Return Keys To Landlord: Fill & Download for Free

Landlord won't provide the key to the back door, only the front door. I can't enter through my own back door if it is locked, only the front. Is this legal? I rent a detached house with two doors.I tend to be one of those who just moves around the obstacle - the landlord’s refusal to rekey the lock in this case.You can take the back door lock to a locksmith and have them make you a key to fit that lock. Call up a locksmith and ask how much that would cost. Your landlord will never know.Alternatively.Since your lease requires you to return the rental in the same condition as you got it, you can go to a locksmith and buy a lock the same color as the back door set and that fits your front door key, have the locksmith rekey your newly purchased locks to your front door key, go home and install the new lockset in the back door.Now your front door key works in the back door.When you are ready to move out swap out your back door locks for the original locks you saved in a big ziplock bag.

Unless there is a specific law outlawing the use of such key fobs, the answer to your question is that you could sue, but your suit would be unsuccessful. Such key fobs are actually very common and have been for many years. I would be very surprised if the use of an electronic key fob system is illegal anywhere in the United States. Landlords can also tell when you come and go through security cameras put throughout the public areas of the building. Those are not illegal either.In the end, the only way to avoid key fobs or cameras is to find an apartment complex that does not have cameras or key fobs. However, the landlord could add key fobs and cameras at any point, and you would have no basis to win a lawsuit over them.Key fobs are convenient for landlords and create better security for tenants. If a tenant loses a key to the main part of the building, the landlord has to change the locks and get new keys for everyone. In addition, when a tenant moves out, there is no way to know if the tenant made a copy of the key, even if s/he returns it. However, the landlord will not change the external locks when each tenant moves out or loses a key to the building entryway. This creates a risk for the people living in the building.If, however, the landlord uses key fobs, if one gets lost or there are concerns that a tenant will use it improperly if it is not returned, the landlord need only disable the specific fob. Problem solved.

Accept it or buy a home.You will never have all keys in your possession when you rent, because while the apartment or house might be your home, it’s still the landlord’s property, and they need to be able to enter or unlock it.You will typically receive two sets of keys that cannot be copied, and you will need to pay your landlord a fee if you require more than that. No matter the arrangement, your landlord or property manager will always hold on to a key. This is absolutely necessary as she may need to unlock the doors to conduct inspections, show the unit to prospective tenants, or conduct emergency repairs. Since tenants sometimes break their lease and leave without returning the keys, or they have to be evicted, your landlord needs to be able to get in without wasting money on a locksmith.Depending on the laws in your state your landlord will usually be required to give advance notice before they enter your property, but it’s not at all uncommon for someone to come by while you aren’t home to inspect the state of the unit, change AC filters, or carry out maintenance. And if your landlord or property manager suspects an emergency, she may need to enter immediately.You will never get all the keys to a rented property, so you can either apologize for insisting that she hand over all of them and accept the situation, or you can purchase your own home.