Lock changing responsibility

[Ramon Copeland]

I have a tenant that got a divorce and I’m signing a new lease with him and he is asking me to change his locks is it my responsibility as a landlord 

[Pamela Syvertson]

Do your state statutes provide you guidance here?  If your statutes are clear that this is your responsibility then you can stop reading this and change the locks (make sure you keep your proof of this).  If your state does not provide a mandate, I still think it makes sense to change the locks.  Why?  It's your property and your liability, not the tenants.  Why try and save a few bucks when you could potentially save your asset in the event someone enters the property and steals from your current tenant or worse?  If there is no 'break in' and you didn't bother to change the locks - do you really want that potential liability.  No - the prudent person would not.