My fellow renters, I am so sorry to tell you this: Your landlord might have more access to your home than you think they do.
Most landlords probably don’t do this. But for those of you with one of those landlords (you know exactly what I mean), then you may want to check this little “hack” out and determine if your landlord has been breaking your lease.
RELATED STORIES
If you’re a renter or homeowner, you need to be following Bryan Standley.
He’s a Kansas City Home Inspector, and his TikTok is full of tips and tricks that will blow your mind. He’s especially helpful for renters who need to know their renting rights!
For example, some landlords have secret access to their apartments.
Here’s your standard apartment lock. The deadbolt looks pretty normal, right? Well, if you give that faceplate a little twist, you might find something pretty horrifying.
Boom, secret lock.
Yup, your landlord might have a secret key to your apartment that you have no idea about. If you’re thinking, “If they already have a key to my place, why do they need this secret one?” you are not alone. I also don’t understand it.
Your tenant rights are legal rights.
Before you rent, read up on your rights and make sure you know what your landlord is and isn’t allowed to do. Make sure you find a tenants’ rights group, too.
People on TikTok were not impressed with this little trick.
This is so funny. If a landlord is entering your place without permission, I fully support setting those boundaries with extremely loud noises. What an amazing idea.
A lot of renters admitted they swap the locks out.
Many said that they simply stay home if the landlord needs access. While I’ve never done this (and can’t recommend it), quite a few commenters swear by it.
Here’s a good reason why landlords shouldn’t be able to just come and go.
Yeah, that’ll do it! I recognize that you own the property, but since you chose to turn it into a rental, that means you have to follow the law now. We both do!
Sorry, but no.
If I’m paying money to pay off YOUR mortgage, then you can use the proper key for the proper lock. Why do you need a separate lock? You don’t. Use the key.
Oh, and as for the “we don’t have time to flip through all the keys” argument…
A master key for the complex or house will work just fine in the regular lock. There is no reason to have that second lock. It just looks shady as hell.
So, how can you protect yourself?
Not all landlords will do this to you, of course. But we all know there are some that don’t know what boundaries are. For them, get a camera. Trust me.
Unfortunately, a lot of landlords in the comments revealed themselves.
Quite a few were pretty brazen about saying they enter their tenant’s homes without notice. Cameras are crucial to making sure your privacy is secure, and to maintaining your lease.
Renters figured out some quick fixes.
Some wanted to go get super glue, and some already had. They glued it shut to stop the landlord from entering without using the proper key! Sneaky.
You can get a camera on Amazon.
If you need a camera, there are a number on Amazon that will do the trick. You can get everything from a Ring doorbell light to a standard, wifi-enabled camera to put inside your home.
Are you a renter? How do you feel about this?
As a renter, I can’t help but be a little horrified that a lock could exist on my door that I don’t know about. I’m fine with my landlord having access, of course! But without my consent? That scares me a little.
