Does a landlord have to change locks between tenants?

[Helen812]

Hi, I am moving into a property as a single parent with my 4 year old.
I am dealing with the Estate Agent on behalf of the landlord. Is the landlord legally obliged to change locks before a new tenant moves in?

Not sure about the legalities, we have rental properties and have never done this.

No

No. But you can ask. However the landlord may expect you to pay.
Alternatively, change the lock yourself but keep the old one and keys to swap back when you vacate. If you know the brand of lock, sometimes you can just change the barrel as it is cheaper. Probably worth asking a locksmith to attend at the time you move in to do this.

No, there's no legal obligations.

Is you concern a previous tenant may still have a key? That's something that can happen in rented or bought properties.

Could you afford to offer to pay for it, if you really want this?

No

No. You can ask if you can change them but you'd have to pay and give the agent/ landlord a key.

If the last tenant was legally evicted through the Court, the locks will have been changed. Otherwise no.

No legal obligation and I’ve never had the locks changed, it’s not standard practice.

No, definitely not

No

The landlord would definitely have to be informed and have a key

I thought it would have just been procedure to change locks for safety purposes as otherwise there could be previous tenants that still have copies of the key?

@Helen812

I thought it would have just been procedure to change locks for safety purposes as otherwise there could be previous tenants that still have copies of the key?

Most people aren't burglars and aren't going to keep a copy of a key so that they let themselves into their old flat 18 months on.

A new barrel should cost between £10-£20. I wouldn't make an issue about the cost.

Why would previous tenants be coming into your house? It's so unlikely. You can change them yourself if you want.

No

I've rented loads over the years....never known locks to be changed prior to me moving in.

No

No. You can swap out the barrels yourself and change them back before the tenancy ends if you care that much.

Is it a flat? Most flats won't allow you to get additional keys cut unless someone is moving in and on the tenancy later. They have like a master key that works the main door and then the same key for the flat door, but doesn't work in other flat doors iyswim, so after handing the keys back when their tenancy ended there would be no spare keys.

@Helen812

I thought it would have just been procedure to change locks for safety purposes as otherwise there could be previous tenants that still have copies of the key?

No, it’s not procedure. The vast majority of the population are law-abiding citizens who wouldn’t re-enter a property they no longer live in without permission.

As others have said, if it makes you feel more secure offer to pay for the replacement.

When I moved into a private rental the first thing I did was to have a locksmith change all the locks. The previous tenants had gone bankrupt and that was a red flag to me. I also knew (from the LL) they were still living in the area. I was then plagued with debt collectors calling. Most were polite and respectful but one was rude and abusive. I have nothing personal against people who become bankrupt because it can happen to anyone. However leaving new tenants to cope with your debt collectors rather than dealing with them yourself is beyond the pale. I simply directed them to the LLs address for more information.

We have security keys to our property. They can only be copied with the written permission of the landlord. A good landlord will keep a record of the number of keys in existence and ensure they have control of them all when the tenants leave. No need to change the locks in these circumstances.