Which Keys Should You Give to Your Tenants?
When a tenant is about to move in, a Landlord/Property Manager will need to provide keys to access the property. Section 210 of the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation (RTRA) Act can tell you which keys your tenant will need. Section 210 also outlines that the lessor must supply and maintain the locks that are necessary to ensure the premises are reasonably secure.
The RTRA Act definition of a “key” includes a regular metal, key, a registered key, a remote control, a swipe card, or even a pin number needed to open a gate or door.
If there is one tenant, they must be given:
- A key for each lock that secures entry to the property. This includes doors leading from outside and to inside the premises, such as security doors, deadlocks, and garage door.
- A key for each lock that secures a road or any other place to access or leave the area or the building. This includes the main entrance to an apartment building, a door to a carpark area, to operate a lift, to open a boomgate or electric gates.
- A key for each lock that is part of the premises. This includes doors, cupboards, windows, letterbox, storage rooms and sheds that are part of the premises.
If there is more than one tenant, one of them must be given the aforementioned three kinds of keys, while the other tenants be supplied with the last two kinds of keys.
When in doubt, it’s advisable for the Landlord/Property Manager to be reasonable to avoid disputes. Take into consideration the property’s layout, features, facilities and reasonable expectations of convenient access to these things. Nothing prevents a Landlord/Property Manager from providing their tenant with additional keys beyond what the legislation states.
