When a tenancy ends, there’s much to consider: deep cleaning, repairs, advertising the property, and screening new applicants. Often, one crucial job is overlooked: lock changes between tenants. While it might seem like a small detail, it can end up costing landlords far more than they realise if neglected. Changing locks after a tenant moves out isn’t just good practice; it’s a fundamental part of protecting your property, your tenants, and your reputation.
Why Lock Changes Should Be Standard Practice
When tenants hand back their keys, it’s impossible to know with certainty that every copy has been returned. Throughout a tenancy, tenants may have handed keys to housemates, partners, friends, family, or even contractors. Key copies may exist that you know nothing about.
By replacing locks between tenants, agents and landlords offer new tenants the assurance that they, and only they, have access to the property. This doesn’t just benefit the tenant. As a landlord or letting agent, you’re also protecting your investment and mitigating risk. A lock change between tenants demonstrates that you’re taking reasonable steps to maintain a secure environment, something that both insurance companies and the law increasingly expect.
The Risks of Leaving Old Locks in Place
Opting not to change the locks can lead to real, and costly, consequences. We’ve seen cases where previous tenants returned unexpectedly, using retained keys to re-enter the property, whether out of forgetfulness, entitlement, or with ill intent. In more serious cases, landlords have experienced break-ins where no forced entry was evident because the intruder simply used an old key.
Such incidents create liability. If a new tenant suffers a theft or personal harm due to access retained by a previous tenant, landlords may find themselves facing legal action or insurance complications. It is difficult to justify that “we assumed all the keys were returned” as an acceptable rental property security standard.
When managing multiple properties, these risks scale dramatically. You’re not just protecting one home. You may be safeguarding a portfolio. In an age where tenants value safety and landlords are increasingly scrutinised, property security upgrades are no longer optional. They’re expected and essential for modern property management.
What Type of Locks Should You Install?
It may be your locks need upgrading. There are now smarter, more robust options than simply swapping one old-school traditional lock for another. High-security cylinders, anti-snap locks, and key control systems add significant protection over basic models. These modern solutions resist common break-in methods like lock snapping, drilling, and bumping.
But technology has advanced even further. Smart locks are quickly becoming the go-to solution for landlords, particularly those managing multiple occupancy homes, blocks of flats or multi-property portfolios. With smart locks, you can:
- Provide digital access codes instead of physical keys
- Revoke or change access remotely.
- Monitor who accessed the property and when
- Eliminate the hassle of key duplication or key returns.
Smart solutions are ideal when you’re looking for a locksmith for rental property who understands the practical needs of landlords. These options improve efficiency, safety, and tenant satisfaction.
At Security Masters, we install British Standard locks approved by the insurance industry. As a registered Master Locksmith, we have decades of experience.
How Letting Agents Can Improve Their Service
Letting agents play a critical role representing landlords and recommending a lock change between tenants isn’t just helpful; it positions you as proactive, professional, and safety-focused. If you’re an agent, looking after the details helps build trust and adds value to your service offering.
Security should be part of the conversation during property inspections, tenant handovers, and landlord consultations. By embedding property security steps into your standard letting procedures, you’re:
- Reducing risk for your clients
- Demonstrating due diligence
- Building long-term client relationships
- Avoiding difficult conversations after security issues arise
It’s easy to assume everything will be fine, until it isn’t. Once a break-in or unauthorised re-entry happens, the damage is already done. Insurance may cover some losses, but it won’t repair the stress, the loss of trust, or the potential legal fallout. Preventative measures like changing locks after tenant moves out are among the most cost-effective ways to protect all parties involved.
How Security Masters Makes Lock Upgrades Simple
Landlords and agents often focus on visible aspects of property management, such as; decor, repairs, and rent collection. But landlord lock replacement should never be an afterthought. That’s why Security Masters offers dedicated landlord and estate agent support.
The cost of a lock change is minimal compared to the potential consequences of not doing it. And when you factor in legal liability, tenant turnover, insurance disputes, and reputational damage, the investment becomes a no-brainer.
If you’re unsure which lock system is right for your property, whether it’s a small flat, a large multiple occupancy property, or a newly developed site, we’re here to help. Security Masters has decades of experience advising landlords and letting agents on practical, affordable property security upgrades and lock replacements.
