PM lost my 2nd set of keys

Just after some advice..

Late last year (October), the agents looking after my property were selling their rent roll. I chose a different agent to be my PM so i didn't feel like i was being sold off.

Since February this year, i discovered that my 2nd set of keys had gone missing. My current PM had to ask my tenant to leave his set of keys at the office, so we could do an inspection.The tenant questioned her and said he had never had to do that before.

My current PM searched the office and said that she is sure that the keys never came with all my files when she picked them up from my other agent. She contacted the other agent and she said that the keys were signed for. My PM strongly denies this.

I feel like i've been left in the middle of this and unsure what to do. I've tried contacting my old PM asking for proof of the keys being signed out.. but they have said they need to search through archives. They have been quite slack returning calls/messages.

Anyone got any advice?

 

Crowd fund for $25 for a replacement set of keys. You won't get it from the old agent as they're drinking Pina Coladas at the Cops Cabana and lying on a sun lounge.

 

I would have picked up the keys from tenant, drove to bunnings, got them cut and hallelujah - new set of keys and problem solved.
Time wasted in deciphering who did what, when is not worth considering in property management for anything that is under $20 to sort out.
WHY is this even an issue for them???

 

The new PM should just get a set cut and the cost is seriously too petty to pass onto the landlord or even to bother the landlord about it.

 

Hahaha! In fact, they probably are!

 

I have no idea why this is an issue for them. I just know there were quite a lot of keys on that key ring for a variety of things.. at least 10 of them i reckon. Somebody said to me i needed to change all my locks now because my tenants safety is compromised.. i think that was a little over the top.

 

Either do as Xenia said and just go get a copy of the keys , or since there's heaps of keys (which, lets be honest, is annoying for both you and tenant), get a locksmith to rekey it all alike. Not sure what they charge over there but mine charges about $25 a lock on top of his callout fee but end result is you only have to worry about 1-2 keys and both of your issues are done and dusted for life.

 

No need to change the locks. No different from when you get new tenants and they just get a copy of the exisiting keys...

 

Don't need to change locks
PM only needs front and screen door keys to do their job.
Still less that $30 to get them all cut.

 

Had one lose keys recently, only set of keys there was, they pay for it.

It is a pretty serious breakdown, they should have a key register and be chasing anyone who has not returned the keys, if I was the tenant I would be saying that they better have all locks changed.

 

It looks like they may have lost them in the transition between agencies. Otherwise most offices would have them recorded on a register if they were signed out.

I would guess that they were not coded when they originally came into the office - basic admin stuff is where most busy offices drop balls. Still, easy problem to rectify.

 

Not your say.

Keys at the agency don't have any identifiable markings or keytag, they have a code which is in the key register. If you found the keys on the street, you'd know the agency but that's it.

 

I wonder how that would go if I was taking it to tribunal and was genuinely scared, I think the REA would buckle

PS but who would trust half these people anyway to follow a correct procedure......I know what people are like, many get sloppy, you do not need a register, then bam.....something is missing, better hope it is not a master where re keying will be 500k +

 

You would win, the Act allows for this.

 

The tenant probably has them all and playing dumb

Yeah, no register probably = a tag with the address, in a drawer, under the counter somewhere maybe or in a shopping bag in the corner But yeah, it is a pretty easy fix as long as someone has them.

 

Yeah, I am pretty sure I would win.

If I had of been that tenant, I would have been thinking, so who has the keys to my house ? and why don't you know exactly who it is.

Some time in the past, I had a PM that refused to take on a place till locks were replaced, they were concerned about who else had keys.

Anyways, things happen.......even to the best. How it is handled makes the difference I suppose.

 

For every IP we own, we have four sets of keys.

Two sets for the tenants, one set for the PM and one set for us, the landlord.

Where possible, we keep the original (or master) key and give everyone else copies.

I thought everyone did this.

 

All the sensible people do mate.
The sensible people also get the doors keyed alike so there's 1-2 keys rather than handing over a tupperware container full.

 

Yep, we do that as well.

It makes key monitoring and management a breeze.

 

Yep, all about streamlining all the processes.