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Landlord won't change locks after resident keys were stolen from premises

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rugyoga

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

I live in San Francisco and our lawyer is exceedingly cheap.
That's reflected in our rent so we're usually OK with that.
But there have been a spate of burglaries out of our garage
in the last year or so. And now one of the resident's apts
was robbed. They stole his laptop, cell phone and his *keys*.

The landlord refuses to change the locks ("who is going to pay for that?").
Seems to me he must be in violation of some basic law by no
providing ample security in the presence of an obvious security hole.

Any advice or suggestions?
 


OK-LL

Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

I live in San Francisco and our lawyer is exceedingly cheap.
That's reflected in our rent so we're usually OK with that.
But there have been a spate of burglaries out of our garage
in the last year or so. And now one of the resident's apts
was robbed. They stole his laptop, cell phone and his *keys*.

The landlord refuses to change the locks ("who is going to pay for that?").
Seems to me he must be in violation of some basic law by no
providing ample security in the presence of an obvious security hole.

Any advice or suggestions?
You don't explain why, because someone in another apartment had their keys stolen, you should have your locks changed. How does the loss of keys to an apartment you do not live in affect you?
 

STEPHAN

Senior Member
I don't understand why it was the LLs fault that somebody had his keys stolen?
 
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LdiJ

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

I live in San Francisco and our lawyer is exceedingly cheap.
That's reflected in our rent so we're usually OK with that.
But there have been a spate of burglaries out of our garage
in the last year or so. And now one of the resident's apts
was robbed. They stole his laptop, cell phone and his *keys*.

The landlord refuses to change the locks ("who is going to pay for that?").
Seems to me he must be in violation of some basic law by no
providing ample security in the presence of an obvious security hole.

Any advice or suggestions?
First, identify what keys that were on the resident's key chain that could effect the security of the other tenants. Once you do that, then we can talk.
 

rugyoga

Junior Member
because the other tenant's key chain contained a key to the communal front door

The other tenant's key chain contained the key to the communal front door of the apartment building.

So now the bad guys can get in front door of the apt building at will.
We had also asked the landlord repeatedly to change the key code on the front door
as we suspected that's how the bad guys were getting access - sure enough my neighbor's cam
caught them on camera accessing the building by the key code.

So he's now changed the key code but refuses to change the front door locks.
 
Last edited:

LdiJ

Senior Member
The other tenant's key chain contained the key to the communal front door of the apartment building.

So now the bad guys can get in front door of the apt building at will.
We had also asked the landlord repeatedly to change the key code on the front door
as we suspected that's how the bad guys were getting access - sure enough my neighbor's cam
caught them on camera accessing the building by the key code.

So he's now changed the key code but refuses to change the front door locks.
Its honestly not very likely that they are going to attempt to use that key. You may not be able to convince the landlord to change the locks unless they actually do. In the meantime, don't leave things in your car and keep your car locked up tight, and keep your apartment door locked up tight. I don't know how big your building is, but if you can send a letter signed by ALL the tenants requesting that the locks be changed that might be helpful in convincing the landlord to change the locks.
 

FarmerJ

Senior Member
how many apartments are there and is it a mastered system ? one key to open both apt doors and exterior entry doors ?
 

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