How many sets of Keys do you issue tenants?

[Tracy Sharpe]

This is a general question to anyone who serves as a property manager of one property or an apartment complex. 

Do you generally provide your adult tenants with one set of keys and allow them to make copies themselves or do you make a set of keys for each adult tenant on the lease?

We have been making copies for each adult tenant on the lease, but we usually don't get all of our keys back from our tenants when they leave so we charge them to make new keys. 

Over the years, I have notice that there is a systemic problem for tenants not  returning all their keys. even though we tell them that we will charge them for  missing keys when they leave. 

So, we are considering adding a statement in our lease that we will charge our tenants not only for missing keys but also a service fee for us having to go out of our way to make new keys. Of course, the service fee and the key fee will come out of their security deposit.

How are you handling this situation? Issuing one set of keys or a set to each adult tenant, and do you charge a service fee for making new keys?

Your input regarding this matter is much appreciated.

[Patrick L.]

1 per adult, keys are cheap.  We always change locks between tenants anyway......even if you get the same number of keys back how do you know the tenant didn't make any copies?   It's poor security practice to leave the locks keyed the same when the units turn over.   We just rotate those locks to another unit.