Can I prohibit the tenant from changing the locks on his unit? What should be in the lease?
Most lease agreements will contain a clause that prohibits repairs and alterations to the property by the tenant except as provided by law or as authorized by prior written consent of the landlord. Repairs and alterations to the rental property include rekeying locks or installing an alarm system without landlord consent. A sample lease clause may use language such as: “Tenant will not, without Landlord’s prior written approval, alter, rekey or install any locks to the rental premises or install or alter any security alarm system for the rental premises. Tenant must provide Landlord with a key or keys that unlock all such rekeyed locks or new locks. In addition, Tenant will provide Landlord with instructions on how to disarm any altered or newly installed security alarm systems. Tenant must provide Landlord with the name and phone number of the security alarm company.” The tenant should be reminded that the landlord must be able to gain access to the rental unit in the event of a true emergency.