Tenants are always asking about mailbox keys. In most instances relating to cluster mailboxes, the vacating tenant does not return their key. What do you do and what is your responsibility as charging the prior tenant isn't always an option in most cases? Cluster mailboxes are federal property; they are not owned by the public or property owners. Therefore, in order for one to receive keys to a mailbox, they must establish residency by going to their local post office with their rental agreement to prove they reside there or that residency is or has been established. Upon providing such documentation, the postmaster will provide a key which requires a new lock & minimal fee. The fee involved generally runs $30 which the tenant pays as the key is the tenants possession or for their personal use, not the property owner. The tenant may elect to return it when they vacate so it may be passed on. In any case, it's always a wise idea to identify the cost to the tenant prior to move in to prevent any miscommunication or surprise upon move-in.
If the tenant has a post office box they can avoid the local cluster box. It is an option that might work for some tenants.
Landlord/Property Manager should always have duplicate sets of keys. When taking a property from an owner/occupant that has a mail box in a cluster, I have them show the mail box to me and I note the box # AND the cluster # and location of the box in the cluster. This information is kept in the property file. I keep the ORIGINAL of keys and provide 2 sets of duplicates to residents WITH small 3/8 x 5/8 stickers with box # on them....If the tenant looses the key (usually the tenant's child looses it), they have a second key and if they loose that, they come to my office, get my original and have a 3rd/4th copy made and return the original to me.
Providing 2 sets has eliminated a lot of this type of problem.
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