1. Tell your landlord about the problem

Landlords are responsible for safety and security as part of proper maintenance. If the locks to a tenant’s units or to common areas are not working properly or are not strong enough, your landlord must repair or replace them. If previous tenants or employees still have keys, the landlord should change the locks.

Your landlord might agree to let you get a new lock as long as you give them a key right away. Make sure you get this in writing from the landlord before you go ahead.

In this case, the landlord should pay you back for the cost, for example by letting you subtract it from your next rent payment. But don’t deduct it from your rent unless you have the landlord’s written permission.

You might have to pay for it yourself if the reason you want to change the lock is not something the landlord is responsible for. For example, if you gave a key to someone whom you no longer trust. You still must get your landlord’s permission and give them a key.