Landlord Demands New Tenant Pay $180 Lock Fee For Ex-Renter’s Missing Key

A tenant who moved into an Ohio apartment three months ago was left stunned after their landlord demanded an extra $180 alongside next month's rent. The reason? The property manager realized that the previous tenant never turned in one of their original keys.

When the current renter asked if the locks would be changed for security reasons, the landlord agreed to call a locksmith—but insisted the current tenant foot the bill. The landlord’s rationale was that the new resident is the one who ultimately "benefits from the replacement."

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The tenant, who noted that their lease explicitly states they are only responsible for keys *they* personally lose, was dumbfounded. The fee feels completely backward, considering the missing key was lost long before their tenancy began.

Community reactions to the story were swift and scathing. Many pointed out that rekeying units between occupants is a standard operational cost for any legitimate property business. Landlords routinely withhold key replacement fees from a departing tenant's security deposit, making it entirely improper to pass that charge onto a newcomer.

One commenter noted, "If you pay for this under the logic that you 'benefit' from it, what stops him from renewing the roof or buying a new washer and dryer and putting that cost on you? It's the cost of doing business."

Others pointed out that $180 is an excessive charge for standard deadbolt rekeying. Several experienced renters advised offering to buy hardware store locks for $40 and installing them personally—provided the agreement is put in writing—to avoid an expensive legal fight while still securing the premises.

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Meanwhile, rental horror stories aren't limited to financial shakedowns. Down in Louisville, Kentucky, another resident is trapped in a living nightmare due to landlord inaction over a chaotic neighbor.

According to residents in the Louisville building, one rowdy tenant has been blasting music at all hours, breaking stairwell railings, and ripping out window screens. His child was even spotted climbing in and out of ground-floor windows because the parent refused to walk downstairs to open the locked main entrance.

Rather than evicting the tenant or taking legal action, property management simply nailed the window shut and issued another verbal warning. Stuck due to high moving costs, the surrounding tenants are left documenting property damage while living in daily chaos.

On the latest episode of Property Line, our hosts debate whether renters should ever compromise on bogus charges and how to handle landlords who refuse to keep their properties safe.