Keys and Access: What to Collect and Test on Move-In Day
Published by Apartments Texas · Updated
A fob that does not work is a bad first night. What to collect, test, and ask about keys and access on move-in day.
Use the questions below for the exact unit and dates you are considering, and record any point management has not confirmed.
What is on the complete access list?
Before leaving the office, list every access item your unit needs: front-door keys, mailbox key, gate fobs or remotes, amenity access, parking permits, storage or bike-room keys, and any building entry codes.
Check each item off physically rather than from memory, and if something is missing or backordered, get a written note of when it will arrive.
Did you test everything the same day?
Try every key, fob, and code on day one while the office is still open. Test the mailbox, the gate at the entrance you will actually use, and the amenity doors.
Report failures in writing immediately. Keep the report and the office's response so the replacement request is documented.
Were the locks rekeyed, and who else has access?
Ask whether the unit's locks were rekeyed or changed after the previous resident. Texas law sets security device requirements for rental housing, and the Texas Attorney General's renter page summarizes them.
Ask who else holds keys or master access, such as maintenance, and how entry for repairs is scheduled and documented, so you know who can open your door and when.
What do replacements cost?
Ask for the fee schedule for lost keys, fobs, and remotes, and whether a lost key triggers a rekeying charge. Keep the schedule with your lease documents.
Decide on spares deliberately: who gets one, and where a backup lives. A locked-out midnight is the wrong time to design your spare-key plan.