As a Brandywine rental property owner, you always try distinguishing systems to reduce property maintenance costs. While you can easily do several things to save money, re-keying your rental property’s locks is not one of them. Regardless of how amicably your last renter left, it would be best to consistently have your property’s locks re-keyed between renters. There are many reasons for this, the most crucial 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 the first concern for Brandywine property managers, whether or not your property is currently occupied. Even momentarily vacant properties can become unfortunate targets for criminal mischief and burglary. This is only possible if your previous renters copied their key and gave it to someone not on the lease. To keep your property secure and to hinder criminal activity, you need to be able to control who has access to the property and when. You can do this more easily by re-keying your property’s exterior doors once a renter moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys are a severe issue for your future renters. Renters yearn to feel safe in their rental homes. However, if your past renters still have a key to the house, that feeling of safety may be a treacherous and 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 especially lose the trust of your renter, which may cause canceled leases and costly turnover. It’s beneficially important to re-key the locks to make renter safety a reality.
Increased Appeal
Although understandably, the cost of re-keying the locks between renters may make you hesitate, you can use it as a selling point for your property. Suppose a prospective renter is worried about their safety. In that case, you can effectively allay those fears by guaranteeing that their locks have been re-keyed, and they may decide on 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, as quickly as possible, recover anything paid to have the locks re-keyed.
DIY or Hire a Pro?
If you possess some DIY skills, re-keying the locks on your rental property is a viable option. Although it requires a certain level of practical knowledge, it’s generally more accessible than a complete lock, knob, or deadbolt replacement and often more cost-effective. However, hiring a professional locksmith might be a wise choice to ensure the accuracy of the job. A locksmith can efficiently handle the task, instilling greater confidence that the re-keying process is executed accurately. Regardless of the approach, the utmost goal is to make sure the task is done correctly, providing you with an entirely new set of keys to furnish your new renter.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
Today’s landlords are looking for other solutions to help ascertain their property’s and renter’s safety. As a sample, instead of re-keying the locks every time a renter moves out, many landlords find it more cost-effective to install an electronic keypad or brilliant essential product. To cite an instance, installing a keyless entry system that is by a code instead of a physical key could avoid the need for re-keying your property altogether. More advanced keyless entry systems additionally need a smartphone app to unlock. Though such options cost more upfront, the most significant benefit is that you can effortlessly change the key code or essential intelligent tool. Moving forward, a keyless entry system could add up to additional savings.
Renter move-out can be a manic time for property owners. Why not let Real Property Management Gold professionals Real Property Management Gold do it for you? Our Brandywine property managers are great at handling everything the move-out process needs and can find you a trusty new renter! To learn more, contact us online or call us at 301-392-2172.
Originally Published on July 2, 2021
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