Comment by mdekkers
2 years ago
I have rented my entire life, and “change all the locks” has always been the very first thing I do. I have a couple of different size high security cylinder locks, and whilst no cylinder lock is unpickable, I’m pretty happy with mine.
Interesting, because many renters (myself included) would not be permitted to change the locks.
One rental apartment where I'd changed the lock core, one day the nice handyman admired the fancy Mul-T-Lock style key while I was letting him in, and later remarked about it to landlord.
So I had to put the old cylinder back in, because of condo rules about the property management company needing keys.
(Though I later learned that the property management company might not have been able to find my unit's key if they ever wanted to. One day, the fire department was at the building, trying to get into a different unit, which had an alarm sounding, but they found that the key box was empty. I was there, so I called the management company, but they refused to send a runner with the key. Even after I handed my phone to the firefighter in charge, and he identified himself and asked them again. :)
I’m in Europe, but the first thing I said to the renters of my Grandmother’s house was “here’s the keys, these are all the copies, but feel free to change the lock if it makes you feel more comfortable”.
People need to feel safe in their own homes.
This is quite different around the world. I've rented both at places where I could bring my own security locks and others where the landlord pretty much insisted in having a copy of all keys so they could enter in an emergency (e.g. a water leak) without breaking down the front door.
Change the cylinder. Put the old one back, when your rental period ends. Takes 10 mins to replace the cylinder.
Maybe operating on the "easier to ask forgiveness than permission" principle?
I think landlords have to give you notice before entering your unit in most areas.
Swapping locks is maybe a ten minute job (probably less if you've done it a lot).
There's nothing to stop a tenant from swapping out the locks, then swapping the landlord's locks back in before a scheduled visit.
The bigger problem is for the unscheduled emergency entry when a fire/water pipe broke and they have to bust the door down. Then you get to pay for replacing anything that was destroyed in the process, and your appartment is completely open until it gets fixed.
...And you might also get to pay for the water/fire damage to other appartments because it took longer to get into the appartment due to something you did.
3 replies →
I agree, I have never rented anywhere where I was permitted to change the locks.
I have changed the locks everywhere I have rented.
Interesting, when you did so did you know that you were assuming liability for the damage caused by the landlord being unable to access the property in an emergency?
1 reply →
When you say you weren't permitted, are you referring to the absence of any language on the topic, or the presence of language saying that you shall not? Assuming the former, proceeding to do it doesn't seem noteworthy.
What about giving a copy of the new key to the landlord? It's not as secure as keeping the key to yourself of course, but at least it eliminates the likelihood of prior tenants having a copy which is usually the primary threat.
Pretty much everywhere in Europe it is a legal right to be able to do so.
Not in Sweden.
>“Oops forgot to tell you.. was I not allowed to do that?”
The only way they would ever find out is if they were trying to enter your place unannounced.
And even then "You had trouble getting in? Oh yeah, the lock is sometimes really sticky. If it's jammed, it helps if you lean on the door while trying to turn the key, then let off the pressure while you're twisting the key. What did you need to get in for? Shouldn't you have called first? I'll be back around {30-60 mins after your excepted arrival time} and can let you in then." (meanwhile swap the original barrel back in before they show up again)
1 reply →