Would you give your house keys to contractors ...
By maddysmommy
@maddysmommy (16230)
United States
November 10, 2008 11:55am CST
if you know you can't be home to let them in?
Our building manager sent a notice to all apartments stating that our county fire marshall has mandated the replacment of sprinkler heads. The process takes four days to complete and we are to organise with the Company that is doing the work to either (a) have someone in your residence on the indicated days (b) leave your door unlocked (c) or provide keys to the company. If no arrangements are made then a locksmith will open your door and a charge of $85 per trip will be billed to the owner/renter of the apartment.
We are actually lucky that I don't have to work at my part time job this week and am able to be home to oversee this work. Other neighbors have had to provide their keys since they work during the day and a few say they may need to leave their door unlocked because they don't have a spare. The thought of giving strangers my apartment keys doesn't ring too well with me. I would rather be present through the whole process even if it meant missing a few days of work.
What about you? Would you give your keys to contractors? leave the door unlocked? or take some days off work just to be there? or even have a friend stand in for you? What would you do? Thanks for sharing.
6 people like this
10 responses
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
10 Nov 08
I caretaking and property management for years. There should be someone from the apartment complex there to allow them inside the individual apartments actually. Like an onsir=ght manager, or someone from the maintanence field of the complex.
Someone from management needs to be there not making tenants take time from work etc to be there.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
3 people like this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
10 Nov 08
That's a good point Grandpa Bob. I don't think the Building Manager is going to be around, or else they would not have sent out this notice for us to make arrangements with the contractor. It stated in the notice that "it is our responsibility to arrange access ..." makes me wonder why we have a building manager in the first place. 
1 person likes this
@34momma (13882)
• United States
10 Nov 08
i personally prefer to have someone in the house when they come, but if i can't then i would be more comfortable with giving them my keys rather then leaving the door open. i get inspections and thing like this all the time too. most of the time i have someone in the apartment because i just feel more comfortable that way. however, i have left them my keys and come home to find everything where it should be
2 people like this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
10 Nov 08
Hey 34momma, how have you been? did you get your site up and running? I haven't seen you much around here or else it could be because I haven't been around much lately. How are things?
It's good that you were able to trust the contractors and left them your keys. I think some people have no choice but to if they don't have anyone to mind the house while the contractors are there. I'm lucky that I wasn't scheduled to work this week so can be home to see the whole process through. They were suppose to be here an hour ago and I'm still waiting. I hate the waiting part lol
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18368)
• Orangeville, Ontario
10 Nov 08
I would want to be there to oversee the work. You never know who these people are and what they could be up to in your apartment. I wouldn't leave it to chance that they wouldn't snoop through my stuff.
When my father passed away suddenly he was up in his den with the EMT workers when my nephew was the first family member on the scene. My mother was sitting alone in the living room and the police were wandering around the main floor. My nephew asked them why they weren't up there supervising the EMT's, that they could be going through my father's pockets or something.
I wouldn't trust strangers in my home. I don't even trust people I know in my home while I am not there.
2 people like this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
10 Nov 08
I'm with you on that one too Pat. Just as well I wasn't scheduled to work this week or else I would be in a bind and would've just taken time off and stayed home instead. I do have one neighbor that I do trust and if I couldn't be home then I would of given the keys to her. She lives on the same floor though and because they're doing all four apartments around the same time, that might be hard for her to manage. Who knows.
1 person likes this
@lexus54 (3572)
• Singapore
11 Nov 08
If I were in your shoes, I'll never let anyone or any contractor into my home if no one is around. If there are legitimate maintenance works to be done, I'd make the arrangement with the maintenance team to have it done a specific day and time, and I will make sure I am around to supervise them, or at least have a responsible family member do so. If no family member can be around and the work must be completed, then I will ask a trusted relative or reliable friend to stand in.
The only time I will let a contractor in to work on their own or hold my keys is if the place is new and still not inhabited. During such times, at least there's nothing valuable that are exposed to the contractors. After the work is completed, I will change the lock for the front door for security reasons to prevent further trespassing. When it comes to contractors, I'd rather be on the safe side.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
12 Nov 08
I agree lexus54. I wouldn't trust a stranger with my keys let alone our building manager. I would take days off it I could and if not then have a friend mind our house until they were done. Thanks for responding :)
@cupid74 (11388)
• Pakistan
11 Nov 08
Hi dear
well sure its nice at end of ur county firemarshell to replace sprinkles head
Well, i will say i will prefer to be there at time of they doing work in my place, not only for security point of view but also manage the MESS they might create due to this work.
Well if i am busy and cant take time off then will like to have my family member or friend present at that time. And if none of above is possible. i will gice keys to buliding management and request them to make sure some guard or person from Building office accompany them
i believe its better to be careful then complaining later
Take care
Well if i am busy and cant take time off then will like to have my family member or friend present at that time. And if none of above is possible. i will gice keys to buliding management and request them to make sure some guard or person from Building office accompany them
i believe its better to be careful then complaining later
Take care1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
12 Nov 08
I agree Cupid. Just as well I am able to be home while they do visit and do their thing with the sprinklers. Everyone was expecting them to come today but because of the holiday, they didn't turn up, but didn't tell us that they were not coming LOL I was called into work while my husband stayed home with our son who hasn't been well for the last few days. He waited all day for them to come but noone turned up. Our neighbor next door called them and they told her that they were not coming in, but neglected to tell us. Then my husband finds a note on our door explaining they won't be in today LOL go figure haha
@Janice_tan021 (51)
• Singapore
11 Nov 08
I never hear of this before. If so, the contractor should arrange any necessary with residents. I would not pass any home key to someone i do not know, its totally unsafe. Ever i still have to pass the key over, i wont not have a peace of mind in working. So i rather take leave or unpaid leave to prevent anything happen that will be much more safer.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
12 Nov 08
Me too! I don't even trust our building manager so I know I wouldn't give him the keys. thanks for posting janice and welcome to mylot!
@melody1011 (1663)
• India
11 Nov 08
Nope, definitely not, never. That's the worst possible thing to do. I would ask the manager to give me a definite date as to when it would need to be taken care of and I would make arrangements for someone known to house sit for me or I would possibly leave my keys with a neighbor i know well.. Its just not safe these days or practical to keep the doors open or give the keys to the company or with strangers anymore.
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
12 Nov 08
I totally agree with you melody. I wouldn't trust any strangers let alone the building manager with our apartment key. You just never know these days! thanks for responding.
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
11 Nov 08
Taking some days off would be my best bet. We can alternate it between hubby and me. I would never leave my house to total strangers, none of whom (including the company, I think) would be agreeable to any kind of accountability for any missing item. Here in good old Calcutta, we had these groups of workmen who would do a particular house each year. In time, they had become like much-awaited visitors and a part of the household. Any occasion for which the house needed a fresh coat of paint, they would be summoned, repairing of leaking pipes, cleaning out tanks and such. Each house had its loyal set of workmen and the entire neighbourhood knew who was working where. in those good old days, you could safely leave your house to these people and go round the globe! But in those good old days, mothers and grandmothers stayed at home too!
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
12 Nov 08
Sounds like you have a good neighborhood watch thing going on there :) I wouldn't leave our keys to strangers either nor our building manager. I was called into work today and since it was a holiday, my hubby was home. They didn't turn up today and didn't bother telling us till much later.
If I couldn't be home then I do have one good friend (a neighbor) that I would trust with our keys. Thanks for responding.
@lou_66 (909)
•
11 Nov 08
no i wouldnt.
if i could not get the time off work to let them in myself i would give a key to a friend, family member or neighbour to let them in.
i wouldnt trust anybody i didnt know with my door key.
i think this is because of all the horror stories you see on tv.
happy mylotting
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
12 Nov 08
Yup I totally agree. If I couldn't be home for some reason then I would give it to one of my neighbors who I do trust. Thanks for posting lou.
@niqbloo (62)
• United States
11 Nov 08
It would probably be safe to do. Just make sure to keep track of your valuables. I had a friend whos house got robbed by a roofing company, but they told the company and the people got fired, and they got all of their stuff back plus a lot of money and all the work for free
1 person likes this
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
12 Nov 08
Really? wow the cheek of that company. Good on them for telling because I know I would have too. Thanks for responding and welcome to mylot niqbloo.
