Replacement Keys

Oops!  It happens to all of us at least once.   Just as one out of every five socks that go into the dryer never come out, keys sometimes go walkabout and are never seen again.  If you lose one or more keys or if they are stolen, not a problem!  We'll help you out.  Just submit a service request to us and we'll get on it.

 Here's the lowdown on replacement keys:

Apartment Keys

Keyless Apartment Entries

Many of our buildings are being phased over to keyless apartment entries. If you have a keyless entry, you don't need to worry about lost apartment keys.

Keyed Apartment Entries

You are allowed to have copies of your apartment keys made, as long as you surrender all copies of the key to us when you move out. Your apartment will be rekeyed when you move out for the security of the next resident.

• If you have lost a key to your apartment, you may have a copy made of one of your remaining keys at any key shop or home improvement store that provides key cutting services.
• If you have lost all of the keys to your unit, often times we can provide you with a special code that you can bring to Robert's Keys, located on Read Street in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood. Robert's will cut you a new key or keys for a small fee. In the event that we are unable to provide you a key code, we will need to rekey your locks. If that happens, you will be charged the actual cost of the re-keying, plus a service fee.

Mailbox Keys

When you move into your apartment, we will issue you up to two mailbox keys.   You are allowed to have copies made of your mailbox key, as long as you surrender all mailbox keys when you move out. If all mailbox keys are lost, you will need to pay to replace the entire lock mechanism and have two new keys issued. If that happens, you will be charged the actual cost of the new lock, plus a service fee.

Building Entry Keys

Replacing a Building Key

Building Entry keys are typically a higher grade of key, and cost more because we are unable to create or duplicate them in house due to their advanced security features.

• If you lose a building entry key, you will be charged a fee for the cost of a replacement. This is in addition to any key fees, key deposits or other security deposits you have previously paid.
• If more than one key has to be replaced during your lease term, if your key is stolen in the course of a robbery or other violent crime, or for any other lost key incident that we deem a potential security risk, we may have to rekey your building for security purposes. For more information, see the next section on Rekeying a Building.

Rekeying a Building

If your lost building entry key is used or has the possibility of being used by any unauthorized party to gain entry, you may also be liable for the cost of rekeying all building entries and replacing all of the keys held by all residents. This is determined on a case-by-case basis, and will be at our sole discretion. This involves rekeying all exterior locks to the building that belong with the key. This is a very expensive process, that may cost $500 to $1,000, or even more, depending on the size of your building. The cost of this service may be covered under your renter's insurance, but in any case it is payable to us upon demand. Failure to pay for such service upon demand will constitute a breach of your Apartment Lease.

• We will charge you the actual cost of rekeying each lock.
• We will charge you an hourly fee equal to the amount of time spent removing and replacing each lock.
• We will charge you a fee for all new keys that must be issued to the residents of your building.
• We will charge you an hourly fee equal to the amount of time spent coordinating the collection of old keys and distribution of new keys to all residents of your building.

Additional Resources

• If it's an emergency or a weekend and you need to get into your unit right away, see our policy on Lock Outs.
• If you have a dog walker/pet sitter or a housekeeping service who needs a key, see our policies on Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters and Housekeepers respectively.
• For a comprehensive list of all of our key policies, see Keys.