Update the Locks Before Renting Out Your Home

Renting out your home, either as a vacation rental to temporary guests or as a more long-term situation to renters, can be a great way to earn some extra income. However, you will need to consider what you can do to make sure that your home appeals to renters and will be safe for them at the same time.

When it's been a long time since you've made updates to the security of your home, it's vital that you get the locks updated by an experienced locksmith. An experienced locksmith understands the ins and outs of updating locks, particularly when you have users of the property changing regularly.

Control Who Has Access

One concern you may have about your home when it's been years since you've had locks installed is that you may have given keys to somebody that you no longer speak with. Having keys that are out of your hands and out in the world somewhere can be worrying, especially when you're going to be having new people living in your home that you want to be safe.

Have new locks installed and keys made to ensure that you're aware of exactly who has keys to the house.

Get Spare Keys

While you may have keys made for exactly how many tenants will be staying in the home or for any visitors that rent your home temporarily, you need to consider the other times that you may need to enter the house.

From emergency situations that require entry to the home to maintenance that the tenants requested while they're at work, you need to make sure that the home will be accessible to both you and any services that the home may need. Have spare keys printed and labeled correctly to ensure that everyone can access the home without any issue.

Improve the Security

With an older lock in the home, it can be easier for somebody to bypass their way inside and burglarize the home. In order to improve the security of the home, find a locksmith that is up-to-date with all the modern locks that can be installed for your home.

From traditional locks that are nearly impossible to be picked to 'smart' locks or locks that require keycodes, you have plenty of options that can boost the security of your home.

Have a Lockbox Installed

If you're renting out your home primarily to short-term guests as a vacation property, you may not be interested in meeting the guests every time somebody checks in to hand them their keys. Instead of worrying about handling the key drop-off, install a lockbox to securely store the keys.