Keys to the rental property – BEWARE!

WHO SECURES THE KEYS?

The State of Washington just passed a change to the Landlord Tenant Act requiring that landlords, “Maintain and safeguard with reasonable care any master key or duplicate keys to the dwelling unit.”  The change is the result of a criminal case where an onsite maintenance worker brutally attacked a woman after getting a copy of the key to her apartment.  The law would also require that landlords and agents safeguard keys from theft.

TIP: Keys should be secured and identified by code rather than by address.