Are landlords required to change locks between tenants

Last updated 2026-07-26

Are landlords legally required to change locks between tenants?

In most of the country, no. There's no federal law on lock changes, and the vast majority of state landlord-tenant statutes are silent on it too. What states generally do require is that the unit have working locks that meet basic habitability standards, not that you swap the cylinder every time a tenant moves out. A few places are the exception. Texas Property Code Section 92.156 requires landlords to rekey or rekey-equivalent security devices "at the landlord's expense not later than the seventh day after the date the tenant begins occupying the dwelling" for a new tenant, unless the device already meets code and hasn't been used by a previous tenant ^[1]. That's a change-at-move-in rule, which functionally means every new tenant gets a lock that wasn't accessible to the last one. Some California cities layer local rules on top of state law. San Francisco's rent ordinance rules require landlords to rekey locks between tenancies in certain buildings, and several other cities have added similar requirements through local housing codes (confirm with your city rental licensing office, since these ordinances get amended and enforcement varies block by block). If you operate in a city with mandatory rental registration or licensing, the lock rule (if one exists) usually sits inside the same municipal code chapter as your inspection and registration requirements, not in state statute. So the honest answer is: check your state's property code section on security devices first, then check your specific city's municipal code. Don't assume either one covers you.

What does Texas law actually require for rekeying locks?

Texas is the clearest statutory example, so it's worth quoting directly. Texas Property Code 92.156(a) says a landlord "shall rekey or change the security devices" for a new tenant ^[1]. The law defines "security devices" broadly under Section 92.151 to include doorknob locks, keyed deadbolts, keyless bolting devices, and door viewers ^[1]. The landlord has to do this before the new tenant moves in, or within a short window after, and the cost is on the landlord, not billed back to the tenant as a move-in fee. Failure to comply exposes the landlord to a tenant's right to terminate the lease or a request for a court order, plus potential damages, under the remedies laid out in Chapter 92, Subchapter D of the Texas Property Code ^[1]. If you own rental property in Texas, this isn't optional and it isn't something you can skip because the last tenant seemed trustworthy. Rekeying costs $50 to $150 per lock in most markets if you hire a locksmith, or $15 to $40 in parts if you do it yourself with a rekey kit, so it's not a large expense relative to the liability exposure of skipping it. Outside Texas, most states don't have an equivalent statute, so the Texas rule is the exception that gets cited (accurately) as "proof landlords have to do this," when really it only proves that one state requires it.

What happens if a landlord doesn't change the locks and something goes wrong?

This is where it stops being a compliance question and becomes a liability question. If a former tenant, an ex-roommate, or a former tenant's guest uses an old key to enter the unit and something happens (theft, assault, property damage), the current landlord can be named in a negligence claim. The legal theory isn't "you violated a rekeying statute," it's "you had a duty to keep the premises reasonably secure and you knew or should have known the old key was still in circulation." Courts generally analyze these under ordinary premises liability and habitability principles rather than a specific lock statute (outside states like Texas that have one). The practical result is the same either way: if you can show you rekeyed at turnover, you've got a strong defense. If you can't, and there's an incident, you're exposed. This is also where landlord insurance conversations come up. It's part of why landlords require renters insurance from tenants, and it's a reason your own landlord/dwelling policy matters too: if a security failure leads to a claim, your carrier will ask what you did at turnover. "We always rekey between tenants" is a much better answer than "we didn't think about it."

Who should pay for rekeying, the landlord or the tenant?

In states with a statute, like Texas, the answer is explicit: the landlord pays ^[1]. Outside those states, custom and most lease language put the cost on the landlord as a normal turnover expense, similar to cleaning or a fresh coat of paint, not something billed to the incoming tenant as a fee. Some landlords do charge outgoing tenants for a lock change if the tenant lost keys, changed the locks themselves without permission, or damaged a lock, and that's usually enforceable if your lease addresses it and your state allows deductions from security deposits for that kind of damage. But routine rekeying between two ordinary tenancies, no lost keys involved, is a landlord cost of doing business in most markets. Budget for it. A rekey kit runs roughly $15 to $40 per lock if you do it yourself, and a locksmith call typically runs $50 to $150 depending on your market and how many entry points you have. For a typical single-family rental with a front door, back door, and maybe a garage entry, expect somewhere in the $100 to $300 range total if you're hiring it out.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering the unit?

This is a separate question from lock changes but comes up in the same conversations because both involve access and control of the unit. Notice requirements vary by state, and there's no single national number. California requires "reasonable notice," which the Civil Code presumes to be 24 hours for non-emergency entry, under Civil Code Section 1954 ^[2]. Many states cluster around 24 to 48 hours for routine entry (repairs, showings, inspections), while emergencies don't require advance notice at all. Some states, like Texas, don't set a statutory notice period for entry at all, which means the lease terms and general reasonableness standards do the work instead. Because this varies so much, the safe move is to check your specific state's landlord-tenant statute, not rely on a generic "24 hours" rule that might not apply where you own property. If your city also requires periodic rental inspections as part of a licensing program, that inspection notice is often governed by a separate municipal code section with its own timeline, sometimes shorter or longer than your state's general entry-notice rule.

What rights do tenants have without a written lease?

A tenant without a signed lease still has rights. Occupying a unit and paying rent, even under a verbal or implied agreement, generally creates a tenancy at will or month-to-month tenancy under most state landlord-tenant law, and that tenant is entitled to the same basic protections as someone with a written lease: habitability, proper notice before entry, and proper notice before eviction. What a tenant without a lease usually doesn't have is certainty around lease-specific terms, since there's nothing written down about pet policies, guest limits, or renewal terms. Disputes without a written lease tend to come down to state default rules (how much notice is required to end a month-to-month tenancy, for example) and whatever can be proven through texts, emails, or payment records. If you're a landlord operating without written leases, that's a real exposure, separate from any lock question. It's harder to prove terms, harder to enforce rules, and harder to defend a security deposit deduction, since there's no document establishing move-in condition.

What can a landlord look at during a rental inspection?

A landlord conducting a routine inspection (as opposed to a repair visit) is generally limited to checking the condition of the unit: smoke detectors, plumbing, electrical, signs of pest problems, unauthorized occupants or pets if the lease restricts them, and general habitability and safety issues. Inspections aren't supposed to be a pretext for searching personal belongings or going through drawers and closets. City-mandated rental inspection programs, common in cities requiring rental licensing or registration, typically have their own checklist tied to local housing code: working locks and security devices, egress windows, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, heating systems, and structural issues. These inspections are usually announced with advance notice and are separate from a landlord's own periodic walkthroughs. Who actually shows up for these varies. In many mandatory-inspection cities, it's a city housing or code enforcement inspector, not the landlord, who does the walkthrough for licensing purposes, while the landlord's own maintenance checks are a separate, informal process.

Who is responsible for a rental property walk-through inspection in California?

In California, the move-in and move-out walkthrough responsibility sits mostly with the landlord, driven by the security deposit statute. California Civil Code Section 1950.5 gives tenants the right to request an initial (pre-move-out) inspection, and requires the landlord to give at least 48 hours' written notice of that inspection and to provide an itemized statement of proposed deductions afterward ^[3]. The landlord (or their property manager) conducts the actual walkthrough, but the tenant has the right to be present. This is distinct from any city-level rental licensing inspection: some California cities (San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and others) run their own rental unit inspection or registration programs layered on top of state deposit law, and those are typically run by city inspectors, not the landlord (confirm with your specific city rental licensing office for local walkthrough rules, since program details and inspector assignments differ by jurisdiction). For security deposit purposes specifically, California law states the landlord "shall provide the tenant reasonable opportunity to remedy identified deficiencies... prior to the termination of the tenancy" if deductions are proposed following the initial inspection ^[3].

What can't a landlord do in Ohio?

Ohio's landlord-tenant law (Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321) lays out specific restrictions. A landlord can't retaliate against a tenant for exercising a legal right, like reporting a code violation, and Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.02 protects tenants from retaliatory conduct including rent increases, eviction, or reduced services in response to a good-faith complaint ^[4]. Ohio landlords also can't shut off utilities, remove doors or windows, or otherwise force a tenant out without going through the formal eviction process, sometimes called self-help eviction, which is illegal in Ohio and most other states. Landlords also can't enter without reasonable notice (Ohio's statute doesn't set a fixed number of hours in the way California does, but requires "reasonable notice" and entry at reasonable times, under ORC 5321.04) ^[5]. On the security deposit side, Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.16 requires landlords to return a deposit, with an itemized list of deductions, within 30 days of termination of the rental agreement and the tenant vacating ^[6]. Miss that window and the landlord risks having to pay damages beyond the deposit itself.

How do you become a landlord, and what does landlording actually mean?

A landlord is simply the owner (or authorized agent of the owner) of real property who rents that property to someone else, called a tenant, in exchange for rent. "Landlording" is the informal term for the ongoing work of managing that relationship: collecting rent, handling maintenance requests, following notice and entry rules, keeping the unit habitable, and complying with whatever state and local rules apply. Becoming a landlord doesn't require a license in most states just to own and rent out a single-family home or a small building, but that changes fast once you're in a city with mandatory rental registration, licensing, or inspection requirements. Those programs typically require you to register the property, pay an annual or per-unit fee (confirm with your city rental licensing office for current amounts), and pass a periodic inspection covering things like smoke detectors, egress, and general condition. Practically, becoming a landlord means: buying or converting a property into a rental, understanding your state's landlord-tenant statute (security deposits, notice periods, habitability duties), checking whether your city requires rental registration or licensing, screening tenants consistently and legally under fair housing law, and using a written lease every time, even for a relative or friend. Skipping the written lease is one of the most common mistakes new landlords make, and it shows up later as a dispute with no paper trail to resolve it.

Why do landlords require renters insurance?

Renters insurance covers a tenant's personal belongings and liability, things a landlord's own property insurance policy generally does not cover. If a tenant's laptop is stolen, or their cooking mistake causes a kitchen fire, the landlord's dwelling policy pays to fix the building, not to replace the tenant's stuff or cover a liability claim the tenant might face from a guest who got hurt. Requiring renters insurance shifts that risk off the landlord's policy and off the landlord's pocket. It's common for landlords to require proof of a policy with liability coverage of at least $100,000, though the amount and whether it's required at all varies by lease and by state (a few states and cities restrict how landlords can require or bundle insurance, so check local rules before writing it into a lease). The connection to lock changes is direct: if a security incident happens because an old tenant still had keys, and the current tenant's belongings are stolen or damaged, renters insurance is what makes that tenant whole, rather than the tenant trying to sue the landlord for the full replacement value of everything lost.

Frequently asked questions

Do landlords have to change locks between every tenant?

Only in places with a specific law requiring it, like Texas under Property Code Section 92.156, or certain city ordinances. Most states don't have a statute on it. Even without a legal requirement, most experienced landlords rekey between tenants anyway because it's cheap insurance against a liability claim if an old key gets used.

How much does it cost to rekey a lock between tenants?

A DIY rekey kit runs about $15 to $40 per lock. A locksmith typically charges $50 to $150 per lock depending on your market. For a standard single-family rental with two or three entry points, budget roughly $100 to $300 total if you're hiring the work out rather than doing it yourself.

Can a tenant demand the locks be changed when they move in?

In Texas, yes, it's a legal requirement under Property Code 92.156, and the landlord has to cover the cost. In most other states, a tenant can ask, and many landlords will do it as good practice, but there's typically no statute forcing it unless your city has a local ordinance (confirm with your city rental licensing office).

What is landlording?

Landlording is the everyday work of owning and managing a rental property: collecting rent, coordinating repairs, handling notices, screening tenants, and staying compliant with state landlord-tenant law and any local rental registration, licensing, or inspection requirements your city imposes.

What rights do tenants have without a signed lease?

A tenant paying rent without a written lease usually still has a legally recognized tenancy (often month-to-month) under state default rules. They're generally entitled to habitability, proper entry notice, and proper eviction notice, the same as a tenant with a lease, though specific terms like pet rules or renewal aren't documented.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering a rental unit?

It depends on the state. California presumes 24 hours is reasonable notice under Civil Code Section 1954. Many states use a similar 24 to 48 hour window for non-emergency entry. Some states, including Texas, don't set a specific number of hours, relying instead on general reasonableness and lease terms.

What can't a landlord do in Ohio specifically?

Ohio landlords can't retaliate against tenants for exercising legal rights (ORC 5321.02), can't shut off utilities or force tenants out without a formal eviction, can't enter without reasonable notice under ORC 5321.04, and must return security deposits with an itemized statement within 30 days under ORC 5321.16.

Who does the move-in and move-out walkthrough inspection in California?

The landlord or their property manager typically conducts it, but under Civil Code Section 1950.5 the tenant has the right to request a pre-move-out inspection with at least 48 hours' notice, and to be present for it. City-run rental licensing inspections, where they exist, are separate and usually done by city inspectors.

What can a landlord check during a routine rental inspection?

Generally condition and safety items: smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, plumbing and electrical systems, signs of pests or unauthorized occupants, and general habitability. Inspections shouldn't be used to search personal belongings. City-mandated licensing inspections follow a local housing code checklist that can include locks, egress windows, and heating systems.

Why do landlords require renters insurance instead of relying on their own policy?

A landlord's dwelling policy covers the building, not a tenant's personal belongings or personal liability. Renters insurance shifts that risk to the tenant's own coverage, so if there's a theft, fire, or injury involving a guest, the tenant's policy pays instead of the tenant trying to hold the landlord financially responsible.

Is it illegal for a landlord not to change the locks and something bad happens?

Outside states with a specific rekeying statute, failing to change locks isn't itself illegal, but it can support a negligence claim if a former occupant uses an old key to cause harm. Courts look at whether the landlord took reasonable security precautions, and "we rekey at every turnover" is a strong defense to have on record.

How do you become a landlord if you've never rented out property before?

Buy or convert a property, learn your state's landlord-tenant statute (deposits, notice, habitability), check if your city requires rental registration, licensing, or inspection (many mid-size and large cities do), screen tenants consistently under fair housing law, and always use a written lease, even for family or friends.

Sources

1. Texas Legislature, Property Code Section 92.156: Texas requires landlords to rekey or change security devices at their own expense for a new tenant
2. California Legislative Information, Civil Code Section 1954: California presumes 24 hours is reasonable notice for landlord entry
3. California Legislative Information, Civil Code Section 1950.5: California tenants can request a pre-move-out inspection with 48 hours notice and an itemized deduction statement
4. Ohio Legislature, Revised Code Section 5321.02: Ohio law prohibits landlord retaliation against tenants exercising legal rights
5. Ohio Legislature, Revised Code Section 5321.04: Ohio landlords must give reasonable notice and enter at reasonable times
6. Ohio Legislature, Revised Code Section 5321.16: Ohio landlords must return security deposits with itemized deductions within 30 days