is there for your tenants in times of crisis.
If your tenant replaces the locks on their own, communicate with them before jumping to wrong perceptions and conclusions. Most probably, waiting for a locksmith could make them unresistant to other events of domestic violence. Think and believe that your renters would only change the property locks to secure themselves and their belongings from theft, vandalism, and other dangerous behaviors.
Open communication with your tenants will make sure you’re on the right side of the law. Before anything else, specify in your lease terms whether they are entitled to change the locks and if/when they must provide you with a new set of keys. Your authority over these clauses may be ruled 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 need to lay emphasis on the necessity that your renters present you with a current set of keys so that you’re frequently, at any time, able to enter the premises of your property in Gainesville. Unfettered access will be needed to perform emergency repairs that could be harmful to the resident, their belongings, and your property.
The long and short of it all? Your task as the landlord is to present working locks and keys when a tenant moves in. Then they take on the responsibility. This just means they’re obliged for replacement costs of keys and locks. Bearing in mind that they observe the procedures outlined in your lease or you check to urge them to do so, you’re not in danger of losing anything from their actions 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 accordingly at the earliest time. Documented communication should encompass whether the tenant plans to tender copies of the new keys or if they will restore the locks to their original condition by the time they vacate your property. If your tenant fails to conform to or to put together a plan after an ample grace period, make sure to let them realize 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. Disregarding how honest an erstwhile resident was, they should never have the possibility of re-entry after vacancy. You should regularly be informed on who has access to your property to the bar being sued for a future resident’s monetary losses. Even in cases that keys are returned, you can not by any means be aware of how many copies were made, who they were shared and given to, or where they currently reside.
You can put your confidence in Real Property Management Diversified to change locks before a new resident moves in. We also deal with all tenant communication to guarantee your Gainesville property is free from harm and in the best of hands. Call 352-854-2221 today to consider all our property management services and how they can be of advantage to you.
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