Lock cutting

Prime

Question for the masses here, how many of you charge for a lock cut and have your tenants attempted to do it themselves ? Were any of your tenants successful at cutting their own, or do you even allow them to do their own?

Orkocean

$25 - Stated in lease. Case by case as far as enforcing or waiving the fee for me personally. Letting tenants do it themselves should not be allowed. What if they damage your door/latch in the process as they don't know what they are doing? A simple bolt cutter to a small padlock is one thing but if they're trying to cut a disc lock off themselves that's a whole different ball game. I've caught customers trying to bolt cut their own lock off before and what I always tell them is no customers are allowed to cut their own lock. It needs to go through the office so we are aware, otherwise we think you're out there trying to break in to units when we see you on camera trying to cut locks. 

CVSSSTORAGE

We do $35 and no one can cut their own lock. Period. How would you feel if you rented somewhere and saw someone with bolt cutters in a storage? I would think it wasn't very secure. When a tenant says they cannot find their key and ask for a lock cut I let them know if they do not pay for a lock cut we will have to verify their key works next time they come in. They don't like it and get upset but hey I didn't lose your keys. 

i43storage

We charge $25 to cut a lock off.  I would not allow my tenants to cut off their own lock (unless they are using a simple bolt cutter) because the chance of damaging the latch with a grinder is too great.

skinman

We only charge $20.. and do not allow customers to cut their own locks. 

jayjay

$40 fee and must be prepared to re-lock unit before leaving.

ESS

$25 fee if they have a disc lock. Has to be prepaid so I can send a work order to corporate for maintenance to come grind it off.  If it's a regular Master style lock, I will use my bolt cutters and not charge. Tenant's are not permitted to cut their own locks. After maintenance comes, if the tenant hasn't left a new lock with us, I just put an overlock and blue tamper tag on it until they can come. I also need an authorization to cut lock signed or an email from their email address we have on file authorizing us to cut their lock. 

Malik123

Can you cut a lock ahead if you received permission from tenant by email? Or is it too risky to do it?

Orkocean

*IF* you feel comfortable enough to cut a lot without a tenant present and you did receive their permission I would film it from before cutting the lock until you have closed the unit and sealed it with a seal tag and overlock with the footage coming in and showing the seal tag #. Before hand I would confirm with the tenant that once again, they are giving you permission to cut the lock and this is the procedure that will be done. Let them know they need to show up the next day to re-lock the unit with their own lock.

I've had to do this at a site as I was not getting back in town until after hours and the asst couldn't cut locks so we arranged the above method with approval from the tenant in writing. Anytime I think their may even be the slightest hint at a tenant claiming something is missing I record from start to finish. I had to visit another property at midnight a few weeks ago and ended up cutting a lock their as the on site thought people were living in a unit. Even with 2 police officers present I was still documenting everything properly.

i43storage

Malik123 said:

Can you cut a lock ahead if you received permission from tenant by email? Or is it too risky to do it?

I think I have only cut a lock once with the tenant actually present.  I get the request in writing, cut the lock, and place a manager lock on until the tenant puts a personal lock back on. 

skinman

Just the opposite here.. I will not cut a lock unless the lease signer is present.

Malik123

thank you guys! i appreciate it!

CVSSSTORAGE

@Malik123
the only time I will cut a lock without a tenant here is if they have already secured the second spot with their new lock. Sometimes maintenance cannot get to it while they are here so we have them buy a lock and put it on the free spot and verify which one to cut and he will cut it after hours so it stays secure

AKKathie

Wow! We charge $50 for a lock cut in 48 hrs and $100 if it is a "I need it right now" situation (or at least they think it is.)

I still have to notify a maintenance tech to come to my store and drill out the plug lock.  We do NOT use padlock/disc locks.  Not as easy for thieves to break in.  Our insurance approves.
Still a customer must sign a waiver and then we go out with my red tab and give them a new padlock and keys to overlock it until the plug can be drilled out, replacing it with a store blue plug lock. Thus making sure at NO TIME do we have access to their unit belongings.  Once that is done, I call them, they remove the padlock (which is theirs to keep), return my red tab to me and purchase (at 1/2 off) a new plug lock and then I go remove the blue plug so they can put their new one in.  If we don't do it this way, they keep using the padlock and never purchase the required new plug lock. Or, if we don't put the blue plug in, they put their plug lock on AND use the padlock.  (Jeesh! Customers!)

Fee sure cuts down on the number of cut requests!  I try to make it very clear during the lease signing - "I am giving you a lock, it has 3 keys on one ring, please REMOVE one and put it in a safe place, because if you lose ALL of them I have to charge you...."

CVSSSTORAGE

@AKKathie
when they buy a lock here I tell them the same thing, put the extra key somewhere safe because you do not want to pay for a lock cut. Normally when they find out the price they go home and find their keys lol

JEFFRY

we charge $25.00 for a cut lock and the price includes a new dislock, if they don't need a lock is a case by case but usually we charge them $11. if the tenant has had no previous cut locks it will be a flat $25.00 whether they need a new lock or not. 

Drew_Scadoo

We charge a $35 fee if there is a second time we have to cut there lock, the first time we will do for free cause wellllll its fun However we do not allow tenants to cut there own unless they sign a form to pay for a new latch because they will most likely mess up the current one. 

Zarrembus

The tenants should not be allowed to do it themselves. What if they damage your door/latch in the process because they don't know what they're doing? A simple bolt cutter for a small padlock is one thing, but if they are trying to cut off a disc lock themselves, that's another matter entirely. And you need permission to remove the lock, which they don't always give you. Surprisingly, it happens very often and they end up breaking their lock or even the door. If anyone is interested in how to do it right, you can look here. The main thing does not try to do it yourself.

dperry

We require the tenant be there physically plus we have them sign a form beforehand saying they are asking for the lock to be cut off. We charge $15.00 to have the maintenance guy do it.  

Oren

We us cylinder locks, so the customer would have to know how to drill them properly without it turning into and hour of drilling the entire thing out of existence.

I've had to do it. Should have taken 30 seconds, took an hour! I still have what remains of that lock on my desk. 

We charge $25 to drill the lock, and the customer will end up having to buy a new lock after since the doors only take cylinder locks, costing them another $22 and change.

They have to sign a form giving us authorization to do it and then pay the fee before we can do anything though.

teamcapitola

We absolutely forbid Tenants from cutting themselves; They can pay us to do it or they can hire a locksmith. 

We usually don't charge for the first cut, depending on the tenants history and how long theyve been renting.

The last thing I want is somebody walking through the facility with bolt cutters or angle grinders!

ESS

teamcapitola said:

The last thing I want is somebody walking through the facility with bolt cutters or angle grinders!

We've had this happen...one guy cut his neighbor's lock by accident (we made him buy the neighbor a new lock), then his. Another time, the guy had to grind it off and cut a gash in the hasp (we made him pay for damages). Plus, it makes your facility look unsafe, someone walking around cutting locks!