The picky question that most management companies get when facing a new property to manage or a turnover is: Do we do a lock change or re-key?
As a management firm it is key the you have the home’s security in mind at all times epspecially in the transitionary periods when properties are vacant and tenants move in and out. Time management is crucial when you are processing a lock change. This first step in getting a property rolling is to make sure a lock change occurs and all keys are logged and accounted for. Once you have these goals in minds you get to the question of lochange versus re-keying a lock. There is pros and cons to doing either. There is three deteriming factors in making this choice for your property. The Cost of the lock change is at times higher than re-keying the lock, however at times the labor to re-key can make the cost about the same. Security is the factor in making this choice, re-keying a code compliant lock is much more efficient to comply with housing regulations. In Washington D.C. there are laws with fire prevention in mind that need to be kept in mind when doing a lock changes. Locks cannot make it difficult for anyone to exit the property in the event of a fire. Liability is the last factor that is equally as important as the others to accomplish. There is that queston of has a tenant truly returned all keys and copies on keys that can be duplicated. When keys are not returned this makes it more crucial to do a lockchange ir re-key in a prompt manner. In conclusion a property management company needs to make sure to make the best choice tailored to each property as no two properties hold identical characteristics that need to be accounted for in doing a lock change or re-key. Real Property Management DC Metro 2828 10th St. NE Washongton DC202-269-0303www.RealPropertyManagementDC.comwww.DC-Metro.realpropertymgt.comwww.RPMDCMetro.com Written by Karla Ferrel