Changing locks after a tenant moves out is critical for various reasons, including property security, safeguarding new tenants’ privacy and safety, keeping an expert and dependable property management process, and decreasing 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 trust. Re-keying your rental property also diminishes the risk of responsibility, creating a safer and more responsible property management process.
Property Security
Whether your property is as of now inhabited, landlords should prioritize security. When tenants depart, there is always the likelihood that they may still have duplicates of the keys. By re-keying the property, you remove this possibility and guarantee that only authorized people have access. Even briefly vacant properties can become targets for criminal mischief and burglary. To keep your property secure and deter crime, you must be able to control who approaches it and when. You can make this simpler by re-keying your property’s exterior doors when a tenant moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys become an even bigger problem 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 sense of safety could be a dangerous illusion. If a previous occupant or someone to whom they gave a key breaks in, you may be held liable for any damage or injury that occurs. You will also lose your renter’s faith, which might bring about 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 discourage you, you can use it as a selling point for your property. If the prospective renter is concerned about security, you can lessen their anxieties by confirming that their locks have been re-keyed; hence 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 abilities, you might be able to re-key the locks on your rental property yourself. While it is easy, it does require some expertise. Moreover, re-keying the locks is more affordable than replacing the whole lock, knob, or deadbolt.
However, to ensure that the task is done accurately, you might consider hiring a professional to come in and do it for you. A professional locksmith will be able to finish the task faster and with greater confidence that the re-key was done correctly. The most important thing is that it is done accurately and that you have an entirely fresh set of keys to give to your new tenant.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
Today’s landlords are searching for alternate ways to safeguard their property and renters. Instead of re-keying the locks each time a renter moves out, some landlords find it more cost-effective to install an electronic keypad or smart key solution. For example, installing a keyless entry system that utilizes a code instead of an actual key could eliminate the need for re-keying your house entirely. There are even more modern keyless entry systems that must be opened via a smartphone app. While such choices are more costly in the beginning phases, the benefit is that you can rapidly change 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 hectic time for property owners. Why not let the experts at Real Property Management Magic Valley do it for you? Our local property managers are skilled at dealing with everything the move-out process requires and can locate an incredible new renter as well! To learn more, contact us online or call us at 208-734-4001.
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