What Property Managers Need To Know About Apartment Building Master Key System Lawsuits
In the past year or so I have received several inquiries from property managers in charge of large apartment complexes about deactivating master key systems. It turns out that the issue here is about hiring practices rather than locks. Sadly, there have been several recent cases where vendors working for property management companies have used a master key they were given access to in order to commit crimes.
One of the first principles of good key control is that you should never give a person more access than they need. And one of the first principles of good hiring is that you should always perform a background check. It would seem that a background check is now warranted with regard to the vendors you use as well.
Part of this can be solved with regard to locksmiths by checking if they have their Locksmith License from the California Department of Consumer Affairs. For part of the process of getting this license is that a person working as a locksmith in the State of California cannot have any felony convictions.
One of the benefits of working with John's Lock & Key is that you only deal with John. John's California Locksmith License is LCO 3522 and when you call John's Lock & Key you only talk to John and only John performs your service.
The message here is that there is nothing wrong with having a master key system but there is everything wrong with having poor key control and lax hiring practices. And I am sure all of you good managers out there knew all this already.
