Does a landlord HAVE to change locks in between tenants?

Question

I woke up this morning to find that my apartment had been broken into and robbed. I locked the door but I'm sure that somebody (a previous tenant) had a key and used it to get in. I would like the break my lease and move out but I don't want to be penalized for it. My question is...Are landlords required to change locks in between tenants? I live in California and I couldn't find any information about this topic. Thanks in advance for your help!

Meagan

Answer 1

I don't believe they're required to change locks. But you can change the lock yourself, as long as you give a copy of the keys to the leasing office. You may want to double check with your leasing agreement.

Answer 2

Hate to be a naysayer here, but:
1. How would you prove that you locked your door.
2.That the lock had not been re-keyed prior to your move-in.
3. That the perpertrator did not gain access by some other means (e.g. picking the lock or window.)
Landlords are not required to re-key. But it is always in their best interests to do so. In order for this to be the reason to break your lease, you would have to prove negligence on the part of the landlord. This may or may not go in your favor, especially if the landlord has paperwork verifying that the locks had been rekeyed.

Answer 3

I had a similar situation happen in my new apartment except i was home. The person walked right in with a key as i sat on my couch with my 1 yr old. So i know my locks were not changed!! I made a police report and will have the maintanence man sign a statement as to when he changed the locks. I still not fully unpacked anddont dont if all my things are still in my apartment.. Is this enough to break my lease? Also my property manager asured me that i had decent neighbors but i hear them fighting alomost every night and i only been there for a week. Not to mention 10 cop cars showed up to my building and arrested someone upstairs...

Answer 4

i don't think the landlord has to put new locks on, and i'm not sure if they have to re-key the apartments either... but i kind of doubt that they have to re-key them... and there's really no way for the new tenant to tell unless they know the old tenant and make sure that their key doesn't still work...

i help my grandma with her rental property and i always change the locks between tenants just out of courtesy and to protect their belongings and any form of lawsuits or anything against us... it's a small price to pay to be safe and secure in my opinion... but not all landlords are as nice!!! good luck...

Answer 5

No. They must provide locks, but each and every tenant that's ever lived there may have a set of keys. Comforting, no?

We have a locksmith come out before each new tenant moves in and rekey. Costs $40 to come out and $10 per lock. Few tenants complain.

Answer 6

not sure what changing the locks between tenants has to do with the owner entering into the valuables. despite if the owner replaced the locks after the final tenant, the owner might nonetheless have keys to go into the valuables.

Answer 7

Landlords are not required to change locks but many do out of security concerns.

Answer 8

There is no requirement that locks be rekeyed when tenants are changed. Hence, you have no legal basis for terminating your lease.

Think about it. Do you insist that the keys on a used car you purchased be changed ?

Answer 9

first; ask the police to check out the
lock.
they can tell if a key was used
or whatever.

then, require a RE-keying.
thus --no, the landlord does
not have to change locks
in the language of chaning
locks; but he must re-key them!