As a Dearborn rental property owner, you’re probably trying to search for ways and means to reduce property maintenance costs. Though you can do several things to save money, re-keying your rental property’s locks is not one of them. Irrespective of how amicably your last renter left, you should often have your property’s locks re-keyed between renters. There are different reasons for this, the most vital 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 biggest concern for Dearborn property managers, whether or not your property is currently occupied. Even fleetingly vacant properties can be targeted for criminal mischief and burglary. This is just made simpler 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 prevent criminal activity, you need to be able to control who has access to the property and when. You can do and complete this more effortlessly by re-keying your property’s exterior doors when a renter moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys are a serious problem for your future renters. Renters aspire to feel safe in their rental homes. Having said that, if your past renters still have a key to the house, that feeling of safety may be a deadly 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 equally lose the trust of your renter, which may set off canceled leases and financially wasteful turnover. To make renter safety a reality, it’s vital to re-key the locks.
Increased Appeal
Though the cost of re-keying the locks between renters may make you hesitate, you can make use of it as a selling point for your property. If a prospective renter is worried for their safety, you can allay those fears by guaranteeing that their locks have been re-keyed; and they may pick 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 swiftly recover anything paid to have the locks re-keyed.
DIY or Hire a Pro?
If you are handy, you can re-key the locks of your rental property yourself. Even though it is far simpler to carry out, it does take a bit of skill. And re-keying the locks can be a bit more inexpensive than replacing the entire lock, knob, or deadbolt.
Having said that, to warrant the job is completed effortlessly, you may need to hire a professional to come in and do it for you. A professional locksmith will be able to execute the job more efficiently and give you higher confidence that the re-key was fulfilled completely. Either way, the key thing is that it is done rightly, and you have an entirely new set of keys to give to your new renter.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
Today’s landlords are going in search of other solutions to help make certain of their property’s and renter’s safety. As an example, instead of re-keying the locks constantly as a renter moves out, many landlords find it more cost-effective to install an electronic keypad or smart key product. For a case in point, installing a keyless entry system that is depending on a code instead of a physical key could evade the need for re-keying your property altogether. Advanced keyless entry systems, on top of that, necessitate a smartphone app to unlock. While it is true that such options cost more upfront, the perk is that you can very easily change the key code or smart key tool. As time progresses, a keyless entry system could add up to huge savings.
Renter move-out can be a really busy time for property owners. Why not let the professionals at Real Property Management Metro Detroit do it for you? Our Dearborn property managers are proficient at properly dealing with everything the move-out process necessitates and can find you an excellent new renter! To learn more, contact us online or call us at 248-808-6550.
Originally Published on July 2, 2021
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
