Can Your Landlord Charge You to Rekey Locks After Your Keys are Stolen
A tenant in California had his keys to his apartment storage unit and mailbox in his car. Somebody broke into his car and stole the keys. The tenant informed the landlord of the theft, and the landlord rekeyed the locks, but has charged the tenant a considerable fee for the service. Is the tenant responsible for the new key fees?
Re: Can Your Landlord Charge You to Rekey Locks After Your Keys are Stolen
The tenant should check his lease to see what it says about key replacement, and associated fees, to make sure that the charges are not greater than the lease permits; but, yes, the tenant is responsible for the cost of rekeying the locks. If the tenant has renter's insurance, the tenant can see if his insurance will cover the cost.