Online Property Marketer - The Rental Property Site

While not everyone can say they've lost their keys, we can all empathize with those who have. We've all lost something at some point and no matter how annoyed we might be, it's easy to let a tenant slide after they've lost their keys. But what happens when a tenant keeps losing their keys over and over again? Here is how to deal with a tenant that keeps losing their keys: Make the tenant pay a lockout fee each time they lose their keys or make them call a locksmith. If they do have to call a locksmith, have them pay for it and make them give you a copy of the keys afterward. While it might seem harsh to charge someone for losing their keys, it is necessary. You'll find that some people need consequences to help motivate them. A lockout fee is a consequence that will not only motivate them but will also reimburse you for your time. There have been many occasions where I had to climb out of my warm bed to go let someone into their apartment. It was inconvenient and I hated every minute of it, but at least I got paid for my troubles. If you're searching for answers on how to deal with lockouts, you probably already know how frustrating they can be. If not, here is a story one of my maintenance technicians once told me. "I once had a tenant that kept locking herself out. She loved to party and she'd get drunk and lose her keys. I was on-call on weekends and I'd have to drive to the property to let her in. This property was 30 minutes away from my house and I'd end up spending over an hour driving to and from her apartment." This might already sound terrible to you, but the story gets even worse. "I'm a married man. After getting a call from the same woman over and over again, my wife started to ask questions. Why was I running over there late at night? Was there really a woman out there that could get herself locked out that many times? My wife became so suspicious that I ended up taking her with me one night, just to prove that the call was real." The moral of this story is that not only is a lockout inconvenient, but it can negatively impact your personal life in ways that you might not even be able to imagine. The story I told you may be an extreme case, but scenarios like these do occur. Even if a tenant doesn't lock themselves out more than once or twice, it's still a big inconvenience. Why should you have to wake up in the middle of the night to give a key to a tenant that was irresponsible with the first set you gave them? How To Charge A Lockout Fee The first step to charging a lockout fee is to put a clause in the tenant's lease. Let the tenant know upfront that there will be consequences to lost keys. The presence of this clause alone might deter your tenant from calling you. An absent-minded tenant might decide they'd rather leave an extra key with a friend rather than risk incurring the fee. Let the tenant's friend get woken up in the middle of the night instead of you. At this point, you're probably thinking that this is great, but it doesn't solve your current problem. If you already have a lease in place without this clause, here is a step you can take. The next time your tenant locks themselves out, give them the key and tell them that you do not have any more copies. Let them know that the next time they lock themselves out, they'll need to call a locksmith at their expense. If possible, have them sign a statement agreeing to this before you give them the key. How Much Should I Charge A typical lockout fee runs between $30.00 - $50.00. These rates are more than reasonable as a locksmith would charge much more than this. The $30.00 charge has seemed to work in my target markets. This being said, this fee is not sacrosanct. If you find $50.00 is not working for you, feel free to raise it. Just be sure to check your local laws to make sure you're not violating any of them. State and local laws are constantly changing and you never know when lockout fees will be added to them. In this case, you'll want to make sure you do not charge more than the laws allow you to. What If The Tenant Says Their Keys Were Stolen If the tenant's keys have been stolen, you'll want to take this seriously. This is true from a moral point as well as a legal one. How would you feel if your tenant was robbed, raped, or murdered because you did not change their locks for them? Also, what legal implications do you think this would have on you? Change the locks for a tenant who has lost their keys. This does not have to be done freely, but it does need to be done swiftly. If you can't do it yourself, have them call a locksmith. What If The Tenant Says That Their Lock Is Broken This is a maintenance issue and you'll need to fix it. If the tenant broke it and you can prove this, you can bill them for it. Otherwise, you'll have to pay for the new lock. A new lock can typically be purchased for less than $40.00 and you and your tenant will both have peace of mind. We once had a tenant who was the victim of a break-in. The thief actually broke the door frame and used the tenant's own travel bags to steal a bunch of jewelry and electronics from him. The maintenance staff reinforced his door frame and even though the lock wasn't technically broken, we decided to replace that as well. Why take a risk with someone else's safety? My Tenant Is Moving Out And They Say They've Lost Their Keys I may be a skeptic, but I don't always believe tenants when they tell me this. I'm especially suspicious when a tenant conveniently loses a mailbox key right before moving out. It takes two weeks for the post office to officially recognize a change of address form and often-times tenants forget about this. They decide they'll say they lost their key so that they can keep it and check their mail periodically over the next two weeks. One way to help avoid this is to remind tenants to put their change of address in when you send them your move-out letter. This is usually done thirty days before they move out, so they'll have plenty of time to get their change of address put in. Do I Have to Help Tenants Who Have Lost Their Keys When They Are Behind On Rent The answer to this question is a resounding yes. If you decide not to help them just because they are behind on the rent, they can sue you for locking them out. They'll claim in court that you locked them out without a proper eviction. While the tenant may or may not win this court case, they will end up wasting your time and your money doing so. What Other Steps Can I Take To Help Tenants With Lockouts We live in an age where technology can help us with almost all of our problems. Lockouts are no exception to this. Many property owners are now switching to electronic keypads. Install an electronic keypad and you won't have to worry about keys at all. You can give your tenant the key code and they can commit it to memory. On the off-chance that your tenant forgets the code to the keypad, a simple email, text or phone call can fix that. It's much easier to answer a text or phone call in the middle of the night than it is to drive across town with a key.

Recent Posts