Meeting tenants at 11pm? Concerned about safety. Advice please.

Rental Property Investor · Member since 2022 · 3 posts · 3 votes

We have difficult tenants in one of our rental houses in Utah. We are not extending the lease for them and they've been very angry about it. When I asked them when they'll give us the keys, they said they'll meet us at the property at 11pm on Saturday, the last day of the lease.

We're concerned about our safety but we are also anxious to get the keys from them and change locks ASAP. We are worried they'll destroy the house.

We can't find any law where it says if the tenants have until midnight or end of business day to return the keys.

What shall we do?

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member

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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes

Quote from @Maggie Mahoney:

We're concerned about our safety but we are also anxious to get the keys from them and change locks ASAP. We are worried they'll destroy the house.

We can't find any law where it says if the tenants have until midnight or end of business day to return the keys.

What shall we do?

Let them know you don't feel comfortable meeting them that late at night. Do you have a spare set of keys? Instruct them to leave the keys on the counter and lock the door behind them. You show up the following morning and collect the keys.

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
4y
Quote from @Maggie Mahoney:

We have difficult tenants in one of our rental houses in Utah. We are not extending the lease for them and they've been very angry about it. When I asked them when they'll give us the keys, they said they'll meet us at the property at 11pm on Saturday, the last day of the lease.
We're concerned about our safety but we are also anxious to get the keys from them and change locks ASAP. We are worried they'll destroy the house.
We can't find any law where it says if the tenants have until midnight or end of business day to return the keys.
What shall we do?
Let them know you don't feel comfortable meeting them that late at night. Do you have a spare set of keys? Instruct them to leave the keys on the counter and lock the door behind them. You show up the following morning and collect the keys.
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Julie Hartman
Property Manager · Denver, CO · Member since 2021 · 667 posts · 587 votes
4y
I would tell them that you only meet during normal business hours and this does not include weekends. If you do end up agreeing to it, I would tell them any after hours call will require a $100 charge (an another person for safety). Otherwise, the walk through will be done as absentee; they need to leave all access devices on the kitchen counter along with their forwarding address. If they don't like it, too bad. You are putting yourself at risk especially with a combative tenant. Don't walk into a bad situation. There is also no law requiring you to meet so late at night or do in-person walk through's. I would amend your lease agreements going forward to include a specific time that a tenant needs to be out on the last day (5:00pm mountain time, for example).
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Stephanie Spencer-Boldon
Real Estate Agent · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2016 · 11 posts · 10 votes
4y
What are your normal business hours? That is the time in which you meet with them. Don't allow them to control the narrative. If they've violated the lease agreement anyway, there's no reason to believe that they're going to leave the property in good condition so the property inspection can be done after they leave and based on the damage deduct from their security deposit. Have them to leave the keys in a designated location get there first thing in the morning with a locksmith and move on. I agree with the previous respondent to state your allowable time in your lease agreement. then you have legal standing.
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Scott Mac
Austin, TX · Member since 2019 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
4y
Hi Maggie,
If you do not feel safe do not go!
Ring ring ring: Hello this is angry renter.
You: Hi Angry Renter, I'll need you to return to keys to me during normal business hours.
Drive over to my office and leave them in the mailbox (or meet me at McDonald's at X am the next day).
Or you can just leave them on the kitchen counter top and I'll have a locksmith drill the lock out--which will come out of your deposit.
If you're in a smaller town maybe they can drop them of at the front desk of the local PD and you can go pick them up at 11:30. The Desk Sargent will know how to deal with tough guys if they get out of hand.
Maybe that's the reason for this: https://www.inman.com/2017/09/13/nar-study-reveals-25-of-male-agents-pack-heat-do-you/
Good Luck!
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Tom Fidrych
Member since 2020 · 241 posts · 179 votes
4y
No way I would meet a tenant at 11PM. If you have an extra key, have them lock the keys in the house when they depart and inspect on the next morning.
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Colleen F.Pro Member
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
4y
@Maggie Mahoney if they ask for a walk through then it must be done with an empty unit during the day or normal business hours. If they want to just give you the keys have them leave them on the counter and lock up. If you are worried about damage that is another story.
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Cassi Justiz
Rental Property Investor · Edmond, OK · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4y
I absolutely would not meet anyone at 11pm at night. I personally operate during business hours and the occasional Saturday morning.

If they plan to damage the property, it won't matter if you get keys and change the locks out at 11pm on Saturday or 8am the following morning. Your safety is the bigger concern here.

If you have a spare key, have them lock up and leave the keys inside the house. I've also left a combo box at the property and asked tenants to secure the keys in the lockbox and put the lockbox on the door when they leave. If property is not secured and key is not in the lockbox, then the fee to pay a locksmith to access the property will be deducted from the deposit.

If you are concerned about your safety, you can also ask for a sheriff to accompany you when changing out the locks the following day. We recently had an eviction and the sheriff met our contractor at the property to sweep the unit and make sure it was secure before he went in.
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Matthew Irish-JonesBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4y
Quote from @Maggie Mahoney:

We have difficult tenants in one of our rental houses in Utah. We are not extending the lease for them and they've been very angry about it. When I asked them when they'll give us the keys, they said they'll meet us at the property at 11pm on Saturday, the last day of the lease.
We're concerned about our safety but we are also anxious to get the keys from them and change locks ASAP. We are worried they'll destroy the house.
We can't find any law where it says if the tenants have until midnight or end of business day to return the keys.
What shall we do?

Show up with a van full of your closest friends and make sure everyone is strapped or... Drop them off a lock box during daylight hours and ask them to kindly leave the keys in the lockbox and you will be over to check the property at your convenience.
You have every right to chose not to extend a lease, as long as your tenants have been given proper notice you have not done anything wrong and should not be subject to their bullying. You can either bully back, or get the keys another way. If you are not comfortable defending yourself you should not go there at 11pm at night.
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JD MartinBusiness Member
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Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 17k+ votes
4y
Quote from @Maggie Mahoney:

We have difficult tenants in one of our rental houses in Utah. We are not extending the lease for them and they've been very angry about it. When I asked them when they'll give us the keys, they said they'll meet us at the property at 11pm on Saturday, the last day of the lease.
We're concerned about our safety but we are also anxious to get the keys from them and change locks ASAP. We are worried they'll destroy the house.
We can't find any law where it says if the tenants have until midnight or end of business day to return the keys.
What shall we do?

You've received good advice here already. One thing I have to add is that you should be giving directives to your tenant, not asking them for guidance. Instead of "asking them when they'll give you the keys", you should be *directing* them to - leave them on the counter and lock the door behind you; leave them in a lockbox; send them via certified mail; ETC. It doesn't matter what your policy is, the point is you should have one.

We have tenants lock the keys in the house on their last day and we send someone over the next day to pick them up and make a preliminary scan of the house or do the full inspection depending on availability. For houses that don't have doors that can be locked - i.e. deadbolts with keys only - we have tenants mail us the keys in a bubble pack. If you have an office that's open to the public (we don't), then you could have the keys dropped off at the office.

As far as them destroying the house, if they're going to do so then it's not going to matter if it's 8 PM or 11 PM or 9 AM when you get the keys.
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Joe Miller
Real Estate Broker · Columbus, OH · Member since 2021 · 203 posts · 247 votes
4y
@Matthew Irish-Jones I was going to say the same thing. Turn those tables and show up with either an army of strapped mercenaries .. OR have them drop the keys off in a mailbox/designated location.

I would not meet even the sweetest tenants at 11 pm at night. If you feel scared in anyway trust your gut.
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Matthew Irish-JonesBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
4y
Quote from @Joe Miller:

@Matthew Irish-Jones I was going to say the same thing. Turn those tables and show up with either an army of strapped mercenaries .. OR have them drop the keys off in a mailbox/designated location.

I would not meet even the sweetest tenants at 11 pm at night. If you feel scared in anyway trust your gut.

I have not interest in working at 11pm on a Saturday night regardless of whether I feel threatened or not. That's just to dang late!
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Colleen F.Pro Member
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
4y
@Maggie Mahoney How did you make out?
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Maggie Mahoney
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Rental Property Investor · Member since 2022 · 3 posts · 3 votes
4y
Quote from @Colleen F.:

@Maggie Mahoney How did you make out?

I took everyone's advice and asked the tenant to leave the keys and his new address for the security deposit inside, and shut the door behind. He did not like it and sent me another mean reply, but he did leave the keys. He did not leave a new address.
The next morning I walked into a dirty house with urine stench. It looks like the whole family and their friends peed in the master closet. The carpet was soaking wet. I wonder if this would not have happened if I met with the tenant at 11pm. I'm a private landlord and I don't have office hours.
Fun fact, how many gallons of used motor oil can a tenant collect in random open and closed containers in 2 years? 30+ gallons !
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Stephanie Spencer-Boldon
Real Estate Agent · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2016 · 11 posts · 10 votes
4y
You're not meeting them at 11:00 did not cause them to do what they did. That was just them.
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Colleen F.Pro Member
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
4y
@Maggie Mahoney Nope people who behave this way would do this kind of stuff anyway. If they were that angry seeing them in person could just be that much worse. Charge them for the oil disposal and closet.
In our state you can send the deposit return letter to the property address if they don't leave a forwarding and just not open it. In some states you are not obligated to send the deposit return until so many days after they actually give you a forwarding address.
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