What is considered your first function as a landlord? Your resident’s safety. Try giving your tenant the benefit of the doubt if you find that they changed your property’s locks without getting your go-ahead. Whether the locks were replaced because of roommate difficulties, domestic abuse, divorce, etc., you’ll want to quash any risk of liability. This will not only equip you to avoid lawsuits but also set you as a dependable landlord who is known to be there for your tenants in difficult situations. ”
If your tenant switches the locks to new ones, discuss things with them before making theories. ” It may be that waiting for a locksmith could expose them to added possibilities of domestic violence. Be sure that your renters would only substitute the property locks so as to secure themselves and their belongings from theft, vandalism, and other dangerous behaviors.
Open communication with your tenants will make certain you’re on the right side of the law. From the outset, specify in your lease terms whether they are authorized to change the locks and if/when they must provide you with a new set of keys. Your sway in relation to these clauses can be controlled 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 want to place emphasis on the significance of your renters supplying you with a current set of keys so that at all times you are able to enter the premises of your property in Grand Rapids. Unfettered access will be needed to perform emergency repairs that could be harmful to the resident, their belongings, and your property.
What’s the significance? When a tenant moves in, your function as the landlord is to issue working locks and keys. Then your tenants take over. This denotes that they’re in charge when it comes to the replacement costs of keys and locks. Provided that they act in accordance with the procedures outlined in your lease or you prompt them to do so, you won’t suffer the loss of anything from their endeavor to safeguard themselves and their possessions. 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.
Be sure to always document the renter’s request or notification of changing the locks and ensure that you respond as soon as possible. There should be documented communication that includes whether the tenant aims to supply copies of the new keys or if they will restore the locks to their original condition when they vacate your property. If your tenant fails to work together with you or to construct a plan of action after an ample grace period, you are allowed to inform them that you have plans to deduct the replacement costs from their security deposit.
One strategy you can employ to discourage tenants from changing locks on their own is by changing them between every tenant. Former residents should never have the possibility of re-entry after vacancy no matter how trustworthy they were. In order to avoid being sued for a future resident’s monetary losses, you should always know who has access to your property at all times. Even though the keys are returned, you may never truly know how many copies were made, who has been given keys, or where they currently reside.
You can put your faith in Real Property Management Investment Solutions to replace the locks before a new resident moves in. We also take care of all tenant communication to make certain your Grand Rapids property is out of harm’s way. Call 616-419-8880 today to consider the pros and cons of our property management services and how you can gain.
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