What Are Eviction Locksmith Services?
Evicting a tenant is one of the most nerve-racking scenarios you could be put into as a landlord. The tension between you and the tenant that you are forced to ask to leave your property is never pleasant. At times, you might need to rely on a neutral third party that can simplify the process and helps make sure everything goes according to plan. When looking at a sheriff eviction lockout, the best choice is to get in touch with a professional eviction locksmith in your area. If you would like to learn more about the lockout eviction process and how to pick the best locksmith services during an eviction, keep reading.
What Are Locksmith Eviction Services?
Eviction locksmith services come into action after a tenant has already been evicted. Their job is to collaborate with the landlord and reinstate proper access and key control of the property. At times, the job of an eviction locksmith is to be present while the sheriff performs the eviction lockout. In the event that the evicted tenant has also changed the locks on the access doors, eviction locksmiths will be required to pick the front door lock and let the landlords in. Once proper access to the rental unit has been restored, eviction locksmiths will proceed to rekey the lock or install a new one to stop the evicted tenant from getting back into their former unit.
What Are the Types of Eviction Locksmith Services?
There are two major categories of locksmith services during an eviction that one can hire: residential eviction locksmith services, and commercial eviction locksmith services. It is important to know the difference between the two so you can benefit from the exact solutions and assistance you need for your peculiar scenario.
1. Eviction Locksmith Services for Residential Rental Units
Get in touch with a residential locksmith that offers eviction locksmith services if you need help with restoring security on a residential rental property. This means anything from helping you get back into your locked apartment or house to replace the old keys, fixing any broken lock mechanisms, or rekeying the locks to render the old key useless. The same technicians can also tackle chain, keyless locks, high-security lock picking, and installation for you.
2. Eviction Locksmith Services for Commercial Rental Units
Commercial evictions are usually more complicated and they require expertise from commercial locksmiths. These lock technicians may need to rely on a master key system that can remain unaltered while they replace an old lock or generate a new master lock system entirely. Commercial locksmiths are also often asked to handle electronic locks that are hardwired into the building’s electrical system. Landlords who manage commercial buildings may also ask for support throughout the entire eviction process, which may also include choosing and fitting new locks for all access doors.
Popular Types of Eviction Locksmith Services
1. Assistance with Sheriff Lockout Evictions
The majority of sheriff departments recommend bringing a locksmith along at the time of the previously scheduled lockout eviction. This is advisable in case the evicted tenants have changed the locks. Usually, landlords are only allowed to lock out their tenants once a legal court has sanctioned the eviction. For this, landlords need to carefully fulfill all the necessary steps and file all the paperwork. It is best to talk to a lawyer if there are any questions that are lacking answers. For example, in case the tenant refuses to vacate the property, additional help from the sheriff’s department might be necessary.
2. Unlocking the Front Doors
Both categories of residential and commercial eviction locksmiths are often times hired to help landlords gain access to their property. When a problematic tenant has changed the house, apartment, shop, or office building locks after they have been evicted, an eviction locksmith will be able to assist landlords with emergency door unlocking services. This is particularly helpful to avoid breaking into the building or house and having to spend extra on replacing the lock and/or window.
3. Replacing Locks on Mailboxes
Once an eviction is over, landlords will need to know that none of the evicted tenants will still get access to the old locks. This should also include the old mailbox locks. Unfortunately, there are lots of examples of times when a difficult tenant went back to their old address and stole a package or confidential mail. While most homes do not usually rely on keyed mailboxes, when dealing with previous tenants known for being particularly problematic, the smartest choice is to install a new lock on the mailbox.
4. Rekeying the Locks or Installing New Locks
Another common eviction locksmith service is lock rekeying. While tenants are not usually allowed to make copies of the keys to the rental unit, most landlords will usually want to be on the safe side and assume key copies were made. Automatically, they will want to ensure the safety of their upcoming tenants by having the old locks rekeyed to make sure none of the old keys can be used to get access inside the property once the eviction has been completed. The service is also usually hired for garage and patio doors as well for similar reasons. Rekeying is usually more affordable compared to lock change. However, its main drawback comes from the fact that it will not prove to be a smart solution when dealing with broken locks. When this is the case, new lock installtion or lock change is usually the way to go.
5. Removing Padlocks
Property owners and landlords may sometimes come across padlock problems during the eviction period. For example, previous tenants might have broken or removed the padlocks out of anger or left the landlord without a key for them. If this is the case, eviction locksmiths will be asked to remove the padlock with the help of angle grinders and bolt cutters.
If you need locksmith emergency eviction services from an expert company, get in touch with us. We are experienced and affordable, and offer residential and commercial solutions for all types of tenant evictions.