I'm wondering what others thoughts are on how to handle this situation. We self manage our property located in NSW. We've self managed for quite a few years but have never come across this absurd issue before. We have a relatively new tenant who has been in the unit for around two months. In that space of time the tenant has brought up an issue regarding keys for the property at least three times. The issue is that she doesn't believe it is right that we as the owners have a set of keys to the property!! It's absurd but there's no getting through to this tenant. We've explained all owners have a set of keys because they own the property, it's that simple. If we had an agent managing not only would we have a set of keys but the agent would as well! We will be seeing the tenant again shortly for a maintenance issue and I can guarantee she will bring it up again. We have reiterated that just like an agent, we can only enter a property with appropriate notice or as agreed with the tenant so that shouldn't be an issue. Any ideas?
Tell her to call the tenancy hotline and confirm with them? And that the topic is closed - you are not giving up your set of keys.
Why arm an idiot with any extra information or explanation ? Just tell them, you wont be entering the property without notice, if they carry on after that, then just let them waffle on....
I agree - put an end to the drama, they have their beliefs and you have keys. Tell them they are kept in a safe and you will only enter with appropriate notice. End of story. Btw yes landlords can hold a set of keys to their own properties.
Explain to them that if they are not happy with that they are free to find a new property (so long as they pay all lease breaking costs), but that the odds of them finding any property where a REA or landlord do not have at least one copy of all the keys on file will be pretty slim to none. Hell we even kept a copy of the window keys. Imagine having to fork out money to replace all the locks if one tenant lost keys!
Both us and our property managers have a copy of all keys for all our properties. I understand that it was our legal right as owners to do this. @sage99 , I would print out the following and give to your tentant after telling them it is from an tenants' organisation: Factsheet 07: Locks and security - Tenants NSW. It states that the landlord agrees to give each tenant named on the tenancy agreement A copy of the key... Not the original, not the only copy, JUST a copy. Case closed.
As a tenant I would be more worried about potential duplicate keys held by past tenants than I would be about an owner. In my agent days we would get a tenant now and then asking for the agency key as they had managed to lock themselves out. They never seemed to mind the agent had a key in this situation. How do they expect you to facilitate tradesmen for repairs and potential inspections for a sale/re-let if you don't have a key? Safe to say I would not be relying on a tenant to provide me access to my own property where I have given the requisite notice.
I've also been amazed that in over 35 years of being a landlord I've never once been requested to change the locks or had the issue raised about previous tenants being able to enter (if they had cut a spare key). We have changed locks a few times after questionable tenants have left to protect new tenants from any (even remote) possibility of old tenant returning. I'm with those that say to tell them it is your house and you have keys. Point out there are rules with severe penalties if you enter without proper procedures and notice. Or you could have some fun and say you only ever enter when they are not there (just kidding of course... don't do that).
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