How do you deal with tenants losing keys?

Question

I have a friend who owns a few rooming houses and occasionally has a tenant lose their key and lock themselves out. He self manages, so he usually ends up delivering a spare key which is a huge time suck. How do other property owners or managers handle these situations?

Mackaylee Beach · Answer

If switching to a keypad isn't feasible for you, be sure to implement lockout fees and charge for key replacements!

Mohammed Rahman · Answer

Yeah, constantly driving over to let someone in gets old fast—especially if it's late at night or happens often. A lot of landlords and managers handle lockouts with a mix of prevention and systems that don’t require them to be there in person.

Some of the common ways people deal with it:

They install smart locks or keypad entry systems, which are a game changer. You can generate codes for each tenant or just reset them remotely if needed. Some locks even let you track when someone enters. It’s a little upfront investment, but saves so much time and hassle.

Others just keep a lockbox on-site (like the realtor-style ones) with a spare key inside, and only give the code to tenants in case of emergency. You just have to make sure it’s secure and not super obvious.

Some landlords also charge a lockout fee—$50, $100, whatever—to discourage carelessness and make it worth the trip if they do have to show up. If your friend doesn’t want to be the one doing it, they can even pay a handyman or local locksmith to handle those calls for a fee.

It just depends how hands-on your friend wants to be. But in general, tech + boundaries = less stress.

Wesley W. · Answer

I'm bearish on using technology for this kind of stuff - especially for a rooming house, which sounds like workforce housing.

Here's what I have in my lease as a self manager in Upstate NY:

17. LOCKS:  If you find it necessary to have us unlock the Rental Unit you will be charged a fee of $75.00, payable as Additional Rent, within 7 days from the lockout service.  If we are unavailable to assist with a lockout, a licensed and bonded locksmith should be called at your expense.  A lost key can be replaced at a cost of $12.00.  You may not change or add to the locks of the Rental Unit at any time.  Lock changes shall be made only by us.  You may make copies of your key at your discretion.  You may request that your unit be re-keyed by us via appointment for a fee of $50.00, payable as Additional Rent.

If I am nearby, I will swing by and charge for the lockout.  If I am not, they will have to call a locksmith.  I should probably update the prices a bit to align with the inflationary environment in recent years.

Regarding the lease, give them proper legal notice and present them with a lease.  If they do not sign, issue proper notice to terminate.  Have an attorney ready, as these kind of tenants will dig in, and evicting for anything other than non-payment is not for the faint of heart in the Socialist Republic of New York.

Wesley W. · Answer

Yes, exactly right.  It must be said that since I've had this policy, no one has called for a lockout.

Theresa Harris · Answer

I'm curious-why$50 for re-key vs $75 for lock out?  It is because one is done at a time that works for you and the other is more like an 'emergency' call?  Nice wording.

Chris Seveney · Answer

we have it in hte lease that a replacement key cost X (and its not cheap), and if they are locked out they will need to call a locksmith and pay for it and any replacement cost.

Depending on the property might also want to go with a smartlock where everyone has a different code.

Chris Chisholm · Answer

What’s stopping him from setting up new leases with the tenants?  Not sure about your local laws and regulations but if they are not in a lease, with sufficient notice you should be able to get them in a lease at some point noting the changes in policy.  “I’m looking to standardize things across all my properties and make sure we are on the same page with processes/policies, so I’d like to get you in the same consistent lease agreement as the rest…”

Tim Horning · Answer

@Alex Suarez l like the idea of a smart lock. How long do the batteries last?

@Theresa Harris, @Chris Chisholm l agree he should get everyone on leases. Not sure why he hasn't, but he's the type that wings it, learns on the fly, and usually gets more done than the average guy. Lol!

Christine Mulkins · Answer

This has happened to my husband and I with our tenants.  If the tenant is locked out because they lost the key and they're in a tough spot, the tenant can call a locksmith and pay for the cost to make a new key.  If they just lost a key and need a new one, I would just make them a new one and not charge them as an act of good faith.  Kindness goes a long way :)

How do you deal with tenants losing keys?

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