Lake Zurich Locksmith
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Due to the importance of a property’s locks, not just anyone can have them changed. It should be obvious as to why this is the case—otherwise, anyone with a grudge or any burglar looking for an easy way to get inside a home could call up a locksmith and have the locks changed to any property they wished to gain unauthorized access to. The property owner would be none the wiser! As you can imagine, this would create a great deal of chaos.
To prevent these types of situations from happening, you must show a locksmith in writing, either with a photo ID that has your address, proof of ownership, a lease, or similar paperwork, that you own or manage (in some cases) the property you are asking to have the locks changed on. This paperwork must be presented before the work is performed, whether you have one lock you need one or all of your locks changed. While it might seem annoying if you have to dig up this paperwork from your safe or storage, it’s worth it when you consider what would happen if this kind of information wasn’t required.
The answer to this question is not a completely cut and dried one. In almost all cases, it is violation of the law for a tenant to change the locks without permission of the property owner. The tenant also needs to provide the property owner with a key for the changed lock. Permission should be requested in writing and approved by the property manager before the lock change is performed. A stipulation found in most leases governing both residential and commercial properties is that the renter won’t change the locks without prior authorization and if they do, they are in violation of the lease, which means you can take corrective action as the property owner, up to and including evicting them.
That’s when the situation can get a lot murkier quickly. Whether it’s a girlfriend who just kicked her boyfriend out even though he’s still on the lease because he was drunk and changes the locks before he’s sobered up, or a sneaky person who changes the locks when their roommate is out of town for spring break, these situations can and do happen. If you’re a commercial property manager but you don’t own the building that your business is housed in, that is also an area that may need clarification. A reputable locksmith will always want to see the lease or other similar paperwork when changing locks on an apartment, duplex, or commercial property to prevent this from happening.
So far we’ve discussed what happens if you the reader is the one who wants to authorize the lock change. What if the opposite is true, and you come home one day after a bit of time away only to discover that your locks have been changed without your authorization? Whether it was by your landlord, your building’s owner, or someone else on your lease, what can you do in this situation? This is a nightmare of a situation, but it does occur more than you may think, especially if the locksmith company was one that wasn’t strict about vetting the information prior to changing the lock.
Your first course of action should be to call a locksmith for advice. If you have access to your lease or similar paperwork, retrieve them immediately. It always is a good idea to have a digital copy of this type of paperwork stored in a safe place off site. The other party will need to be contacted and the dispute will need to get sorted out. The reason for the lock change will need to be called into question. In any case, the property’s actual owner will always need to retain a key to any locks on the property, even once they are changed back.
A qualified, professional locksmith is your best bet for lock changes or rekeying services, no matter when you need them performed. An experienced locksmith will be able to provide you with these services quickly at a low price. Locksmiths have access to high-quality lock hardware that far out surpasses that which you find in the hardware store, at an affordable cost, since they acquire it wholesale. Whether you’ve just moved to a new home and would like the locks professionally replaced to ensure that no one has a spare key floating around, or you need to rekey the locks on your business after letting go of a worrisome employee, a locksmith can provide same-day lock change services that are guaranteed.
Depending on the particular locksmith company you hire to assist you, there are many other services that they may be able to offer you when it comes to better protecting your residential or commercial property. These include intercom system installation, alarm services, electronic keypad installation, home or business safe installation, and much more. Today’s locksmiths offer complete security solutions for their customers, including lock rekeying, security upgrades, keyless lock installation, access control systems, home and business safes, key duplication, and so much more.
We are here to help you at Lake Zurich Locksmith. Lake Zurich, IL locals who are locked out can call us for 24/7 lockout help in addition to many other locksmith services. Whether your key is stuck in your car’s ignition, or you need a safe installed at your commercial property, all you have to do is get in touch with our locksmiths to get the solutions you are looking for.
Our locksmiths work with the locks for all car makes and models, and they can work with various manufacturers in terms of lock brands in general.