Not Locking Tenant Doors

Landlords must provide every tenant with basic security features to protect tenants and their personal property.

Not locking tenant doors.

It exists as a tenant right even if there is no written lease it s not mentioned in the lease or even despite a lease that says the landlord is not responsible. This includes at the very least a front door with a. This includes basic security like having locking doors. Southern hospitality seems to draw the line at leaving doors unlocked for unwanted guests.

Landlords who take matters into their own hands often think that their behavior will be excused by the tenant s egregious conduct. If tenants ask about locks we explain that this is not possible due to fire regulations all inside doors have to have particular locks that can be unlocked from the inside of the bedroom without a key but also in the event of a fire it is possible that the fireman could not get through that door from the outside. The landlord must file a complaint with the court. If you do allow your tenants to change the lock to the unit make it clear in the lease that they must provide a key for you.

Rather they might just be doing it for peace of mind. Whether a tenant can or cannot change the locks on rental property you own is a state by state issue. If a landlord changes the locks without first getting an eviction order from the court they must give you a new key. But typically unless your lease prohibits this practice a tenant can change the locks on you.

For example 12 percent of americans age 65 and over but only 4 percent of those under 30 generally don t lock their doors when they go out with other age groups falling in between. Only 54 percent of respondents said they always. Kept their doors locked at all times compared to anywhere else with 81 percent always locking their doors alaska and the rest of the northwest were the most lax with their locks. Though non lockers are rare across all demographic groups some americans are more likely than others to go lock free.

If the tenant refuses the landlord must file an unlawful detainer action at the small claims court to have the tenant lawfully removed. A lockout is not an eviction some think it is a way to evict a tenant but lockouts are really meant to make a tenant who is late with the rent talk to the landlord about the problems and payment. Why you shouldn t lock out a tenant. Texas property code chapters 92 0081 through 92 009 describe when a landlord may.