Rental apartment: what to do in case of loss of key?

How to react to losing the key to your rented apartment?

When you lose the key to your rented apartment, it's natural to panic. You might call the first locksmith you find to regain access to your home as quickly as possible, but this is often not the best course of action. Here are some tips for managing this situation effectively.

Lost key to your rental apartment:: Act Calmy

After browsing rental listings on SherlockHomes, you've found the perfect accomodation. Spacious, bright, well-located, and secure... However, it's important to avoid losing the key to your rented apartment! Your front door is the only means of access, so in case of a key loss, it's best to remain calm. Often, it's not a serious issue, unless you've left a faucet or a stove on. Start by looking for the most obvious solutions. After three or four unsuccessful searches for the key, contact your building's concierge or caretaker, if you have one. They likely have a spare key for each apartment. If not, call your property management company or the landlord directly, as they may be able to assist you. If it's late or the key loss occurs on a Sunday, it may be preferable to stay with relatives. Calling an emergency locksmith at night could be very expensive

Lost key to your rental apartment: Who pays for what?

Renting an apartment often comes down to asking a question: are these costs the responsibility of the tenant or the property owner? In the event of a loss of a rental apartment key, it will always be up to the tenant to assume the cost of the locksmith's intervention. However, if it is a theft of the bag in which the keys are, the cost of the new key will be covered by household insurance. On the other hand, if the thug has your keys and your address, you will have to change the entire locking system. Depending on your insurance contract, your civil liability may pay these costs. In the event of a simple loss, all costs will be for you. For information, a locksmith displays an average price of around 300 CHF. Travel packages and an amount per hour of work may be applied, as well as a supplement for a night intervention or a public holiday, for example.

Lost key to your rental apartment:: good reflexes

Rather than begging the first locksmith to intervene as soon as possible, it is better to make sure to hire a good professional who applies reasonable rates. For this, you can contact the real estate management, or even the police station. They can recommend locksmiths to you. You can also consult the reviews posted by customers of the various locksmiths in your area. But in any case, ask for a quote before the intervention is carried out. In the future, plan ahead when renting an apartment: leave a spare set of keys with your parents or other trusted people.

This article cannot be exhaustive and does not engage the responsibility of its author.