# Can a tenant-at-will change locks to prevent landlord from stealing property?

**URL:** <https://community.avail.com/t/can-a-tenant-at-will-change-locks-to-prevent-landlord-from-stealing-property/379>\
**Category:** Landlord Questions\
**Created:** [September 9, 2019, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.avail.com/t/can-a-tenant-at-will-change-locks-to-prevent-landlord-from-stealing-property/379 "2019-09-09T18:00:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BobPleau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@BobPleau](https://community.avail.com/u/BobPleau)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.avail.com/t/can-a-tenant-at-will-change-locks-to-prevent-landlord-from-stealing-property/379/1 "2019-09-09T18:00:48Z")

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Can a tenant-at-will change locks to prevent landlord from stealing property?

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**Author:** ![DSAWLandlord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b19c9b/32.png) [@DSAWLandlord](https://community.avail.com/u/DSAWLandlord)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://community.avail.com/t/can-a-tenant-at-will-change-locks-to-prevent-landlord-from-stealing-property/379/2 "2019-09-10T18:20:34Z")

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My lease stipulates that tenant are not to change the locks without written permission from the landlord/management company. Doing so puts them at risk of being evicted. If they think the landlord is sketchy and might steal from them, they should not rent from that landlord. Landlordship and Tenancy is a bi-directional relationship, trust must exist.

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**Author:** ![Kane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/76d3ee/32.png) [@Kane](https://community.avail.com/u/Kane)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:37am UTC](https://community.avail.com/t/can-a-tenant-at-will-change-locks-to-prevent-landlord-from-stealing-property/379/3 "2019-09-25T03:37:19Z")

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Yeah, a good lease goes a long way.

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**Author:** ![community.manager](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/community.avail.com/community.manager/32/1080_2.png) [@community.manager](https://community.avail.com/u/community.manager)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://community.avail.com/t/can-a-tenant-at-will-change-locks-to-prevent-landlord-from-stealing-property/379/4 "2019-11-14T22:23:28Z")

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This is a tricky one. Pay attention to the lease. But as a landlord you shouldn’t be stealing their stuff. However, they also shouldn’t be changing the locks without giving you as the property owner any kind of notice. Comes down to communication.

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**Author:** ![KyleighLL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ccd318/32.png) [@KyleighLL](https://community.avail.com/u/KyleighLL)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.avail.com/t/can-a-tenant-at-will-change-locks-to-prevent-landlord-from-stealing-property/379/5 "2019-11-14T22:54:10Z")

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I’m a landlord and a tenant. I can say that if I had concerns I’d probably be more focused on getting out of the lease than changing the locks. I’d never just take it upon myself to do that.