I received an e-mail from a tenant at 7:30 tonight (MDT) from a tenant who, sadly, locked herself out. She's a nice lady, but I don't handle lockouts. Sure enough, she hired a locksmith. Well done!

After a bunch of lockouts earlier this year I sent the following e-mail to all tenants. Predictably, it hasn't helped. But hey, I tried! :)

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"Hello.

Getting home at 1:00 AM and realizing that your keys are somewhere else isn't a lot of fun. It's very inconvenient, to put it mildly. It can also be very expensive if you need to get a hotel room, hire a locksmith, re-key locks, etc.

Lost keys and lockouts have been happening fairly frequently, and it hasn't gone well for anyone. It's no longer something that we can assist with after 7 PM. We do not view lost keys as emergencies as they represent situations that were not caused by equipment that failed or by something that we did or didn't do. In other words, it's not our fault.

Sometimes even a locksmith won't be able to get you in.

Strongly recommended: Keep a backup set hidden in your car, placed in a lockbox, given to a friend, neighbor, etc. - or several of those options. It might help to actually visualize coming home and not being able to find your keys, and then following the solution that you implemented. Will your plan work?

If so, set it up for real. Some day you very might be glad you did.

we use bed and bath knobs for doors with deadbolt as main lock.

There are three kinds of lockout; Stupid, Unfortunate and Unavoidable.

STUPID is the most common - I left my keys inside and closed the door behind me with the knob already locked. This is solved 100% by using passage sets and deadbolts and/or leaving a key in a lockbox or other secure location. There's no lapse in security. This is not a LL problem and the tenant pays.

UNFORTUNATE - I went out and lost my keys or had them stolen. This is solved by leaving a key in a lockbox or other secure location. There is a lapse in security and the locks will need to be rekeyed to maintain security (were the keys lost right outside the door or was there ID with the keys when they were stolen). Tenant may also need to consider canceling cards and the security of their vehicle. This is not a LL problem and the tenant pays.

UNAVOIDABLE, the rarest of them all. Lock failure happens and is unplanned. Locks are reliable, but doors/building can shift causing alignment issues; locks can fail or jam. This is cured by having another means of entry until the issue can be fixed. Routine lock maintenance is NEVER carried out per the manufacturer's specification and a tenant will NEVER tell you the lock is giving trouble until after the actual failure. This is a maintenance issue; LL pays unless failure is caused by tenant abuse.

Electronic pushbutton locks can also help, but are prone to failure, especially when the low battery warning is ignored. The Schlage version has the ability to store 19 different codes so I can keep a couple of spares pre-programmed for forgetful tenants and/or emergency access by contractors - codes can be changed in less than a minute. Battery life under normal circumstances (even with a quarter of the year in stupid-cold weather) is over 2 years.

If you want to get really fancy (and expensive) there are versions that connect to the internet, but this is more of a gimmick than a useful feature.

As a big fan of contingency plans, I use passage sets, basic electronic deadbolts and an alternate means of entry where possible with a key in a coded lockbox. As a locksmith I service, maintain and change batteries on all openings once a year, whether they need it or not.

(Sorry about the typos. I wish we could edit our posts).

Thanks, JB.

Deadbolts are illegal here (fire code) for good reason.

Also, why would I go to the unnecessary expense of re-keying 8 locks on four buildings?

Jeff [CO] - Also, why would I go to the unnecessary expense of re-keying 8 locks on four buildings?

You might reconsider 'unnecessary' if a 'lost' key showed up in the hands of a criminal who then gains access to the building with no obvious means of illegal/unauthorised entry. With a properly structured key system in place, you only need to rekey locks that have been compromised by the missing key(s). Does the tenant really have access to four buildings?

Don't forget that the tenant pays to rectify a 'lost' key situation. It's not just a $2 key that was lost; the security of your building was compromised. Your tenant will forget who lost the key outside the front door if their big screen TV goes missing when they're at work.

Beelocks, the keys don't have the building or unit numbers. If someone finds a key on the street somewhere, so what?

"Does the tenant really have access to four buildings?" That question doesn't make sense. Of course they don't.

"Lost" keys or keys that are actually lost are handled the same: Not my problem.

You lost me with most of your post, to be honest.

Deadbolts are illegal? On an individual unit?

The kind that have a turner on the inside and a lock on the outside? I’ve never heard of a place that made THAT illegal. I’ve heard of places that made keyed side both sides illegal, but not if the inside is a knob.

Imagine the scenario where a key is lost on immediately out side building, in the parking lot, 2 feet away from the door. Obviously, you don't know it was lost there because it's lost. Someone finding that key right there *may* try it in the nearest lock, just on the off-chance.

Imagine a key is stolen along with wallet/purse. The wallet contains an ID with an address. Lucky criminal may take a chance by going to the address and trying the key in the door.

In both cases security to one building is compromised and cannot be re-established by simply giving/selling the tenant a replacement key. There is no need to rekey 8 locks across 4 buildings, just the compromised locks.

Maybe these things don't happen in Colorado and that's fine.

Barb, that is correct. Deadbolts are illegal for main building access doors. Without breaker bars, occupants could be trapped in the building in the event of a fire.

Beelocks, I have great insurance, security cameras, and tenants are made aware of key policies.

I think you're over-thinking this.

Work and lockouts are two different things. I don't have the kind of tenants who would vandalize my buildings.

My tenant pool would never call a locksmith.

Breaking in a door or window would be their way of handling it.

Beelocks:

Have you tried LockState wi-fi locks. They're internet-based and you can set or delete codes from the internet without visiting the lock. The only time you go to the lock is to change the battery. It even sends you an email when battery gets low. On the site you can set codes, issue commands, and monitor events. You can even setup temp codes or have codes expire. They also have common group access for common entry doors, etc. I have them in my home and love them.

LOTF,

I tend to avoid the motor driven locks where possible.

Most of them have a failsafe built in where it detects when the boltwork is obstructed and will then retract the bolt, but this brings up other issues such as the door being unlocked when it really needs to be locked.

RentsDue,

Na, Jeff, you're so wrong. However, my properties are what they are. Lower end tenants and units operate on a different level than upper tier, no matter how you try to change them. I've tried for years and have learned to accommodate the sector of tenants I rent to. It's a balance ... tough some days but nothing wrong with it once you figure out your own tolerances.