Changing locks after a tenant moves out is critical for several factors, counting property security, ensuring new tenants’ privacy and safety protection, keeping a professional and dependable property management process, and diminishing obligation for the property owner. 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 sense of confidence. Re-keying your rental property also diminishes the risk of accountability, leading to a more secure and responsible property management process.
Property Security
Whether or not your property is currently inhabited, landlords should prioritize security. When tenants depart, there is always the possibility that they may still have additional keys. By re-keying the property, you prevent this danger and ensure that only those with permission have access. Even temporarily vacant properties can become candidates for criminal mischief and burglary. You must manage who gets access to it and when to keep your property secure and deter illegal activities. You may make this simple by re-keying your property’s exterior doors the moment a tenant moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys exacerbate the problem for your future tenants. Renters desire a sense 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 are given a key breaks in, you may be held liable for any damage or injury that occurs. You will also risk losing your renter’s trust, which may lead to canceled leases and costly turnover. Re-keying the locks is essential to ensure renter safety.
Increased Appeal
While the cost of re-keying the locks between renters may dissuade you, you can use it to benefit you when selling your property. If a prospective renter is concerned about security, you could soothe their worries by guaranteeing that their locks have been re-keyed; due to this, they might go with 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 mechanical skills, you might be able to re-key the locks on your rental property yourself. Although it is not hard, it does need some expertise. Furthermore, re-keying the locks is more inexpensive than changing the whole lock, knob, or deadbolt.
However, to ensure that the work gets finished appropriately, you might consider hiring a professional to come in and handle it for you. A professional locksmith will be able to do the task more rapidly and with more assurance that the re-key was done correctly. The most vital aspect is that it gets done properly and that you have a whole fresh set of keys to hand over to your new tenant.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
Today’s landlords are seeking fresh approaches to safeguard their property and renters. As opposed to re-keying the locks each time a renter moves out, some landlords discover that installing an electronic keypad or smart key solution is more cost-effective. Installing a keyless entry system that utilizes a password 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 must be unlocked via a smartphone app. While these alternatives are initially more expensive, their benefit is that you can rapidly update the key code or smart key tool yourself. A keyless entry system could bring about significant savings over time.
Renter move-out can be a stressful event for property owners. Why not delegate this task to the professionals at Real Property Management Southern Utah? Our local property managers are skilled at handling everything the move-out process necessitates and can find you a great new renter as well! To learn more, contact us online or call us at 435-673-4242.
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