Hi, there! Joe White here from Grow Property Management, your trusted property management company in Philadelphia.
As a property management company in Philadelphia, we run into this issue more often than you’d expect – locking mailboxes and tenants not returning the keys. It’s a small detail, but it causes a surprisingly large amount of frustration and wasted time. Let me walk you through what we deal with regularly and why you might want to rethink whether locking mailboxes are worth the trouble in your rental properties.
So, here’s the situation: a tenant moves out and for some reason, they just don’t return keys -whether it’s to the property itself or the mailbox. It happens far too often. Sometimes we even struggle getting keys from the owners when onboarding a new property. They’ll reach out asking how marketing or showings are going, and we have to remind them, “We can’t even access the place yet – we need the keys.” It’s this strange resistance people have to giving up possession of something, even when they no longer have a legal right to it. It’s almost like a psychological attachment that makes people hold on longer than they should.
Now, specifically when it comes to mailboxes – most of the ones we manage are locking mailboxes for good reason. We’re in an urban environment where mail theft can happen, so it’s understandable why people want the added security. But if the tenant moves out and doesn’t return the mailbox key, now you’re stuck with a lock you can’t open, and possibly important mail stuck inside.
Most of these locking mailboxes come with two keys. My recommendation is to always keep one on file as a backup. That way, if the tenant walks away with the other, you still have access. If they take both—now that’s an obvious tenant charge. And while I highly recommend that you explicitly include this charge in your lease, even if you don’t, I think it’s still a fair and justifiable expense to pass on to the tenant. They knowingly took something that no longer belongs to them, and that action comes with a cost.
When charging for it, be thorough. You’re not just charging for the lock itself – you’re charging for your time and labor. If you have to go to Home Depot or order a part from Amazon, that’s time and energy out of your day. If you have to install it yourself or pay someone else to do it, that’s another cost. Make sure your lease gives you the right to recover all those expenses, not just the physical materials. And don’t forget an admin fee. The hassle alone warrants it.
Now, if you’re stuck with a mailbox you can’t open, your options vary depending on the quality of the box. If it’s a cheap one, often you can just unscrew it and replace it with the same model. If it’s more expensive, you can drill out the lock and replace it without swapping the whole unit. It’s usually not a job that requires a contractor—most homeowners or landlords can do it themselves. Replacement locks are easy to find online. But again, this is all time and money. That’s why proper documentation in your lease is essential.
Given the recurring nature of this problem, I’ve started leaning toward recommending non-locking mailboxes for rentals – especially if you’re not in an area where mail theft is a big issue. That way, you eliminate the lock/key issue entirely. But if you do go with locking mailboxes -and again, I totally understand why you would – just make sure you’ve built the right policies and protections into your lease.
The important thing is to make sure tenants understand their responsibility when they move out. Once their lease ends, they are no longer legal occupants. If they still have keys or try to retrieve mail, that’s not their right anymore. I’m not an attorney, but in my experience, that borders on trespassing. They should be forwarding their mail and handing over all keys, plain and simple.
What frustrates me most is how unnecessary the whole thing is. Tenants know they’re not supposed to take the keys, yet they do it anyway. Maybe they think it’s harmless, or they just forget, but either way it creates more work for everyone else. So yes, I do believe it’s a completely fair and justifiable charge to pass on to them. They’re not entitled to that mailbox after the lease ends, and their refusal to return the key is a clear violation of their responsibilities.
To wrap it all up—if you manage rental properties or own them, be proactive. Include a detailed clause in your lease about key returns, covering not only door keys but mailbox keys as well. Make it clear that failing to return every single key will result in a charge that includes parts, labor, and administrative time. It’s not just about fairness – it’s about protecting your time, your property, and your peace of mind.
Just another day in the life of a humble Philadelphia property management company owner, doing my best to answer your rental property investing questions and keep things running smoothly.
As always, happy rental property investing.
