Calling a Locksmith: Your Responsibilities and Obligations as a Tenant

Blog

Over 2,297,458 Australian households are renting their primary residence from private landlords in 2014. If you're a tenant, understanding your rights and obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 and the Residential Tenancies Regulation 2010 is important in ensuring that you are complying with all of the rules and regulations. You should know that you have some responsibilities when it comes to maintaining and changing the locks to your home. This is what you will need to know to make sure that you are complying with the law before calling a local locksmith.

What Are Your Obligations as a Tenant With The Locks to Your Home?

As a tenant, you will have agreed to the following responsibilities under the standard residential tenancy agreement. The terms involve:

• not altering, removing or even adding any locks and security devices to the premises unless you have received a written agreement from the landlord.
• giving your landlord a copy of the key to any locks that have been changed or added within 7 days of the change.

If you have requested the service of a locksmith in altering or adding a lock, you will need to request for several copies of the key to be made -- one for everyone in the household, and one for your landlord. 

When Can You Change The Locks to Your Home?

Although you are responsible for maintaining the locks in their original condition, you can still change the locks under what may be deemed as a "reasonable" justification. You can call a locksmith to change the locks if:

• there was an emergency.
• you or your landlord is complying with a request made by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
• a tenant or another occupant can no longer enter the premise as he or she has been apprehended by a violence order. 
• the tenancy of a co-tenant has been terminated.

You or your landlord can contact any local locksmith to modify, remove or add a lock. Depending on the reasons for calling a locksmith, you may be able to apply for compensation from your landlord for the amount spent on locksmith services. Note that the tribunal can only order compensation up to $15,000. 

Conclusion

Before calling a locksmith, you want to make sure that you are complying with the rules and regulations. It is an offence for you to call a locksmith to modify, add or remove a lock without your landlord's agreement or without a reasonable justification, and you may face serious consequences as a result.

For more information, talk to your landlord or a locksmith, such as Patterson Locksmiths.

Share

22 October 2014