As a Rancho Cordova rental property owner, you’re all the time, trying to search for means to reduce property maintenance costs. Though conceding you can do some things to save money, re-keying your rental property’s locks is not one of them. Despite how amicably your last renter left, you should constantly have your property’s locks re-keyed between renters. There are many different reasons for this, the most significant being the security of your property, the safety of future renters, and successfully helping boost your rental’s appeal to new renters.
Property Security
Security should be the highest priority for Rancho Cordova property managers, whether or not your property is currently occupied. Even briefly vacant properties can, sadly, be targeted for criminal mischief and burglary. This is only made so much easier if your previous renters copied their key and gave it to someone that wasn’t on the lease. To keep your property secure and not allow criminal activity, you need to be able to control who has access to the property and when. You can do this more painlessly by re-keying your property’s exterior doors each time a renter moves out.
Renter Safety
Unreturned keys are a critical issue for your future renters. Renters expect to feel safe in their rental homes. But certainly, if your past renters still have a key to the house, that feeling of safety may be a perilous 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, besides that, lose the trust of your renter, which may stir up canceled leases and super-expensive turnover. To make renter safety a reality, it’s significant to re-key the locks.
Increased Appeal
Though conceding the cost of re-keying the locks between renters may make you hesitate, you can take advantage of it as a selling point for your property. If a prospective renter is worried about safety, you can very simply allay those fears by guaranteeing that their locks have been re-keyed; and they may choose 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 very soon recover anything paid to have the locks re-keyed.
DIY or Hire a Pro?
If you are certainly handy, you can re-key the locks of your rental property yourself. Even while it is so simple to do, it does take a bit of ability. And re-keying the locks can be more budget-friendly than replacing the entire lock, knob, or deadbolt.
But remember, to be sure that the job is done properly, you may need to hire a professional to come in and do it for you. A professional locksmith will be able to discharge the job more efficiently and proffer you higher confidence that the re-key was conducted appropriately. Either way, the most critical thing is that it is accomplished properly, and you have an entirely new set of keys to give to your new renter.
Alternatives to Re-Keying
Today’s landlords are constantly in search of other solutions to help make certain of their property’s and renter’s safety. For instance, instead of re-keying the locks every time a renter moves out, various landlords find it more cost-effective to install an electronic keypad or smart key product. Specifically, installing a keyless entry system that is reliant on a code instead of a physical key could keep away from the need for re-keying your property altogether. More advanced keyless entry systems likewise call for a smartphone app to unlock. Whereas such options cost more upfront, the appealing advantage is that you can effortlessly change the key code or smart key tool anytime you like. Through the years, a keyless entry system could add up to considerable savings.
Renter move-out can certainly be a very hectic time for property owners. Why not let the professionals at Real Property Management Folsom Lake do it for you? Our Rancho Cordova property managers are experts at taking care of everything the move-out process entails and can find you a very good new renter! To learn more, contact us online or call us at 916-850-2844.
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