Most of my leases have had clauses saying the landlord/property manager had the right to enter in case of emergencies (so don't change the locks was implied, or maybe spelled out, can't remember), but I've never had that abused the way vw and Emily have.

Most of my leases have had clauses saying the landlord/property manager had the right to enter in case of emergencies (so don't change the locks was implied, or maybe spelled out, can't remember)

Right, but if you have a chain-slider lock, it can only be locked from the inside, meaning the tenant would be home, meaning if there was an emergency, the tenant could unlock it. And if there was an emergency when the tenant wasn't home, the chain wouldn't be locked, so the landlord could still get in.

I know that here landlords have to have access in case of an emergency, so changing the locks means you have to give them keys. But I know that they're supposed to give notice in advance for non-emergency access. I also know that this is something that some landlords ignore (I once came home to find muddy bootprints across my bedroom floor - never did find out what someone was doing in there).

Yeah, a chain would do the trick.

I once came home to find muddy bootprints across my bedroom floor

OMG, that would scare me to death.

Actually, that happened to my family once - my parents went out of town and my sister went to stay with a friend (she was in high school, I was away at cillege, my brother had moved out). She stopped by the house to get some clothing just before the folks came back, noticed the VCR was missing and wondered why mom & dad had taken it with them. When they got home they noticed the muddy footprints coming in from the garage. Apparently, someone had squeezed through the cat door into the garage, picked or broken the lock on the door between the garage and the house, and after all that work only taken the VCR.

Definately a chain lock for when you are home.

And if you put in a full lock for when you were out and didn't give them the key... you'd be in violation of your lease but so what? You're moving. And even though it likely says you can't use your deposit as your final month's rent I'd suggest you do... or half of it, or something.

They're breaking the rules. Go ahead and break a few back.

Grrrr. Intrusive landlords make my skin crawl. Go get 'em, VW!

What Kristin and Trudy said, vw!

And even though it likely says you can't use your deposit as your final month's rent I'd suggest you do

I've never understood the logic behind this rule.

Because then if you've trashed the place they lose the hold over you that the security was for.

I've never understood the logic behind this rule.

Well, they want to be able to deduct whatever damage you've done. And they're supposed to give you a full accounting and a check within thirty days. But a lot of small and/or sleezy landlords just keep it or deduct for things that you didn't do and know its not really worth the fight for you to go after them.

OTOH, if you just tell them to use the deposit for the last month you're likely to piss them off, but its generally not worth it for THEM to go after YOU (particularly if there is no damage).

Oh. That makes sense. I guess never having trashed an apartment, that never really occurred to me.

I should hang out with rockers more.