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Is it headache to be a landlord? Any bad experience?

Landlord relations concerning apartment locks

  • I'm paranoid about security and want to add a strong door lock and interior deadbolt when I move in. What should I expect (or how should I handle) the landlord-relations part of this? I'd like to change to a stronger entrance door lock as well as add an interior deadbolt I can draw from the inside and a chain, and I have a couple questions: 1. In your experience, what would the average landlord response to a request to add a new lock and a deadbolt/chain be: - sure, I'll pay for it if it isn't already there - sure, but you pay for it - no, and I'm suspicious that you're barricading yourself in to make drugs or something (?) - no, because it'll ruin the wall/door 2. In the case of the deadbolt, a landlord might be less happy because this prevents him from entry. Would a locksmith generally add an interior deadbolt without a landlord's agreement, or is this required? (I know adding a deadbolt without the landlord's agreement would violate a "no changes to the apartment without approval" in some leases.) 3. Some of my paranoia comes from a past landlord not changing the locks before I moved in, and a past tenant still had a working key to the place (=problems). In your experience, how okay are landlords with requests to replace keys/locks? Is this generally done anyway when people move out? If I offer to pay for this, will a landlord be okay with it (and what is the range of cost)? There are other questions about types of locks and other ways of improving apartment security on this site, so I'm not interested in those areas--just in smoothing this with my landlord. I'll be on the east coast of the U.S., if that makes any difference (Maryland).

  • Answer:

    There are laws, at least in some parts of Maryland (specifically http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/hcd/landlordtenanthb.pdf, p. 6&7) which require a landlord to re-key any locks between tenants. Additionally, they require that any locks installed by tenants be accessible to the landlord as well. You may want to look into your particular city by-laws as they may apply the same types of laws.

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You can get a door wedge for the interior, or a simple 2x4 notched on one end that you can angle and slide under the door handle down to the floor. There is a greater risk of kicking, so I'd recommend one of http://www.kickproofdoor.com/jamb.html.

iamabot

As an aside, citing Takoma Park law is somewhat dicey. They're known for some http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/committees/nfz/nftpcord.htm.

electroboy

You want one of http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0009V2LU2/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/. Better than a deadbolt IMO and you don't have to deal with laws or landlords and it's portable to any other door or home.

luvmywife

Seconding the Jammer door brace linked by luvmywife. I have one and used it across a couple apartments, and definitely made me feel safer in one where my door was the very first in the complex near the entrance (every other night someone would be jiggling the doorknob). The only downside was I once leaned it against a white wall, and it fell down, scraping off some of its black rubber. Blegh. Other than that, though, it does no damage. And on the plus side, I figure if someone breaks the window, I could grab it and use it as a weapon... ;)

Ky

Slightly separate from the "no changes to the apartment without landlord approval" issue, my lease has a clause specifically forbidding additional locks. You might check your lease for similar wording -- that may give you some indication of how understanding your landlord is likely to be. Based on anecdata from landlords I've had, I think your intuition that they may not be happy with deadbolts is probably accurate, but they will probably at least be open to the question of changing the main door lock, probably on your dime, as long as they still have keys to the place.

dorque

As a postscript to the Jammer door brace, the 2 negative reviews on Amazon may give you pause--there are many brands and models and I wasn't necessarily pusing that particular brand, so if you do choose the door-bar route, do the research. Also, the key is getting the right angle. Impossible to defeat if the angle is correct.

luvmywife

My landlord wouldn't care as long as I gave them a key and paid for it. In fact, when we moved in there were three different keys to get into the apartment, so we rekeyed everything ourselves. Then again, they're slumlords and probably wouldn't have noticed if they didn't have the correct key for my unit!

radioamy

i'm a landlord, and i'd be okay with it assuming the installation was done by an actual pro (so it doesn't look sucky), and i would want you to pay at least half of it since it's your request (assuming the apartment has regular security locks). and, of course, i get a key.

rmd1023

oh, as for replacing the locks... yeah. i'd be okay with it. i'm a live-in landlord in a two family house, so i'm actually thinking of changing the exterior locks instead of the interior ones, since the previous tenant (well, whoever ended up with his belongings after he died) would have both exterior and interior keys. (and you can't get to the interior locks without using the exterior keys)

rmd1023

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