The last few times I’ve had maintenance issues in my apartment, I’ve gotten calls from the leasing office saying that they are unable to enter my apartment because they’ve lost the key. So I swing by the office and they make a new key.
I have had this exact scenario happen three (3) fucking times in the last three months! I have no idea why the keys are getting lost. I asked the apartment manager after the third go-around, and she just threw up her hands and said “I have no idea what it is about your apartment.” I expressed concern about having so many keys floating around, but she didn’t seem worried. I think my concern is valid, because if the copies aren’t being returned to the office, someone is keeping them. Maybe the culprit is planning on stealing my stuff. I have a Playstation 3 and an Xbox 360, which are still someone valuable items.
I live in Texas. Do I have a legal right to demand that new locks be installed in my apartment because there are so many extra keys unaccounted for? If I do, and the leasing office balks at changing the locks, who would I need to contact to get the locks changed?
My first thought would be to check your signed lease agreement. That’s gonna be referenced in almost any legal question pertaining to your rights as a tenant. I doubt there’s a law on the books which is so specific as to fit your situation - but I’m no lawyer…
Well, I don’t think I can do that without their say-so, since they own the apartment.
According to my lease agreement, they must change or rekey the locks or latches at my expense “subject to some limitations.” From the landlord’s tepid response to my concern, I’m wondering how many of those conditions could magically arise.
And it is at my expense, even though they are the ones who can’t keep up with the keys. That just seems a little wrong to me, for me to pay for their negligence.
IANAL, but I doubt you have a legal right to require them to change the locks because they lost the keys. Locks aren’t changed between tenants, and not every tenant returns all the copies of all the keys they were given, so chances are there are *dozens *of keys to your place floating around people’s junk drawers (people who know your address because they used to live there!) all over the country, not just the three keys the landlord lost. (Sleep well!)
But if you “lose” your keys on the bus, I’m bet you could talk them into changing them for you. Especially if you “lost” your ID with your address on it, as well.
Just make it your fault, since either way, you’re going to have to pay for it. It’s a lot easier to place the blame on yourself than to get someone else to admit fault.
I don’t see an issue with you having the locks rekeyed as long as you provide them with a working key. Sounds like they’ll make you pay for it anyway, and whether that’s fair or no, you might as well get it done yourself. At least you can control the cost of it that way and avoid any bullshit “fees” the apartment managers would probably try to charge you.
Two problems: one, if it’s a Master key system, the management company will Not Be Happy. (Or course, if it’s a Master key system, then their Master should have been able to get in, but maybe they lost it along with the unit’s key.)
Second, good luck getting a locksmith to rekey a lock you don’t own.
If they had a Master key they wouldn’t need to keep copying his key, and if they had lost it, same difference.
As for locksmiths, maybe, maybe not. In any case, OP needs to find out specifically what “some limitations” means. He has a reasonable right to safety and security in his own home.
A new exterior lock can be had for less than $30 from a home improvement store, it takes about 10 minutes to change out with nothing more than screwing and unscrewing a couple of bolts, and they come with several keys, so getting a new one to the office is as easy as handing it over.
Am I perhaps missing something, with the talk about locksmiths?
If they don’t have a key, how would they know if you changed the locks and gave them a new key? Change the lock yourself and keep a poker face when you give them the key.
In your situation you really have no idea how many keys may be out there anyway. If they change your lock, they will probably be exchanging it for one they swiped from another unit. That’s how apartments work. Your main priority is your safety. Make sure you use inside backup protection to prevent forced entry while you are home. A simple 2"X4" with a half notch in the top and angled against the doorknob is very secure. Firemen say they have to chop the door to get into such a reinforcement.
Personally, if they said they did not have a key, I’d be A-OK with it. I’ll just take care of my own stuff.
PS. Getting into an apartment with no key is child’s play.
I would agree. Go to a Home Depot, get a new lock, and do it yourself. I redid the lock on my front door recently having never done it and it took about 10 minutes, and only required a screwdriver. Once you take the old lock out, putting in the new lock in the exact same way is just a matter of reversing the steps.
I can’t imagine why the apartment folks will care if 1) you are paying to replace the lock and 2) you give them a copy of the key. Meanwhile, they will probably lose that one as they did with the previous three, so I’m not sure that really helps you. Does the key have anything on it that identifies it as belonging to your apartment or apartment complex? If not, I’d probably just let it go and not even bother with the replacement. Or if you are really that paranoid, spend the $30, replace the lock yourself (since a locksmith will charge at least that much to rekey the old one), and give a copy to the front office.
Supposedly, they have a key now in a “safe place.” They have now copied the key on three separate occasions. Plus, the maintenance guys are around a lot and might see me changing the locks, which might be prohibited (although, looking at my contract, I can’t see anything specifically prohibiting it, only that they have to provide security devices.).
I know that breaking in to my place without a key would be easy (break a window, etc.). But what I’m concerned about is that if they have a key, there’d be no signs of forced entry, which might make it difficult to file a police report. Wouldn’t the police response be “Well, no forced entry. I guess you left your door unlocked. Them’s are the breaks”?
Sorry, I saw your post after the one I just did. I guess it wouldn’t matter if I did it myself and just gave them a key. Again, nothing prohibiting it, that I can find.
Why do you keep going down to the office so they can copy your key? Next time they call just say “That’s your problem, you deal with it” and go on about your business.
Because they won’t deal with it; they just won’t do the work. The last maintenance issue I had (replacing an air conditioner part), I had to go by the leasing office every day for a solid week asking them to fix the problem. Each time I got a “okay, we’re on it.” Finally, the leasing office called me and said the reason they hadn’t made it by to fix my problem was because they lost the key. I took a solid week for someone to just tell me that.
Is it YOUR responsibility to continue providing news keys to the managers because they lose them? Unless the management office has key cutting equipment on site, you are giving them a key, they are taking it somewhere to copy it, and you get your’s back later – somehow. Do they make you come to the office to get your original back?
I would tell management that I lost my extra key and I’m not willing to part with my only one for their convenience. If they want another key, they can have a locksmith come by and put in new locks, and give you both keys.
BTW, do you have dope-growing setup in a spare room? 'Cause I could see where your key could become very popular with the staff.
Nope, no dope except the Straight Dope here. And they do have a key-cutting machine on site, so it only takes a minute or so for them to make a new copy.
