As a Grandville rental property owner, you’re feasibly trying to determine ways to reduce property maintenance costs. Conceding that you can do a handful of things to save money, re-keying your rental property’s locks is not one of them. It does not matter how amicably your last renter left, you should constantly have your property’s locks re-keyed between renters. There are quite a few reasons for this, the most crucial being the security of your property, the safety of future renters, and certainly helping boost your rental’s appeal to new renters.
Property Security
Security should be the main concern for Grandville property managers, whether or not your property is currently occupied. Even when it’s just a short while, vacant properties can, unfortunately, turn out to be targeted for criminal mischief and burglary. This is only made much easier if your previous renters copied their key and gave it to someone that wasn’t on the lease. To keep your property secure and to thwart criminal activity, you need to be able to control who has access to the property and when. You can do this more simply by re-keying your property’s exterior doors soonest as a renter moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys are a crucial issue for your future renters. Renters want to feel safe in their rental homes. Although, if your past renters still have a key to the house, that feeling of safety may be an unsafe illusion. If a previous occupant or someone they gave a key to does break in, you may find yourself liable for any damage or injury that results. You will as well lose the trust of your renter, which may result in canceled leases and steep turnover. To make renter safety a reality, it’s key to re-key the locks.
Increased Appeal
Conceding that the cost of re-keying the locks between renters may make you balk and hesitate, you can use it as a selling point for your property. If a prospective renter is worried about safety, you can completely allay those fears by guaranteeing that their locks have been re-keyed; and they may easily choose your property over similar rentals in the area. If you can increase demand for your property, you can charge a bit more for rent and immediately recover anything paid to have the locks re-keyed.
DIY or Hire a Pro?
If you are handy, you can certainly re-key the locks of your rental property yourself. Even while it is hassle-free to execute, it does take a bit of mastery and know-how. And re-keying the locks can be a bit more cost-effective than replacing the entire lock, knob, or deadbolt.
Although to make sure the job is done perfectly, you may choose to hire a professional to come in and do it for you. A professional locksmith will be able to implement the job more efficiently and give you greater confidence that the re-key was executed fully. Either way, the most beneficial thing is that it is carried out completely, and you have an entirely new set of keys to give to your new renter.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
Today’s landlords are on the alert for other solutions to help make sure of their property’s and renter’s safety. Take one example, instead of re-keying the locks whenever a renter moves out, some landlords find it more cost-effective to install an electronic keypad or smart key product. For instance, installing a keyless entry system that is completely based on a code instead of a physical key could sidestep the need for re-keying your property altogether. More state-of-the-art keyless entry systems similarly require a smartphone app to unlock. Even while it’s true that such options cost more upfront, the real advantage is that you can always easily change the key code or smart key tool. Over time, a keyless entry system could add up to greater savings.
Renter move-out can be a chaotic time for property owners. Why not let the professionals at Real Property Management Investment Solutions do it for you? Our Grandville property managers are experienced at managing everything the move-out process demands and can find you a likable new renter! To learn more, contact us online or call us at 616-419-4578.
Originally Published on July 2, 2021
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