As a Redmond rental property owner, you’re constantly trying to single out procedures to reduce property maintenance costs. Much as you can do one or several things to save money, re-keying your rental property’s locks is not one of them. Makes no difference how amicably your last renter left, you should always have your property’s locks re-keyed between renters. There are many reasons for this, the most weighty being the security of your property, the safety of future renters, and helping boost your rental’s appeal to new renters.
Property Security
Security should be a chief concern for Redmond property managers, whether or not your property is currently occupied. Even briefly vacant properties can get to be targeted for criminal mischief and burglary. This is only made uncomplicated if your previous renters copied their key and gave it to someone that wasn’t on the lease. To keep your property secure and avoid criminal activity, you need to be able to control who has access to the property and when. You can implement this more without the hassle of re-keying your property’s exterior doors every time a renter moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys are a major issue for your future renters. Renters love to feel safe in their rental homes. Though, if your past renters still have a key to the house, that feeling of safety may be a rather dangerous 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 furthermore lose the trust of your renter, which may be the cause of canceled leases and excessive, costly turnover. To make renter safety a reality, it’s salient to re-key the locks.
Increased Appeal
Much as the cost of re-keying the locks between renters may make you hesitate, you can benefit from 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 like best 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 very rapidly recover anything paid to have the locks re-keyed.
DIY or Hire a Pro?
If you are certainly handy, you can re-key the locks of your rental property yourself. While it is a matter of fact that it is a whole lot easier to do, it does take a bit of skill and know-how. And re-keying the locks can be a bit more affordable than replacing the entire lock, knob, or deadbolt.
Though to ensure that the job is done without mistakes, you may aim to hire a professional to come in and do it for you. A professional locksmith will be able to finish the job more efficiently and bring you higher confidence that the re-key was settled suitably. Either way, the most imperative thing is that it has been done thoroughly, and you have an entirely new set of keys to give to your new renter.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
Today’s landlords are attempting to find other solutions to help ensure their property’s and renter’s safety. To cite an instance, instead of re-keying the locks systematically when a renter moves out, a bunch of landlords find it more cost-effective to install an electronic keypad or smart key product. By way of example, installing a keyless entry system that is reliant on a code instead of a physical key could suppress the need for re-keying your property altogether. More novel and advanced keyless entry systems, in addition, require a smartphone app to unlock. Although such options cost more upfront, the real edge or benefit is that you can simply change the key code or smart key tool. Through time, a keyless entry system could add up to considerable savings.
Renter move-out can be a very busy as well as hectic time for property owners. Why not let the professionals at Real Property Management Eclipse do it for you? Our Redmond property managers are good at properly handling everything the move-out process mandates and can find you a likable and trustworthy new renter! To learn more, contact us online or call us at 425-209-0252.
Originally Published on July 2, 2021
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