Asking for advice on tenant locksmith situation

Asking for advice on tenant locksmith situation

Member since 2022 · 5 posts · 2 votes

My tenant messaged me this morning stating she locked herself out of her bedroom. I previously lived in this property and never locked myself out of my room so I never looked nor do I even know if I have a key for the bedroom door. I told her this simple fact and stated, "unfortunately I would recommend calling a locksmith." 
Hours later she sends me the bill and says "He had to put a new lock in due to something with the door."
I was never called and asked if it was okay to put a new handle on the door. In my head, the lock smith was just going to open the door for her. 
I responded, "Thanks for the receipt. Since he had to replace the lock, I am willing to reimburse half of the cost. "

Which initially I was expecting to pay for nothing. She then responds, " I would like the full refund. This was not something I created. The door has lock which has no key for the lock. How am I responsible for even half of that? It's not my door or lock. If I put the lock on the door, I would not ask for you to pay half. "

I'm at the point where I've gotten out THE lease and it doesn't have anything about locksmith, however the maintenance, repairs section states, " All normal repairs necessary to maintain premises in a tenantable condition shall be done by or under the direction of the landlord, and at the Landlord's expense, except those caused by negligence or acts of the Tenant, which repairs shall be made at the sole coast of the Tenant. 

The bill was $135. It's not about the money. It's about the principal and setting standards incase a situation arises in the future. Am I at fault because I don't have a key for my bedroom door? And/or is she at fault because the locksmith didn't call and get my permission to replace the door handle?

Thanks for reading really appreciate any advice!

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Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2015 · 73 posts · 54 votes
3y

A couple of points:

1: The tenant was not given keys to all doors with locks.

2: The tenant was instructed to call a locksmith. No additional statement was made that it would be at their expense. It's easy for the tenant to think you'd pay.

Clear communication is paramount in all cases. I'd pay it & chalk it up to lesson learned. For the future, remove other door knobs that don't need to be keyed unless you have the keys and strengthen the lease to address lock outs. 

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  • Austin, TX · Member since 2019 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    3y

    You know many of these door handles will unlock with a "Paperclip" (see video).

    Unless you put some type of front door lock on the bedroom.

    (They should teach kids things like this in all schools--but they don't.)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaQnaiHn5eI

    Good Luck!

  • Member since 2022 · 5 posts · 2 votes
    3y

    Thanks for the response. I wish it was that kind of door knob. Mine honestly has a key insert. Which as I said I’m not aware that I even have a key for. 

  • Realtor · Athens, GA · Member since 2023 · 201 posts · 104 votes
    3y

    Yeah I wouldn't pay for that. It's their own negligence and if you were not consulted on how the problem was going to be fixed then that violates the "under the direction of the landlord" part. Especially if that was a $20 bedroom door knob from Lowes. 

  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    3y

    She locked herself out and was it a keyed lock or a simple passage door lock?  What kind of handle did the locksmith put on?  Hopefully one that does NOT lock with a key.

  • Real Estate Agent · Puyallup, WA · Member since 2022 · 551 posts · 378 votes
    3y

    This is the tenants responsibility, period. If I were you, I would call the Locksmith and get the full scoop. "Something in the door" doesn't sound real in my opinion. She locked herself out, you are not there to babysit.

  • Investor · Austin, TX · Member since 2015 · 73 posts · 54 votes
    3y

    A couple of points:

    1: The tenant was not given keys to all doors with locks.

    2: The tenant was instructed to call a locksmith. No additional statement was made that it would be at their expense. It's easy for the tenant to think you'd pay.

    Clear communication is paramount in all cases. I'd pay it & chalk it up to lesson learned. For the future, remove other door knobs that don't need to be keyed unless you have the keys and strengthen the lease to address lock outs. 

  • Investor · Baton Rouge, LA · Member since 2019 · 184 posts · 167 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Rosa Regier:

    A couple of points:

    1: The tenant was not given keys to all doors with locks.

    2: The tenant was instructed to call a locksmith. No additional statement was made that it would be at their expense. It's easy for the tenant to think you'd pay.

    Clear communication is paramount in all cases. I'd pay it & chalk it up to lesson learned. For the future, remove other door knobs that don't need to be keyed unless you have the keys and strengthen the lease to address lock outs. 


    I agree with this.  If there is a lock the tenant is allowed and able to use, then a key should be provided.  It needs to be replaced with a typical bedroom doorknob/lock so a locksmith would not be needed in the future.  Add it to your expenses, call it a day, and keep a satisfied tenant.

  • Honolulu, HI · Member since 2008 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    3y
    Aloha,

    There are a couple of issues here. First, as someone else stated, if there was a keyed lock on the BR door, either you provide the tenant with a key for it, or you disable the locking mechanism, or you replace the entire handset with a standard bedroom set. And then, you ask your soon to be tenant during their walk through, if they are familiar with that type of lock and how to use a paperclip or stiff wire to open it. Or, again disable the locking mechanism to prevent it from being locked by an unsupervised child. You should have resolved the lock issue during the turnover rental prep.

    Secondly, did the locksmith identify exactly what the issue was? Was it indeed just locked, or did the latch mechanism fail, which often happens with bedroom sets that have plastic components in that mechanism; or did the screws that secure the latch into the door come loose, allowing the latch and/or the screws to prevent the door from opening...also not an uncommon event. I would have contacted the locksmith tech to get additional details before assuming it was tenant damage.

    Be more thorough with your turnover process. Items such as this that could be easily replaced by almost any LL at a very minimal cost, will turn into a $135 aggravation at best if you overlook it!
  • Investor · Marietta, GA · Member since 2015 · 382 posts · 258 votes
    3y

    @Kristin Mathern

    I would pay it given no keys were provided, it wasn’t specifically addressed/mentioned in your lease, you were provided the opportunity to address/fix yourself with a 25-30 dollar replacement from Lowe’s/Home Depot, and lastly, it was an existing situation that could have been avoided/prevented at move in.

    Try to anticipate other potential avoidable situations with a follow up inspection to assess the Locksmith’s work and ask your tenant(s) if you can also use the time to assess for other issues such as unchanged HVAC filters, leaky pipes, working shutoff valves, working smoke detector batteries, properly working downspouts, clogged dryer vents, evidence of water damage from leaking roof, etc,etc,etc.

  • Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Jonathan G.:

    @Kristin Mathern

    I would pay it given no keys were provided, it wasn’t specifically addressed/mentioned in your lease, you were provided the opportunity to address/fix yourself with a 25-30 dollar replacement from Lowe’s/Home Depot, and lastly, it was an existing situation that could have been avoided/prevented at move in.

    Try to anticipate other potential avoidable situations with a follow up inspection to assess the Locksmith’s work and ask your tenant(s) if you can also use the time to assess for other issues such as unchanged HVAC filters, leaky pipes, working shutoff valves, working smoke detector batteries, properly working downspouts, clogged dryer vents, evidence of water damage from leaking roof, etc,etc,etc.


     Said much better than I ever could. Bravo!  You really have to anticipate the worst and fix it before it happens.

  • Ned J.Pro Member
    Investor · Manteca, CA · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    3y

    I would want more info from the locksmith to know exactly what was found, but if there was a door lock and you never provided a key, and they got locked out, then its on you. 

    In my area a house call for locksmith is going to cost $75-100 just to walk in the door, so $135 all in is not that big a deal.

    Not a hill I want to die on....... use it as a learning moment for the tenant- ALL repairs need to be approved by you BEFORE they are done. ANYTHING not pre-approved will not be reimbursed for (unless its an emergency and you cant be reached fast enough).... NO EXCEPTIONS. 

    Pay the $135.....get on the same page for future issues and move on. 

  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    1y

    Unfortunately, I think you should eat the cost on this.

    If you have a door that can lock, you should provide the key. If you don't have a key, change the doorknob to an appropriate interior knob that doesn't require a key.

    I provide my tenants with keys to all doors. My lease says they are responsible for lockout costs.

    The DIY Landlord Book4.7248 Reviews
  • tacoma, WA · Member since 2024 · 18 posts · 6 votes
    1y

    are they good tenants otherwise? if they pay and don't generally cause much of an issue, I would probably let this go, but communicate that all repairs or updates have to be approved in the future. 

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