Duplex Depot - Duplex and Multi-Family Real Estate

Duplex Depot Headache Avoidance Tip – Change the Locks on Those Rentals!

August 14th, 2009 Jacquie Cliff - Real Estate Agent and Loan Officer Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

As a real estate agent I am usually in charge of delivering the keys to the buyers that I have just helped get into a home.  Now I am sure that Lynnwood and the Seattle area is much safer than everywhere else in the country (not tongue in cheek) but it is a good piece of advice that you should get a property re-keyed after you take possession.

For rental properties(single family homes, duplexes, 4-plexes) this is especially important and often overlooked.  If you have just taken over, raised the rents and had tenants move out and new ones come in, you don’t want any surprises.  I can only imagine the headache that it would cause if your new tenant found out their house had been robbed by someone that had a key to the place! 

So get your doors rekeyed after tenants move out.  It is generally not overly expensive and is a lot easier to deal with than having a property robbed and possibly getting sued by the new tenants.