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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I don't feel I've done anything wrong I was only concerned for my safety and the safety of others in my building. But I may just be biased
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So my understanding is this is a communal hallway leading to individual apartment entrances? And the doors to individual apartments can be locked? I don't understand why you wouldn't let them copy your hallway key if that's the case tbh. It costs like $3-5
Barring clarification, YTA
Yeah the places I have lived in flats the keys can not be copied at the usual key places (don't know what they are called) but has to be ordered through the landlord. It's a safety issue. Otherwise the landlord has to change the lock quite often as they don't know how many keys are out there.
If the other people have lost their keys they should have told the landlord and got another one made (or the landlord had to change the lock)
On the other hand I have lived in a place where I guy like that moved in and started locking the door. I asked him not to because I had never been given a key to that door. (shitty landlord)
I'm going to just hazard a guess that this landlord isn't the greatest, either, because if that's a door that should be locked I'd reeeeally hope he'd have noticed it being unlocked for literal years lol
Yeah no shit, it's a bad neighborhood. You know, where slumlords exploit people. Why on earth does anyone think this is a high security key? I can promise landlord gives no fucks so long as rent is paid and no one complains too much.
honestly optimistic to believe all his neighbors have ever had keys. I've literally never had a key to the main door in my building, and its not been an issue because everyone's in the same boat. (I have asked, landlord ghosted me three times so I just gave up)
Yup. Where I live, almost no one has laundry keys, they've been living here for years. I never got one when I moved in, but I copied a neighbour's key. They've since left. Someone keeps locking the door, but most of my neighbours don't have one and borrow off me. OP is such a dick: just stop locking the door! If it's been unlocked for years without problem, maybe it's bc no one wants to break into your slum.
I used to work rental property maintenance. There is zero chance that's a high security lock on the hallway because if it was nobody would ask to copy the key. It's almost certainly a Schlage or Titan lock.
OP should just go copy a bunch of keys and pass them around to the neighbors.
This was my thought too. The neighbors wouldn’t even be able to copy a high security key at a regular hardware store. Also I once had a landlord that charged $150 for key replacements. This was for a standard key, used in a standard doorknob, that literally came from the nearest hardware store. This was back in 2009. Copying a key myself would have cost me a few dollars, but the landlord needed $150 for the same exact thing.
Also, if it is supposed to be locked, it should be spring loaded at the top to automatically close and automatically lock. They have locks in knobs that always open from the inside when locked, but locked from the outside when locked.
Agreed. I mentioned elsewhere that any time I had a key that I was literally legally prohibited from copying it also went to a fire door or a door that otherwise locked automatically. I just don't get the same sense from OP describing the door as a door to a hallway he turns and locks behind him each time he passes, though at this point I welcome his correction lol
That little notice that says do not duplicate on the key and a vague line about not duplicating keys in your leasing agreement are both unenforceable. It's your key. You can make copies of it. And nowadays you can make copies in the lobby of the grocery store without ever talking to a locksmith or asking for permission.
Probably just a regular door, clearly with a lockable lock that has been unlocked - maybe landlord got tired of replacing keys so put an arbitrarily high price for replacement on it?
For sure, but this makes sense. Its a 'pain in my ass' fee designed to reduce the frequency of it happening to begin with. Tenants should be keeping track of their keys, and if a tenant *does* lose their keys they're of course going to want those keys replaced almost immediately (and there's a case to be made that if a tenant loses their keys you may want to replace the lock entirely as who knows who has those keys now).
That's weird. I always make extra copies of my keys & just toss them when I move out. It costs $3 and you can make them at the grocery store. I assumed everyone did that.
$70 for a key is insane.
It’s probably because if you lose it, they have to replace the lock it goes to as a security concern. Of course, the tenants all lost them and didn’t report to avoid the fines.
Yeah, I have keys to my complex that have "DO NOT DUPLICATE" printed on them. IIRC, it's the key for our main doors to the complex. So it's a good possibility that the only way OP's neighbors can get duplicate keys is through their landlord. Like, yeah there's places that'll still duplicate a key that's printed with "Do Not Duplicate" (especially if you're friendly with the place), but businesses will get in trouble for doing it.
I can't fathom the fact that all of them live in a dangerous area and yet they've not only been leaving this door unlocked but they've also lost one of the keys to their complex. What happens if one of them moves out? They'll still be charged for the key replacement. NTA, OP.
No where in my town will duplicate keys stamped with "Do Not Duplicate" because it's a security issue. If you know somewhere that'll do it, then good for you. I also know a guy but I morally wouldn't do it, plus the company that owns the complex I live in would have my ass.
Okay but on the other hand, I've never went to a single place that refused to duplicate my key despite the warnings on it.
It's not a security issue either, as the impact on security is straight up negligible. If it was, they would use actual restricted keys. To me it seems obvious that the biggest reason is to increase profits, both for the maker of the key and the landlord.
Agreed. Property management should always be who replaces locks and keys. These locks definitely need to be changed with new keys provided to everyone. If someone loses the key, they are responsible to pay for replacements. OP is NTA. The other tenants “solution” isn’t a solution and they should be taking it up with whomever is running the property, not making their problem OP’s problem. He could advocate for them by putting a call into landlord and he could get up and let them in until solved but not an A H for not giving the key off for random copying- that’s a Major no no and needs to be paid and handled through landlord. Sounds like everyone is getting inconvenienced because 3 don’t want to pay $70 for the key they lost, putting themselves in a vulnerable position.
If they had someone leave (which they must have since OP just moved in) unless that person had a hallway key they turned in the landlord should have know there are missing keys and re-keyed the hallway.
Common sense says to ask the landlord for a copy of the key… not a new tenant. It isn’t his fault that they lost their keys and haven’t replaced them. As a female I would feel more comfortable with the door locked at all times. 🤷🏼♀️
That's not always accurate. If its a security door and the lock was installed by a locksmith, they may have stamped the key "Do not copy". If you go to a home depot or similar for a copy, they won't do it. It would have to be done by a locksmith.
Sure its a cash grab, but its also for security reasons with some businesses. There's not a bunch of keys out there after tenants move out.
>Sure its a cash grab, but its also for security reasons with some businesses. There's not a bunch of keys out there after tenants move out.
$70 to ensure that no one distributes keys to the local hooligans seems reasonable. But then again, I value my life and saftey.
Sometimes making copies is against the lease.
Also, they all lost their keys within their first years of living there. Even if OP allows them to make copies, how many times is he going to be making copies as they continuously lose their keys? Even just losing 3 should call for the lock to be changed and replaced because it is unsafe to have those floating around out there.
Because it's such a small request, either dont lock the hallway (which was the status quo before he moved in) or let them copy a key (which costs him nothing), but instead he is choosing not to help them when it would be super easy to do so. I know this subreddit is big on the "it's not my responsibility to help with X" or "I have no legal obligation to do Y" but sometimes you can help people without getting anything in return. Literally what do you get out of denying a perfectly reasonable request? This isn't a legal advice subreddit, its about morality. If you have an opportunity to make other people's lives easier at virtually no downside to yourself and choose not do it just because you don't have to then yeah, you're an asshole.
He gets to lock women and children out of their apartments with an air of superiority, since HE is so smart he's never lost a key. He forces them to pay 70 dollars for a replacement when he could help out for a 10th of that price, and nobody has spare money like that lying around, especially single mothers, so he is obviously better off financially than them and shows it in his petty actions. He's an arsehole.
It just makes me think of shopping carts. If you go to a grocery store and use a cart, after you've finished loading up your vehicle you have a choice. You can return the cart to its designated area, usually this comes at the cost of about 30-60 seconds of your time. Or you can choose to leave the cart there and make it someone else's problem. There is no legal obligation to return the cart. There will be no signficant consequences for not doing so. There also won't be any reward either. You effectively gain nothing except for slightly helping someone else out. That person won't even know you helped them most likely. So do you return the cart? Do you slightly inconvenience yourself to help someone else out for nothing in return?
I was raised in a way that i always return the cart, just because it's the right thing to do. I'm not in it for a reward, but even if its raining or snowing I still do it for it's own sake. When I read the "but it's not my responsibility" type replies in every thread I just always imagine them as the people who abandon the carts near their parking space, simply because they dont have to return them. And they're right, they dont have to. There is absolutely no reason to do so, but I still can't help but think of them as an asshole regardless.
How did all other tenants lose their keys and not think to have copies of them ahead of time as people moved in and out? I will put as many locked doors as possible between myself and a crime ridden neighborhood.
Thats the part no one else is pointing out.. how did EVERYONE lose their key and how come NOBODY has replaced them considering the fact they’ve all been there for about 5 years at least.
This sounds like laziness on the other tenants part,OP has an investment that he would like to protect. It is not fair to him that others are forcing him to cut corners in that regard because THEY LOST THEIR KEY. I do think however he should get copies made if they’re willing to pay, that way no ones making shortcuts and everyones secured.
Who gives a shit where their keys are? Totally irrelevant.
OP has created a problem where there was not one before, and refuses to participate in correcting it at no cost to himself.
That's about as dick as moves come.
Thank you for your response. You actually see both sides. The Op doesn’t and is being inconsiderate on purpose and then claiming to not realize it. It is an easy fix from him, make some copies and sell them to the other tenants, he could even be Uber generous and give them to them. That way everyone is safe and happy
Theyre still not really safe because theres at least 3 missing keys to the door. The smart thing would be to let the landlord know so they can change out the lock and give everybody new keys. It won't happen though because its going to cost more than 70 bucks
I think it's easy to understand the other tenants' side: you have a key to a door that nobody locks, ever. You only use your house keys, so you put that key in a drawer and months go by. Soon enough you don't even remember where you put it. I think OP is already strange to start locking the door, but alright... his right I guess. Then he doesn't even want to help the other tenants make copies of the keys.
OP most defines YTA
I'm not taking sides here, but the other tenants are a security concern themselves if they *all* lost their keys. Where did the keys go? Who has them? Were they lost, loaned? If they had to pay the landlord to replace what they lost and should have guarded, they may be more responsible in the future, because there would be a cost tied to carelessness. I'd be concerned about making copies of my key, handing them out, and then someone gets inside that shouldn't. The door is there for a reason, and the landlord gave the tenants keys for a reason. I don't understand why the building now needs to have less security than the landlord intended, just because prior tenants didn't keep their keys safe. I agree that copying your personal key would be the nice thing to do, I'm just not sure it's the smartest or safest thing to do.
I'll tell you exactly what happened because this should be obvious: No one locks the door, and probably didn't when they moved in either, so they put the key in some some drawer or someplace else and promptly forgot where. That's how small items you don't use get lost. This isn't a mystery. They didn't drop it somewhere, they put it away some place and forgot where.
>I was raised in a way that i always return the cart, just because it's the right thing to do. I'm not in it for a reward, but even if its raining or snowing I still do it for it's own sake. When I read the "but it's not my responsibility" type replies in every thread I just always imagine them as the people who abandon the carts near their parking space, simply because they dont have to return them. And they're right, they dont have to. There is absolutely no reason to do so, but I still can't help but think of them as an asshole regardless.
Idk if this was your point, but I feel that OP locking the hallway door *is* returning the cart.
OP is doing what everyone *should* be doing, but their neighbors are demanding that he compromise his obligations so that they can 'leave their carts whereever they want'
It also sounds like he's stopped letting people in even when he hears them knocking. People he, personally, has locked out. This is a special kind of asshole.
He suck because he was not willing to compromise on anything
- not keeping a shared door open
- not letting them copy the key to the shared door
- not agreeing to copy the key to the shared door himself
like he delectably trying to cause issues to his neighbors
Seriously, how long does he plan on staying here because having your neighbors hate you is not a good time.
It just feels like such a small, semi convenient thing to do to help everyone around him, including himself. Just do it and stay in your neighbor's good graces.
You never know when you might need their help.
A shared door everyone has the ability to have a key to, that also allows another level of safety to the apartments - they live in a dangerous neighborhood.
I've never had a lease that didn't stipulate absolutely no making copies of keys. Where are all of you signing leases?
He's being petty about a key that only allows the others into their shared hallway, they are there anyway, whats he protecting his key for so strangely? His Precious is a weird one alright.
I personally think he sucks because it's such an easy ask that contributes to the community aspect of the building that OP says he misses (as in he notices its absence, not sure OP really *misses* it like yearns for it). But like, statistically, most apartment neighbors suck sometimes
You'd think if they were super concerned about being female in a bad neighborhood, they would ensure the hallway door is locked and they had a key to get into it. You know, for safety.
Thing is, it doesn't even *matter* what the legal or moral of ethical thing is anymore. OP has the option to be a kind neighbor, without any real impact to themselves. Is it worth the slight inconvenience of getting a key copied to have all of your neighbors think you're an asshole?
Personally, I'd rather not have neighbors who hate me, especially since this sub is ripe with stories of what happens when they do. YTA
I've never lived in an apartment where it was the tenants' job to replace keys for other residents. That duty falls to the landlord.
Edit: in fact, most lease terms explicitly prohibit tenants from copying and distributing keys.
It certainly is not your job. But never doing anything nice for someone else kinda makes you the asshole then.
This aint the "am I legally obligated" sub. It is AITA.
I mean I am not legally obligated to return my shopping cart. I am still the asshole if I don't. 🤷🏻♀️
Yeah it can get pretty funny, in both a *ha-ha* and *oh that's sad* way, when people use the "well I'M not responsible for that!!!!!!" reasoning to defend (what some people might consider, ahem) *inconsiderate* behavior
Okay, but providing keys is a *legal responsibility* that falls to the landlord. I don't think it's an asshole move to recognize that and direct them to the correct resource.
I definitely understand why you feel that way, I just don't agree. I think "it's an asshole move" is probably a more accurate way to describe the situation vs calling OP an outright asshole but that's the nature of the sub. Doesn't make OP a bad guy but like, them's the breaks
Sometimes its written into the lease that you cannot copy keys. A copied key can be given to anyone and they can make copies and so on and so forth. If it is in the lease and the landlord found out, they could be evicted or even charged to change out all the locks since now the security was "compromised"
Apartment door, locks, and latches are usually crap and easy to bust into. I’ve been in 5 apartments in 5 years due to rent ALWAYS going up, and none of them have ever offered me a freshly rekeyed apartment door lock. I don’t blame OP for locking the security door,
If they pay you for a copy, then I don't really see your issue anymore. It's $70 for the landlord to do it, so it would be cheaper if you did it for everyone.
If you want that community and connection then you have to give a little to get a little back..
YtA
Agreed. They are allowed to have a key, it’s just so expensive to go through the landlord.
These single women have been fine with the hall door being unlocked, but OP thinks it’s a danger. The least you could do would be to help them save a few bucks by copying the key.
What would you loose by doing that?!
>What would you loose by doing that?!
Sometimes its written into the lease that you cannot copy keys. If it is in the lease and the landlord found out, they could be evicted or even charged to change out all the locks since now the security was "compromised"
OP thinks an unlocked hallway door is a danger *to themselves*, and they are well within their rights.
OP still sucks for being uncooperative and uncompromising about this, but they have a right to letting the hallway access locked if they feel safer this way.
as for going through the landlord, I don't know why the key costs that much through them, but as other posters pointed out: either it's a highly sophisticated key, or/and it's so that after a certain number of keys they can recoup the cost of simply changing the lock as the security risk becomes too great.
Some landlords can be jerks. It could be that the keys are really expensive, or a hassle. But my building charges $80 for a new garage fob. Mine stopped working the first time I changed the battery a year later and they told me to buy a new one.
Wtf? YTA. Yeah you caused bad blood. You declined every solution proposed. Just get the key copied and have them pay you. It costs a few dollars and the goodwill will mean you don’t have beef with your neighbours. Or just be an AH but don’t whine about it and wonder what went wrong.
And that’s what tipping me to YTA here. The neighbors have proposed countless solutions to his unwillingness to leave the door open (something they’ve already been doing for years). It would literally not cost him anything to copy the key for them. Everyone wins. He doesn’t have to worry and the women don’t have to get trapped outside at night. He’s declining all of that and then wondering why they don’t seem to have taken a liking to them……
exactly. The tenants can see that clearly OP wants the door to remain locked, and they offered a solution, but I really cannot pinpoint why OP wouldn't just make a copy of the key and allow everyone to reimburse them
Yeah people are giving the LL way too much credit too he definitely knows its been unlocked for years if hes showing apartments to new tenants, its not 70 dollars because its a safety issue, its 70 dollars because he knows he can charge that.
Just wait, soon we'll see a post in UnethicalProLifeTips from one of his neighbors wanting ways to get rid of him so they can enjoy their peaceful existence again.
OP is YTA for coming in and disrupting the status quo then refusing to compromise in any way. If single moms feel safe enough to leave the hallway door unlocked then it's not that dangerous of a neighborhood. Even so, OP is allowed to feel frightened and take measures to alleviate his fear but it's wrong to do so by creating an actual risk to his neighbors who don't have a key and presumably cannot afford the replacement cost.
What gets me is that his neighbors have all lived there over 5 years and are saying it’s not a safety issue to leave the hallway door unlocked and that strangers don’t come in, he’s lived there *three weeks* and he thinks he knows better than them and is saying they’re wrong
To be fair, there’s always a first time. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t. An ounce of prevention…
Having said that, OP is being a dick here. Just copy the damn key ffs, and charge for it if you feel you need to (since they offered). It sounds like OP is being difficult just because he can. Hey OP, YTA.
Plus, after the first week,, he can hear them knocking to be let in, and refuses to get up to let them in. He's unwilling to assist in the situation he created and refuses to help out in any way.
You don't get it, someone has to teach those poor single moms a lesson about responsibility and consequences of losing their keys. OP is changing society for the better one asshole step at a time. /s
I didn't even consider the safety aspect. That makes it even worse. They're women in a a bad neighborhood stuck outside the building.
Shoot on top of that, after a very long hard day when you're already imagining what you're gonna eat or how it's gonna feel to finally relax, coming home to a locked door is the worst.
Plus he still excepts them to do small acts of kindness for him like free food but is unwilling to do even this. You can’t be rude to others and still expect them to be kind to you. He fafo
Don't forget that he stopped going out to let them in when they're locked outside, even at night. In what he describes as a bad neighborhood. This guy is a real peach.
Somehow people still don’t understand that you can be an absolute asshole to someone but if you are then you cannot expect them to be nice to you and do shit for you!!!! Like you can’t complain when they don’t give you free food after you made their lives more difficult!
/u/Visible-Clue185
you're not only creating bad blood with your neighbours, but you're actively making this living environment more dangerous for you
if the place is so dangerous that the hallway door needs to be locked, you think having people outside and banging on the door and drawing attention to the building helps? fr?
plus one of the biggest elements of safety is having good relationships with your neighbours. they can warn you about things you'd have no clue about, they'll help keep an extra eye and make sure youre ok. they're much more likely to help in an emergency even at cost to themselves. and just them having friendly relations with you would mean they'd be more likely to notice if something was off
locked doors can help with safety but only against a limited type of danger, and that's not the kind improved by you drawing attention to people coming and going at night by locking them out. there's way more dangers that a locked door won't help at all but having a community looking out for you will
you just made your living situation less safe and created a hostile environment where all of your neighbours are allied against you
and for what?
Also if it's such a dangerous neighborhood leaving them locked out at NIGHT so they have to resort to making a lot of noise so they can get back in is far more dangerous.
And if OP is purely concerned about his own safety — being an obnoxious asshole to your neighbors to the point that they wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire (or, non-metaphorically, bother to do anything if they saw someone break into your unit) sounds kinda unsafe, genius.
By not copying the key so that his neighbours can LOCK the door, he's increasing the odds of his neighbours unlocking it from the inside and leaving it unlocked. If it's actually about safety, it's in his interests to make sure they have keys.
And his neighbors are all single moms. He’s the only man. He’s the least likely to get assaulted but the most scared to the point of endangering single mothers
Some people just like having control over others. Based on the wall of no that OP has built, he either actively or subconsciously loves the power he has by forcing his hallmates to drop $70 for the landlord to get new keys.
YTA. She made a reasonable request so that she and the others could accommodate your wishes and you said no. Yes, they have a preference to leave the door unlocked, but they will lock it for you as long as they can also return to their homes.
They have already agreed to allow your comfort zone of having the door locked. Why on Earth would you be uncomfortable about letting them have keys to the door that you share? You have said that they could get new ones from the landlord but they would be $70 a piece. For some people that's a lot of money.
Your comfort is not the final deciding factor in all matters of shared safety and justice. Get over yourself and make a copy of your key for her.
>You have said that they could get new ones from the landlord but they would be $70 a piece
I can plenty afford $70, but I would fucking HATE that guy that was so unneighbourly to actually insist this in such a small building where everyone knows each other.
I live in a complex with 200 units across about 5 buildings. I think my building has about 40 or 50 units in it. I don't think that would acceptable to me or anyone else in a large complex like this because you need to carefully control who has access (and they do yearly audits and deactivate swipes that arent accounted for and they keys can only be copied via management). This is necessary in such a large complex. A building of 4 units where everyone knows each other?Let them copy your fucking key FFS.
So, you want them to spend $70 to get replacement keys when you could get them for a few bucks a piece? Why? I mean hey, technically you're entitled to do that, but don't be surprised when your neighbors turn down any request you make in the future or ignore your pleas for help when you forget your key or need someone to sign for a package.
YTA
Edit - Dude hasn't left a single comment. No clarifications on if the key says "do not copy," or his reasoning why he doesn't want to make copies, nothing... I'm starting to think we've been duped, y'all.
Wow, she even offered to pay you to have a copy made yourself since you were too afraid to let her borrow it to get a copy? And you refused? Yeah, you wouldn't be on my list to say good morning to either. YTA.
YTA
Look, I get it. You are following the rules and they aren’t. They should not have lost their keys and when they did, they should have replaced them instead of compromising the security of everyone living in the building.
But $70 is a lot of money for some people. And if these are all single moms, then they are single income families and they just might not have $70 to spare.
You are upsetting all of your neighbors to prove a point. And your sleep gets disturbed frequently by people who are just trying to get get into their homes and go to sleep.
And your taking a stand on the matter isn’t working.
Have a tiny bit of compassion. Take your key and find out how much it costs to get it copied. Landlords frequently inflate the cost of replacement keys so that people will keep track of them and not bother the landlord for copies.
If it is a regular key, just get copies made and inform your neighbors they can have the keys if they pay for them. Feel free to add a bit to the cost to cover your time and effort in getting the keys made.
Problem solved.
If the keys cannot be copied or are super expensive, suggest to one of the other tenants that the cheapest way for them all to get keys is for someone to figure out a way to get the landlord to replace the lock in the hallway door. Then everyone will get new keys.
But while your locking the door protects everyone in the apartments, it puts those who are not home at that time in more danger than if the hall door were just unlocked.
Wonder if sneakily destroying the lock would work for that? Get everyone some new keys and force OP to be uncomfortable while it’s unlocked and getting replaced
Thank you. I’m not sure if OP is just young, but you just can’t get through life by virtue of being technically right.
We’re in a society - it’s give and take
YTA. You are deliberately locking out your neighbours and wondering why they’re mad at you? She’s given you three different solutions to the problem that you’ve declined. I don’t understand why you want to make your living situation so uncomfortable
Control. He’s the only man in a building full of single mothers. He’s locking them outside at night and not getting up to let them in while he listens to them knock… in a top 5 dangerous neighborhood. He’s an ass getting off on this.
Guys like following rules that disrupts other people, its like a power trip to assure them they are smart and important and responsible and its everyone else's fault for not following the rules, but really they just bein AH
I had to scroll way down to find this. Yes, OP is on power trip & the whole situation gives him a false sense of importance. A single guy living among single mothers. He has to put the women down by calling them out on losing keys so that he feels important. OP a massive YTA.
Agreed. He doesn’t feel endangered by the other residents and he’s emboldened to be an arsehole. Then he “explains” the technicalities of the building rules even though they’ve been there for 10 years before him
YTA- so you decided for everyone how things should be, when they ask for help you wont do that either. Just make a copy of the key, you KNOW they live there.
UPDATE:// Earlier this morning I held a meeting with my neighbors at my apartment and apologized for the way I handled this situation. Reading some of you guys comments made me look back on my decisions and behavior lately and had to reevaluate myself.
To answer the question no it is not permitted in our lease not to copy our keys. I've taken the trip to goodwill and got a copy of 4 keys, an extra one for me. I gave them all a copy on me as an apology and attempted to ask for forgiveness. I didn't move to this area to cause any problems. Our rent is dirt cheap so I plan to stay for a while and don't want any tension between me and my neighbors. Luckily for me they were quick to forgive and forget. They were really patient and kind during our meeting and I can't believe I treated these lovely souls in this manner.
I came to a compromise that moving forward I will discuss all concerns with my neighbors before making any decisions that could possibly affect them as well. I never wanted to start a war and I kind of enjoy hanging out with my neighbors. After I gave them their keys they all stood for a group hug and honestly, I've never felt anything more warm and welcoming. I was expecting to be told off or being told how much of an ass I've been but to my surprise it was all water under the bridge to them.
Moving forward we are now going to host our weekly neighbor get togethers in my apt since I have more space being I live alone. I've never had a friend group of all middle aged women but it's honestly really fun and they're like super funny. A locked door isn't worth my awesome friendship with my neighbors. I'm just glad to be included again. Thank you all for your feedback good or bad. And Oh, I received my goodie box of fresh produce, she saved it for whenever I'd come around hoping it would be before everything expires or molds. Man I missed those fresh oranges lol.
Welp! That pretty much concludes the update thus far hopefully you won't hear back from me. Until then I have fresh produce to tend to.
INFO: What does it say in the lease regarding the hallway door? Does it say it is to be closed/locked at all time or does it say anything in it at all?
Exactly I don’t understand the ah votes. How do that many residents loose all their keys and what’s really going on there? 🚩🚩 Nta op you don’t know these people or their family/social groups are
The number of people here who genuinely seem to have no idea a) that you actually can't cheaply and easily duplicate every kind of key, and b) there can be actual consequences if you are caught doing something that breaks your lease (assuming either duplicating the key or locking the door are in the lease).
NTA
Exactly. And often a fee for a missing key includes changing the lock for security reasons.
70 isn’t that much to have an actual locksmith do work.
edit: much from "mush"
I've been in a home invasion robbery, it's not fucking fun. I would do the same thing this guy did. I might explain why, but I would do the same thing.
YTA. Either let them copy the hallway key you have or stop locking the door. This ain't rocket science homie. If you're really so pressed about giving them your key, then you can pay the landlord to give them new keys.
Your stance is ridiculous, and ya just seem like a shit stirrer.
NTA. I don’t understand how everyone in the building lost one key to the hallway. Wouldn’t you keep that key on the same key ring as your apartment key? Contact the landlord and let him know the situation. Perhaps he can have keys made for the other residents. I personally agree that the hall door should be kept locked, and you would think that single mothers would want that as well.
What are the odds that the neighbor who offered to copy his key just "loses" it too and now "Oopsie, we'll have to keep the door unlocked or you'll have to admit to the landlord that you gave your key away to be copied?"
Don't risk it, OP. People can be spiteful, and this could put your housing in jeopardy. Neighbors who don't talk to you can suck, but breaching your housing contract could suck more.
YTA - "I honestly don't want any bad blood." -- Really? That's hard to believe.
You declined every solution including her paying you for a copy of the the key. She in turn will make copies for everyone thus the door you want locked can be.
INFO:
Your neighbors, at least one who has brought you food from the food bank, have obviously just lost their hall keys. They are willing to keep the hall locked if they can get new hall keys. It will cost them more to get the same key you have from the landlord vs making a copy of your key. They are all willing to pay for their own copies, they just want to save money by getting a copy by copying yours than the landlord’s.
Why don’t you want to help your neighbors save a couple bucks on the key when it will ultimately lead to getting what you want - the hall door always locked & no one banging to get in?
Cause I don’t see a good reason not to & that would make you YTA unless there is something else to this I failed to understand.
NTA. The ytas blow my mind. Why is it your job to copy the keys and give them to people. They lost their own keys so they should have to spend the 70 dollars to get a new one from the landlord. Is there no personal accountability?This isn’t on you, they need to be more careful and not lose important keys. They’re putting lots of people at risk by leaving the door unlocked.
I truly don’t understand how you being responsible makes you an ah.
Copying the keys without discussing it with the landlord and going under his nose just to save people a couple bucks? That could land you in major trouble with said landlord.
Because 70 dollars is ridiculous for a key and they're all single mothers who likely don't have that money spare? They aren't saying they won't lock the door, they're saying none of them have keys. Take the key to a key cutting place, get a copy made for the woman they are locking out of their own house in the dark and the problem is solved.
The landlord is not going to evict a tenant for copying the hall door key for someone who has lived in the damn building for five years. Meanwhile, the OP is wondering why they aren't friendly any more. I don't think I'd be saying a cheerful good morning to someone who knowingly and deliberately locked me out of my house at night, would you?
I had some keys with work that I wanted to copy. The key was cut that you couldn’t get a duplicate made in one of those automatic kiosks, and the key said do not duplicate. No locksmith or place would make you a dupe. If yours says do not duplicate then I doubt it can be in any legal way.
Makes you wonder though, why didn’t they duplicate before. I presume they would lock the hall door until someone lost their key. Why would 2 more lose their keys if the door was then left unlocked after the first loss
My guess is they took it off their keyring after they stopped locking the door and all but the first lost key are lost somewhere in the tenant's apartments, shoved deep in a box/forgotten drawer somewhere.
NTA
Just because they've established that their preference is to leave the hallway unlocked doesn't supercede your preference for the door to be locked.
There is a hallway lock for a reason. You pay to live in a building that has that added level of security. There are three lost keys to the building out there, so just making new copies leave at least three keys out there unaccounted for. Neighbors need to own up to their mistake and have the hallway rekeyed and new keys distributed.
Write a polite and respectful note for your neighbors (keep a copy for yourself) telling them that you intend to notify the landlord about the key situation for the hallway in two weeks, be sure to include the date, and that you're concerned about the safety of the situation. That gives them time to come up with the extra money for the fines or fees if they can't produce their copy of the key. Especially since they would have to pay the money for a key replacement when they move out anyway. Afterwards once you all have new keys, thank them for understanding your concerns and that you appreciate them taking the extra time to make sure the building is secure.
>Just because they've established that their preference is to leave the hallway unlocked doesn't supercede your preference for the door to be locked.
This is what gets me. All the people saying "you're making it dangerous for women" or "you're being spiteful making them pay more from the landlord" are completely missing the point that OP moved into this apartment with the presumption that it was going to be a secure building. If OP had known that the building "in a dangerous area" was going to unlocked at all times, then OP might've chosen a different apartment. OP deserves the security he paid for, since he rented with the presumption that he'd be at least able to walk into the hallway without there being a possibility of getting jumped.
While it might be kind for OP to lend his neighbors his key for them to duplicate, it's, quite frankly, not his problem. Lending them his key could lead to a variety of issues, such as breaching his housing contract (if it said they can't duplicate keys). Heck, the "kind neighbor" who offered to copy the key could just throw his out, and say "Oops, I lost it, so I guess we'll have to leave it unlocked all the time."
I agree that the hall door should be locked wherever you live it just makes sense. Insurance policies might have an issue with that if there's a claim as well no?
Still it would have been better if you'd all spoken about it like adults. They should have been locking the door but you knew they didn't and so when you locked it you were knowingly locking them out. I don't understand why you're standing in the way of progress by not letting them have the key to make copies though. Surely you could make arrangements to loan her the key for a while so she can do this?
Did you mean you didn't care "about" the food or "for" the food? I feel like if it's "for" you're an a-hole because it kind of suggests you'd be upset about losing the food if you liked it and are a bit ungrateful. It also makes her sound like a really sweet person.
NTA. The tenants for losing the hallway key and just keeping the door unlocked in a very dangerous neighbourhood while they have children.
The landlord needs to know these keys have been lost since now complete strangers could have those keys.
Chances are he'll change the locks and they'll get new keys. Does the landlord even know the hallway door is kept unlocked?
Why the FUCK have all of these people gone years without replacing their keys? I would have gotten it replaced immediately. Actually, I would have made copies of both the hallway key and the one to my apartment within the first week!
They're in a high crime area. They *know* they're in a high crime area. They are single adults with *children* to protect. They lost the key to a security door, and their solution is to leave it unlocked.
BTW, how did all three of these assholes manage to lose *only* that key & not their apartment keys? That has me really scratching my head because it doesn't make any sense. What do they do, just keep the keys loose in their pocket?
And the only tenant who cares enough to keep the damn door locked is being berated. NTA. Keep right on locking that door. I'm a little surprised it doesn't lock automatically. If they don't want to be locked out, they can schlep over to the landlord and get a replacement key, like they should have done ASAP after losing it in the first place.
If you want to go ahead & make another key & hand it over, that's up to you. Considering how they've been acting, I'd be tempted to call the landlord and ask them if they know that door has been left unlocked for years, endangering the safety of every resident.
NTA. The landlord should have been informed when the keys were initially lost as they will likely have to replace the common door lock for the building for security reasons.The other tenants lack of responsibility and accountability is most definitely not your problem. Exterior building locks are normal and an expected part of building security. Without them you get the unhoused camping in the halls.
NTA. If someone dangerous or something wrong happens because you leave the door open it's your fault.
Personally I'd report to the manager because they put the entire building at risk
NTA
It is not in your interest to violate your lease agreement by allowing anyone else to copy your keys.
Full stop.
Your neighbors are being childish, and if they want to risk eviction for creating unauthorized copies of keys to someone else's property, they are free to take on that risk. It is not your job to cater to their teenage-esque ineptitudes.
I get that 70$ can be a lot, but also, I cannot put a price tag on perspnal safety
Also. I have never lost a key because I am not irresponsible.
I do not understand the comments below. This is a safety issue. The other tenants were careless and lost their hallway keys, which is their problem. One or all of them can contact the landlord and get replacements - that is not the OPs issue. Safety is the issue. I live in a tiny rural town, and I lock my front door, let alone living in a larger community that is known for crime issue. NTA, and I will die on this hill. With four tenants, it should be a 4 yes, 1 no - all 4 tenants agree to leave the door unlocked, one no nixes that.
NTA. The landlord should have made it so all the tenants' keys work on the hallway door/lock.
I would never copy my key for another tenant because it's not my key to copy. It is the landlords.
The tenants can pay the 70$ for replacement keys.
NTA
They can get their keys from the landlord. And: If you give them trhey key, they would likely just not give it back anyway - because that works better for them than paying for a lot of keys.
YTA. It'd be one thing if you weren't letting people you didn't know copy the hallway key, or you weren't letting neighbors copy your personal apartment key. But you aren't letting neighbors you know for a fact live in the building copy the hall key. Why wouldn't you do this? Just to make them pay the 70$ to the landlord? Do you really like your landlord or something and want to make him a bunch of money?
NTA
I’m genuinely surprised by the Y T A answers. The hallway door should be locked, especially if in a dangerous neighborhood, otherwise they wouldn’t have been given keys. It is not OP’s fault the other tenants lost their hallway door keys, and it should not be his responsibility to help replace them. It is the other tenants’ responsibilities to contact the landlord and get their keys replaced.
At all apartments I’ve lived at, the hallway doors were locked and used key fob entry. If anyone lost their key fob, it was on them to replace it. Most apartment keys cannot be copied anyway, as that would be dangerous for all tenants and the landlord. If the other tenants don’t want to be locked out, the fix is easy and simple, they need to get new keys.
Do you really want to piss off all your neighbours that quickly? She even gave you decent compromise that means the door would be locked so not sure why you wouldn't want your key copied.
Honestly you should get a copy made for all of them as an olive branch.
N-T-A for wanting to lock the hallway door, but you are a massive AH for not helping them to get copies made. Why exactly do you feel uncomfortable with that?! So you expect them all to pay $70 to get a replacement from the landlord instead of $2-5 from the hardware store? WTF.
YTA
He probably doesn't want to break his lease agreement. It's usually strictly forbidden to copy keys.
And what's stopping them from pooling together $70 and then copying two more?
Also, did these 3 morons all lose their keys on the same day or something? Why didn't they get together and copy a key when the 1st person lost theirs???
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So my understanding is this is a communal hallway leading to individual apartment entrances? And the doors to individual apartments can be locked? I don't understand why you wouldn't let them copy your hallway key if that's the case tbh. It costs like $3-5 Barring clarification, YTA
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Counter point. Why has everyone else lost their high security door key. Landlord should charge them all to replace the lock. That's a serious concern.
Yeah the places I have lived in flats the keys can not be copied at the usual key places (don't know what they are called) but has to be ordered through the landlord. It's a safety issue. Otherwise the landlord has to change the lock quite often as they don't know how many keys are out there. If the other people have lost their keys they should have told the landlord and got another one made (or the landlord had to change the lock) On the other hand I have lived in a place where I guy like that moved in and started locking the door. I asked him not to because I had never been given a key to that door. (shitty landlord)
I'm going to just hazard a guess that this landlord isn't the greatest, either, because if that's a door that should be locked I'd reeeeally hope he'd have noticed it being unlocked for literal years lol
Yeah no shit, it's a bad neighborhood. You know, where slumlords exploit people. Why on earth does anyone think this is a high security key? I can promise landlord gives no fucks so long as rent is paid and no one complains too much.
Yeah I feel like there's a lot of good faith being extended to a nebulous landlord entity here that is almost assuredly not deserved
honestly optimistic to believe all his neighbors have ever had keys. I've literally never had a key to the main door in my building, and its not been an issue because everyone's in the same boat. (I have asked, landlord ghosted me three times so I just gave up)
Yup. Where I live, almost no one has laundry keys, they've been living here for years. I never got one when I moved in, but I copied a neighbour's key. They've since left. Someone keeps locking the door, but most of my neighbours don't have one and borrow off me. OP is such a dick: just stop locking the door! If it's been unlocked for years without problem, maybe it's bc no one wants to break into your slum.
>maybe it's bc no one wants to break into your slum But, a bunch of women live there. Now that a man's moved in they might come after him. /s
I used to work rental property maintenance. There is zero chance that's a high security lock on the hallway because if it was nobody would ask to copy the key. It's almost certainly a Schlage or Titan lock. OP should just go copy a bunch of keys and pass them around to the neighbors.
It would restore his standing with the neighbors if he did.
This was my thought too. The neighbors wouldn’t even be able to copy a high security key at a regular hardware store. Also I once had a landlord that charged $150 for key replacements. This was for a standard key, used in a standard doorknob, that literally came from the nearest hardware store. This was back in 2009. Copying a key myself would have cost me a few dollars, but the landlord needed $150 for the same exact thing.
Charging $150 for a replacement key might just be the -I don't want to fucking replace keys all the time- price.
Also, if it is supposed to be locked, it should be spring loaded at the top to automatically close and automatically lock. They have locks in knobs that always open from the inside when locked, but locked from the outside when locked.
Agreed. I mentioned elsewhere that any time I had a key that I was literally legally prohibited from copying it also went to a fire door or a door that otherwise locked automatically. I just don't get the same sense from OP describing the door as a door to a hallway he turns and locks behind him each time he passes, though at this point I welcome his correction lol
That little notice that says do not duplicate on the key and a vague line about not duplicating keys in your leasing agreement are both unenforceable. It's your key. You can make copies of it. And nowadays you can make copies in the lobby of the grocery store without ever talking to a locksmith or asking for permission.
Probably just a regular door, clearly with a lockable lock that has been unlocked - maybe landlord got tired of replacing keys so put an arbitrarily high price for replacement on it?
To be fair, he apparently hasn't had to replace a key for these tenants in years lol
Charging $70 for replacement key to each person. Shit landlord.
If I was this dude, I would ask the landlord to just put in a keypad.
You think the slumlord who didn’t realize the exterior door was unlocked for 5 years is going to pay to have a keypad installed?
And wants $70 per a key. I bet you that's a 10x markup on what or would actually cost him.
For sure, but this makes sense. Its a 'pain in my ass' fee designed to reduce the frequency of it happening to begin with. Tenants should be keeping track of their keys, and if a tenant *does* lose their keys they're of course going to want those keys replaced almost immediately (and there's a case to be made that if a tenant loses their keys you may want to replace the lock entirely as who knows who has those keys now).
Lol it's a *I'll charge whatever I want fee*
Way better idea
That's weird. I always make extra copies of my keys & just toss them when I move out. It costs $3 and you can make them at the grocery store. I assumed everyone did that. $70 for a key is insane.
It’s probably because if you lose it, they have to replace the lock it goes to as a security concern. Of course, the tenants all lost them and didn’t report to avoid the fines.
I love ice cream.
Yeah, I have keys to my complex that have "DO NOT DUPLICATE" printed on them. IIRC, it's the key for our main doors to the complex. So it's a good possibility that the only way OP's neighbors can get duplicate keys is through their landlord. Like, yeah there's places that'll still duplicate a key that's printed with "Do Not Duplicate" (especially if you're friendly with the place), but businesses will get in trouble for doing it. I can't fathom the fact that all of them live in a dangerous area and yet they've not only been leaving this door unlocked but they've also lost one of the keys to their complex. What happens if one of them moves out? They'll still be charged for the key replacement. NTA, OP.
there's no law or issue with copying "do not duplicate" keys. it's just something stamped on certain keys. those keys are just as easy to copy.
No where in my town will duplicate keys stamped with "Do Not Duplicate" because it's a security issue. If you know somewhere that'll do it, then good for you. I also know a guy but I morally wouldn't do it, plus the company that owns the complex I live in would have my ass.
Use one if those $5 machines at home Depot
Okay but on the other hand, I've never went to a single place that refused to duplicate my key despite the warnings on it. It's not a security issue either, as the impact on security is straight up negligible. If it was, they would use actual restricted keys. To me it seems obvious that the biggest reason is to increase profits, both for the maker of the key and the landlord.
Yeah, they should pay $100 rather than $3. You’re. A genius. Single mums are rich as fuck.
Agreed. Property management should always be who replaces locks and keys. These locks definitely need to be changed with new keys provided to everyone. If someone loses the key, they are responsible to pay for replacements. OP is NTA. The other tenants “solution” isn’t a solution and they should be taking it up with whomever is running the property, not making their problem OP’s problem. He could advocate for them by putting a call into landlord and he could get up and let them in until solved but not an A H for not giving the key off for random copying- that’s a Major no no and needs to be paid and handled through landlord. Sounds like everyone is getting inconvenienced because 3 don’t want to pay $70 for the key they lost, putting themselves in a vulnerable position.
Bro is knowingly locking mothers out of their house and refuse to let them in. What the fuck is wrong with you people.
If they had someone leave (which they must have since OP just moved in) unless that person had a hallway key they turned in the landlord should have know there are missing keys and re-keyed the hallway.
Common sense says to ask the landlord for a copy of the key… not a new tenant. It isn’t his fault that they lost their keys and haven’t replaced them. As a female I would feel more comfortable with the door locked at all times. 🤷🏼♀️
But the landlord will charge $70 for a key, but they can get copies using his for just a few dollars. So copying his makes far more sense.
That's not always accurate. If its a security door and the lock was installed by a locksmith, they may have stamped the key "Do not copy". If you go to a home depot or similar for a copy, they won't do it. It would have to be done by a locksmith. Sure its a cash grab, but its also for security reasons with some businesses. There's not a bunch of keys out there after tenants move out.
>Sure its a cash grab, but its also for security reasons with some businesses. There's not a bunch of keys out there after tenants move out. $70 to ensure that no one distributes keys to the local hooligans seems reasonable. But then again, I value my life and saftey.
Sometimes making copies is against the lease. Also, they all lost their keys within their first years of living there. Even if OP allows them to make copies, how many times is he going to be making copies as they continuously lose their keys? Even just losing 3 should call for the lock to be changed and replaced because it is unsafe to have those floating around out there.
I think the issue that arises is the LL is going to charge $70/key vs. the couple dollars it would cost to do it themselves
Why does he suck? Why can the other Tennants not pool together to get one extra key from the landlord to copy if all three of them lost theirs?
Because it's such a small request, either dont lock the hallway (which was the status quo before he moved in) or let them copy a key (which costs him nothing), but instead he is choosing not to help them when it would be super easy to do so. I know this subreddit is big on the "it's not my responsibility to help with X" or "I have no legal obligation to do Y" but sometimes you can help people without getting anything in return. Literally what do you get out of denying a perfectly reasonable request? This isn't a legal advice subreddit, its about morality. If you have an opportunity to make other people's lives easier at virtually no downside to yourself and choose not do it just because you don't have to then yeah, you're an asshole.
He gets to lock women and children out of their apartments with an air of superiority, since HE is so smart he's never lost a key. He forces them to pay 70 dollars for a replacement when he could help out for a 10th of that price, and nobody has spare money like that lying around, especially single mothers, so he is obviously better off financially than them and shows it in his petty actions. He's an arsehole.
It just makes me think of shopping carts. If you go to a grocery store and use a cart, after you've finished loading up your vehicle you have a choice. You can return the cart to its designated area, usually this comes at the cost of about 30-60 seconds of your time. Or you can choose to leave the cart there and make it someone else's problem. There is no legal obligation to return the cart. There will be no signficant consequences for not doing so. There also won't be any reward either. You effectively gain nothing except for slightly helping someone else out. That person won't even know you helped them most likely. So do you return the cart? Do you slightly inconvenience yourself to help someone else out for nothing in return? I was raised in a way that i always return the cart, just because it's the right thing to do. I'm not in it for a reward, but even if its raining or snowing I still do it for it's own sake. When I read the "but it's not my responsibility" type replies in every thread I just always imagine them as the people who abandon the carts near their parking space, simply because they dont have to return them. And they're right, they dont have to. There is absolutely no reason to do so, but I still can't help but think of them as an asshole regardless.
How did all other tenants lose their keys and not think to have copies of them ahead of time as people moved in and out? I will put as many locked doors as possible between myself and a crime ridden neighborhood.
Thats the part no one else is pointing out.. how did EVERYONE lose their key and how come NOBODY has replaced them considering the fact they’ve all been there for about 5 years at least. This sounds like laziness on the other tenants part,OP has an investment that he would like to protect. It is not fair to him that others are forcing him to cut corners in that regard because THEY LOST THEIR KEY. I do think however he should get copies made if they’re willing to pay, that way no ones making shortcuts and everyones secured.
Who gives a shit where their keys are? Totally irrelevant. OP has created a problem where there was not one before, and refuses to participate in correcting it at no cost to himself. That's about as dick as moves come.
Thank you for your response. You actually see both sides. The Op doesn’t and is being inconsiderate on purpose and then claiming to not realize it. It is an easy fix from him, make some copies and sell them to the other tenants, he could even be Uber generous and give them to them. That way everyone is safe and happy
Theyre still not really safe because theres at least 3 missing keys to the door. The smart thing would be to let the landlord know so they can change out the lock and give everybody new keys. It won't happen though because its going to cost more than 70 bucks
I think it's easy to understand the other tenants' side: you have a key to a door that nobody locks, ever. You only use your house keys, so you put that key in a drawer and months go by. Soon enough you don't even remember where you put it. I think OP is already strange to start locking the door, but alright... his right I guess. Then he doesn't even want to help the other tenants make copies of the keys. OP most defines YTA
they never needed it because they had an agreement not to lock that door
Why replace a key to a door that no one locks or wants locked?
I'm not taking sides here, but the other tenants are a security concern themselves if they *all* lost their keys. Where did the keys go? Who has them? Were they lost, loaned? If they had to pay the landlord to replace what they lost and should have guarded, they may be more responsible in the future, because there would be a cost tied to carelessness. I'd be concerned about making copies of my key, handing them out, and then someone gets inside that shouldn't. The door is there for a reason, and the landlord gave the tenants keys for a reason. I don't understand why the building now needs to have less security than the landlord intended, just because prior tenants didn't keep their keys safe. I agree that copying your personal key would be the nice thing to do, I'm just not sure it's the smartest or safest thing to do.
I'll tell you exactly what happened because this should be obvious: No one locks the door, and probably didn't when they moved in either, so they put the key in some some drawer or someplace else and promptly forgot where. That's how small items you don't use get lost. This isn't a mystery. They didn't drop it somewhere, they put it away some place and forgot where.
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>I was raised in a way that i always return the cart, just because it's the right thing to do. I'm not in it for a reward, but even if its raining or snowing I still do it for it's own sake. When I read the "but it's not my responsibility" type replies in every thread I just always imagine them as the people who abandon the carts near their parking space, simply because they dont have to return them. And they're right, they dont have to. There is absolutely no reason to do so, but I still can't help but think of them as an asshole regardless. Idk if this was your point, but I feel that OP locking the hallway door *is* returning the cart. OP is doing what everyone *should* be doing, but their neighbors are demanding that he compromise his obligations so that they can 'leave their carts whereever they want'
I just hate the random shopping carts blocking parking spaces... especially when the parking lot is almost full.
It also sounds like he's stopped letting people in even when he hears them knocking. People he, personally, has locked out. This is a special kind of asshole.
I don't know about OPs lease, but my lease specifically says I'm not to make any copies of my keys.
Yup. Every renting situation I've been in had that as a clause.
Heck, usually the keys themselves say not to copy them.
Status quo isn't always right. It's dangerous.
So if he lends them the key and they lose it, he is screwed, or they could just refuse to give it back. It's their fault they lost their keys!!!!
Except they also offered to give him the money so that he could go and get the key copied...
He suck because he was not willing to compromise on anything - not keeping a shared door open - not letting them copy the key to the shared door - not agreeing to copy the key to the shared door himself like he delectably trying to cause issues to his neighbors
Seriously, how long does he plan on staying here because having your neighbors hate you is not a good time. It just feels like such a small, semi convenient thing to do to help everyone around him, including himself. Just do it and stay in your neighbor's good graces. You never know when you might need their help.
A shared door everyone has the ability to have a key to, that also allows another level of safety to the apartments - they live in a dangerous neighborhood. I've never had a lease that didn't stipulate absolutely no making copies of keys. Where are all of you signing leases?
He's being petty about a key that only allows the others into their shared hallway, they are there anyway, whats he protecting his key for so strangely? His Precious is a weird one alright.
I personally think he sucks because it's such an easy ask that contributes to the community aspect of the building that OP says he misses (as in he notices its absence, not sure OP really *misses* it like yearns for it). But like, statistically, most apartment neighbors suck sometimes
No. They are being ridiculous leaving the hallway door unlocked. They need to be responsible and have both keys.
But if they are living in a dangerous neighbourhood why woukd they leave the first line of defense wide open???
You'd think if they were super concerned about being female in a bad neighborhood, they would ensure the hallway door is locked and they had a key to get into it. You know, for safety.
Wrong, OP is right in locking the door. Anyone could walk in and hide and attack a tenant!
And anyone could attack a tenant while she’s locked out in the middle of the night.
WTF. You're iving in a dangerous neighborhood is a reason to leave doors UNlocked?
Thing is, it doesn't even *matter* what the legal or moral of ethical thing is anymore. OP has the option to be a kind neighbor, without any real impact to themselves. Is it worth the slight inconvenience of getting a key copied to have all of your neighbors think you're an asshole? Personally, I'd rather not have neighbors who hate me, especially since this sub is ripe with stories of what happens when they do. YTA
I've never lived in an apartment where it was the tenants' job to replace keys for other residents. That duty falls to the landlord. Edit: in fact, most lease terms explicitly prohibit tenants from copying and distributing keys.
Correct. It is nobody's *job* to do *favors* for their neighbors lol
It certainly is not your job. But never doing anything nice for someone else kinda makes you the asshole then. This aint the "am I legally obligated" sub. It is AITA. I mean I am not legally obligated to return my shopping cart. I am still the asshole if I don't. 🤷🏻♀️
Yeah it can get pretty funny, in both a *ha-ha* and *oh that's sad* way, when people use the "well I'M not responsible for that!!!!!!" reasoning to defend (what some people might consider, ahem) *inconsiderate* behavior
Okay, but providing keys is a *legal responsibility* that falls to the landlord. I don't think it's an asshole move to recognize that and direct them to the correct resource.
I definitely understand why you feel that way, I just don't agree. I think "it's an asshole move" is probably a more accurate way to describe the situation vs calling OP an outright asshole but that's the nature of the sub. Doesn't make OP a bad guy but like, them's the breaks
Sometimes its written into the lease that you cannot copy keys. A copied key can be given to anyone and they can make copies and so on and so forth. If it is in the lease and the landlord found out, they could be evicted or even charged to change out all the locks since now the security was "compromised"
My lease is like that. If I copied a key, even for my neighbor, I could be evicted.
Apartment door, locks, and latches are usually crap and easy to bust into. I’ve been in 5 apartments in 5 years due to rent ALWAYS going up, and none of them have ever offered me a freshly rekeyed apartment door lock. I don’t blame OP for locking the security door,
If they pay you for a copy, then I don't really see your issue anymore. It's $70 for the landlord to do it, so it would be cheaper if you did it for everyone. If you want that community and connection then you have to give a little to get a little back.. YtA
Agreed. They are allowed to have a key, it’s just so expensive to go through the landlord. These single women have been fine with the hall door being unlocked, but OP thinks it’s a danger. The least you could do would be to help them save a few bucks by copying the key. What would you loose by doing that?!
>What would you loose by doing that?! Sometimes its written into the lease that you cannot copy keys. If it is in the lease and the landlord found out, they could be evicted or even charged to change out all the locks since now the security was "compromised"
This guy did not mention that and he definitely would have.
If that is the case then he should be politely explaining why he legally can’t
Charged a fee maybe, but nobody can be evicted for copying a key. At most you might get a stern word or a finger wag.
If that is the case OP would have mentioned it wouldn't he?
OP thinks an unlocked hallway door is a danger *to themselves*, and they are well within their rights. OP still sucks for being uncooperative and uncompromising about this, but they have a right to letting the hallway access locked if they feel safer this way. as for going through the landlord, I don't know why the key costs that much through them, but as other posters pointed out: either it's a highly sophisticated key, or/and it's so that after a certain number of keys they can recoup the cost of simply changing the lock as the security risk becomes too great.
/r/AmILegallyRequiredToBeADecentHuman
Some landlords can be jerks. It could be that the keys are really expensive, or a hassle. But my building charges $80 for a new garage fob. Mine stopped working the first time I changed the battery a year later and they told me to buy a new one.
its not a "think its a danger". Man... that IS A DANGER.
Wtf? YTA. Yeah you caused bad blood. You declined every solution proposed. Just get the key copied and have them pay you. It costs a few dollars and the goodwill will mean you don’t have beef with your neighbours. Or just be an AH but don’t whine about it and wonder what went wrong.
And that’s what tipping me to YTA here. The neighbors have proposed countless solutions to his unwillingness to leave the door open (something they’ve already been doing for years). It would literally not cost him anything to copy the key for them. Everyone wins. He doesn’t have to worry and the women don’t have to get trapped outside at night. He’s declining all of that and then wondering why they don’t seem to have taken a liking to them……
exactly. The tenants can see that clearly OP wants the door to remain locked, and they offered a solution, but I really cannot pinpoint why OP wouldn't just make a copy of the key and allow everyone to reimburse them
The reason is he is an AH. They don’t need a why.
[удалено]
Bruh OPs comfortability is much less then the women he locks out at night in a dangerous area
People seem to think the landlord is entitled to $70 for each key; as if that’s not an insane price gouge for no reason other than to line his pockets
Yeah people are giving the LL way too much credit too he definitely knows its been unlocked for years if hes showing apartments to new tenants, its not 70 dollars because its a safety issue, its 70 dollars because he knows he can charge that.
Just wait, soon we'll see a post in UnethicalProLifeTips from one of his neighbors wanting ways to get rid of him so they can enjoy their peaceful existence again. OP is YTA for coming in and disrupting the status quo then refusing to compromise in any way. If single moms feel safe enough to leave the hallway door unlocked then it's not that dangerous of a neighborhood. Even so, OP is allowed to feel frightened and take measures to alleviate his fear but it's wrong to do so by creating an actual risk to his neighbors who don't have a key and presumably cannot afford the replacement cost.
What gets me is that his neighbors have all lived there over 5 years and are saying it’s not a safety issue to leave the hallway door unlocked and that strangers don’t come in, he’s lived there *three weeks* and he thinks he knows better than them and is saying they’re wrong
To be fair, there’s always a first time. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t. An ounce of prevention… Having said that, OP is being a dick here. Just copy the damn key ffs, and charge for it if you feel you need to (since they offered). It sounds like OP is being difficult just because he can. Hey OP, YTA.
But of course. He's a MAN and the other tenants are just silly women /s
Plus, after the first week,, he can hear them knocking to be let in, and refuses to get up to let them in. He's unwilling to assist in the situation he created and refuses to help out in any way.
You don't get it, someone has to teach those poor single moms a lesson about responsibility and consequences of losing their keys. OP is changing society for the better one asshole step at a time. /s
I didn't even consider the safety aspect. That makes it even worse. They're women in a a bad neighborhood stuck outside the building. Shoot on top of that, after a very long hard day when you're already imagining what you're gonna eat or how it's gonna feel to finally relax, coming home to a locked door is the worst.
>And that’s what tipping me to YTA here. Not to mention that *slightly misleading* title suggesting they're demanding a key to his apartment.
Plus he still excepts them to do small acts of kindness for him like free food but is unwilling to do even this. You can’t be rude to others and still expect them to be kind to you. He fafo
Don't forget that he stopped going out to let them in when they're locked outside, even at night. In what he describes as a bad neighborhood. This guy is a real peach.
Somehow people still don’t understand that you can be an absolute asshole to someone but if you are then you cannot expect them to be nice to you and do shit for you!!!! Like you can’t complain when they don’t give you free food after you made their lives more difficult!
This part where he was expecting the gifts was hilarious 😂
/u/Visible-Clue185 you're not only creating bad blood with your neighbours, but you're actively making this living environment more dangerous for you if the place is so dangerous that the hallway door needs to be locked, you think having people outside and banging on the door and drawing attention to the building helps? fr? plus one of the biggest elements of safety is having good relationships with your neighbours. they can warn you about things you'd have no clue about, they'll help keep an extra eye and make sure youre ok. they're much more likely to help in an emergency even at cost to themselves. and just them having friendly relations with you would mean they'd be more likely to notice if something was off locked doors can help with safety but only against a limited type of danger, and that's not the kind improved by you drawing attention to people coming and going at night by locking them out. there's way more dangers that a locked door won't help at all but having a community looking out for you will you just made your living situation less safe and created a hostile environment where all of your neighbours are allied against you and for what?
Plus is condescending about the free food!
The women who live there should get a locksmith out whilst OP is at work and not give him the new key. See how he likes being locked out.
I’d contribute to a go fund me to pay for the locksmith
Also if it's such a dangerous neighborhood leaving them locked out at NIGHT so they have to resort to making a lot of noise so they can get back in is far more dangerous.
And then not even getting up to let them in.
YTA you’re probably making it more dangerous for your neighbors by locking them outside the building
And if OP is purely concerned about his own safety — being an obnoxious asshole to your neighbors to the point that they wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire (or, non-metaphorically, bother to do anything if they saw someone break into your unit) sounds kinda unsafe, genius.
Seriously. I’d break the lock on the hall door and never forgive OP.
By not copying the key so that his neighbours can LOCK the door, he's increasing the odds of his neighbours unlocking it from the inside and leaving it unlocked. If it's actually about safety, it's in his interests to make sure they have keys.
And his neighbors are all single moms. He’s the only man. He’s the least likely to get assaulted but the most scared to the point of endangering single mothers
I didn't even think about this. Scary point.
100% yta on multiple occasions.....bro either you give them copies of the key or u stop locking it makes more sense to mke a copy ..
Some people just like having control over others. Based on the wall of no that OP has built, he either actively or subconsciously loves the power he has by forcing his hallmates to drop $70 for the landlord to get new keys.
YTA. She made a reasonable request so that she and the others could accommodate your wishes and you said no. Yes, they have a preference to leave the door unlocked, but they will lock it for you as long as they can also return to their homes. They have already agreed to allow your comfort zone of having the door locked. Why on Earth would you be uncomfortable about letting them have keys to the door that you share? You have said that they could get new ones from the landlord but they would be $70 a piece. For some people that's a lot of money. Your comfort is not the final deciding factor in all matters of shared safety and justice. Get over yourself and make a copy of your key for her.
>You have said that they could get new ones from the landlord but they would be $70 a piece I can plenty afford $70, but I would fucking HATE that guy that was so unneighbourly to actually insist this in such a small building where everyone knows each other. I live in a complex with 200 units across about 5 buildings. I think my building has about 40 or 50 units in it. I don't think that would acceptable to me or anyone else in a large complex like this because you need to carefully control who has access (and they do yearly audits and deactivate swipes that arent accounted for and they keys can only be copied via management). This is necessary in such a large complex. A building of 4 units where everyone knows each other?Let them copy your fucking key FFS.
So, you want them to spend $70 to get replacement keys when you could get them for a few bucks a piece? Why? I mean hey, technically you're entitled to do that, but don't be surprised when your neighbors turn down any request you make in the future or ignore your pleas for help when you forget your key or need someone to sign for a package. YTA Edit - Dude hasn't left a single comment. No clarifications on if the key says "do not copy," or his reasoning why he doesn't want to make copies, nothing... I'm starting to think we've been duped, y'all.
Wow, she even offered to pay you to have a copy made yourself since you were too afraid to let her borrow it to get a copy? And you refused? Yeah, you wouldn't be on my list to say good morning to either. YTA.
YTA Look, I get it. You are following the rules and they aren’t. They should not have lost their keys and when they did, they should have replaced them instead of compromising the security of everyone living in the building. But $70 is a lot of money for some people. And if these are all single moms, then they are single income families and they just might not have $70 to spare. You are upsetting all of your neighbors to prove a point. And your sleep gets disturbed frequently by people who are just trying to get get into their homes and go to sleep. And your taking a stand on the matter isn’t working. Have a tiny bit of compassion. Take your key and find out how much it costs to get it copied. Landlords frequently inflate the cost of replacement keys so that people will keep track of them and not bother the landlord for copies. If it is a regular key, just get copies made and inform your neighbors they can have the keys if they pay for them. Feel free to add a bit to the cost to cover your time and effort in getting the keys made. Problem solved. If the keys cannot be copied or are super expensive, suggest to one of the other tenants that the cheapest way for them all to get keys is for someone to figure out a way to get the landlord to replace the lock in the hallway door. Then everyone will get new keys. But while your locking the door protects everyone in the apartments, it puts those who are not home at that time in more danger than if the hall door were just unlocked.
I totally agree. While OP is not at fault for the lost keys, he sure is being an ass about the problem. OP, YTA
Wonder if sneakily destroying the lock would work for that? Get everyone some new keys and force OP to be uncomfortable while it’s unlocked and getting replaced
I was thinking that or go buy a new lock at home depot, install it and give everyone but OP a key. Chuck the old lock on op's front door
Thank you. I’m not sure if OP is just young, but you just can’t get through life by virtue of being technically right. We’re in a society - it’s give and take
YTA. You are deliberately locking out your neighbours and wondering why they’re mad at you? She’s given you three different solutions to the problem that you’ve declined. I don’t understand why you want to make your living situation so uncomfortable
Control. He’s the only man in a building full of single mothers. He’s locking them outside at night and not getting up to let them in while he listens to them knock… in a top 5 dangerous neighborhood. He’s an ass getting off on this.
Guys like following rules that disrupts other people, its like a power trip to assure them they are smart and important and responsible and its everyone else's fault for not following the rules, but really they just bein AH
I had to scroll way down to find this. Yes, OP is on power trip & the whole situation gives him a false sense of importance. A single guy living among single mothers. He has to put the women down by calling them out on losing keys so that he feels important. OP a massive YTA.
Agreed. He doesn’t feel endangered by the other residents and he’s emboldened to be an arsehole. Then he “explains” the technicalities of the building rules even though they’ve been there for 10 years before him
INFO: Why won’t you take them up on their offer to pay you to make a copy of the key?
Because he's an asshole
YTA- so you decided for everyone how things should be, when they ask for help you wont do that either. Just make a copy of the key, you KNOW they live there.
UPDATE:// Earlier this morning I held a meeting with my neighbors at my apartment and apologized for the way I handled this situation. Reading some of you guys comments made me look back on my decisions and behavior lately and had to reevaluate myself. To answer the question no it is not permitted in our lease not to copy our keys. I've taken the trip to goodwill and got a copy of 4 keys, an extra one for me. I gave them all a copy on me as an apology and attempted to ask for forgiveness. I didn't move to this area to cause any problems. Our rent is dirt cheap so I plan to stay for a while and don't want any tension between me and my neighbors. Luckily for me they were quick to forgive and forget. They were really patient and kind during our meeting and I can't believe I treated these lovely souls in this manner. I came to a compromise that moving forward I will discuss all concerns with my neighbors before making any decisions that could possibly affect them as well. I never wanted to start a war and I kind of enjoy hanging out with my neighbors. After I gave them their keys they all stood for a group hug and honestly, I've never felt anything more warm and welcoming. I was expecting to be told off or being told how much of an ass I've been but to my surprise it was all water under the bridge to them. Moving forward we are now going to host our weekly neighbor get togethers in my apt since I have more space being I live alone. I've never had a friend group of all middle aged women but it's honestly really fun and they're like super funny. A locked door isn't worth my awesome friendship with my neighbors. I'm just glad to be included again. Thank you all for your feedback good or bad. And Oh, I received my goodie box of fresh produce, she saved it for whenever I'd come around hoping it would be before everything expires or molds. Man I missed those fresh oranges lol. Welp! That pretty much concludes the update thus far hopefully you won't hear back from me. Until then I have fresh produce to tend to.
Yay, happy ending! Good work OP, you did the right thing and I’m glad you’ve got your lovely community back! 😊
INFO: What does it say in the lease regarding the hallway door? Does it say it is to be closed/locked at all time or does it say anything in it at all?
And if it’s like mine, does it expressly forbid duplicating keys? Why should he risk a lease violation for them?
That's exactly where I was going with it.
Exactly I don’t understand the ah votes. How do that many residents loose all their keys and what’s really going on there? 🚩🚩 Nta op you don’t know these people or their family/social groups are
The number of people here who genuinely seem to have no idea a) that you actually can't cheaply and easily duplicate every kind of key, and b) there can be actual consequences if you are caught doing something that breaks your lease (assuming either duplicating the key or locking the door are in the lease). NTA
It's a four unit building in a shitty area. If that lock cost more than $15 I'm the long lost queen of America.
Exactly. And often a fee for a missing key includes changing the lock for security reasons. 70 isn’t that much to have an actual locksmith do work. edit: much from "mush"
This would be a deciding factor for me. I scrolled way too far to find someone asking the real question.
So they all lost the keys and therefore stopped locking a security door. They need to go to the landlord and pay the fee. NTA
I can't believe how far I had to scroll for this comment! 100% agree NTA at all.
You guys are fucking narcs
I've been in a home invasion robbery, it's not fucking fun. I would do the same thing this guy did. I might explain why, but I would do the same thing.
So you'd also let them knock outside all night and then wonder why they aren't giving you free goodies. Just as socially clueless.
YTA. Either let them copy the hallway key you have or stop locking the door. This ain't rocket science homie. If you're really so pressed about giving them your key, then you can pay the landlord to give them new keys. Your stance is ridiculous, and ya just seem like a shit stirrer.
NTA. I don’t understand how everyone in the building lost one key to the hallway. Wouldn’t you keep that key on the same key ring as your apartment key? Contact the landlord and let him know the situation. Perhaps he can have keys made for the other residents. I personally agree that the hall door should be kept locked, and you would think that single mothers would want that as well.
What are the odds that the neighbor who offered to copy his key just "loses" it too and now "Oopsie, we'll have to keep the door unlocked or you'll have to admit to the landlord that you gave your key away to be copied?" Don't risk it, OP. People can be spiteful, and this could put your housing in jeopardy. Neighbors who don't talk to you can suck, but breaching your housing contract could suck more.
YTA - "I honestly don't want any bad blood." -- Really? That's hard to believe. You declined every solution including her paying you for a copy of the the key. She in turn will make copies for everyone thus the door you want locked can be.
INFO: Your neighbors, at least one who has brought you food from the food bank, have obviously just lost their hall keys. They are willing to keep the hall locked if they can get new hall keys. It will cost them more to get the same key you have from the landlord vs making a copy of your key. They are all willing to pay for their own copies, they just want to save money by getting a copy by copying yours than the landlord’s. Why don’t you want to help your neighbors save a couple bucks on the key when it will ultimately lead to getting what you want - the hall door always locked & no one banging to get in? Cause I don’t see a good reason not to & that would make you YTA unless there is something else to this I failed to understand.
NTA. The ytas blow my mind. Why is it your job to copy the keys and give them to people. They lost their own keys so they should have to spend the 70 dollars to get a new one from the landlord. Is there no personal accountability?This isn’t on you, they need to be more careful and not lose important keys. They’re putting lots of people at risk by leaving the door unlocked. I truly don’t understand how you being responsible makes you an ah. Copying the keys without discussing it with the landlord and going under his nose just to save people a couple bucks? That could land you in major trouble with said landlord.
Lol he's more likely to get evicted when those neighbors with 5 and 8 years of standing all complain to the landlord about him.
Landlord, our new neighbor won't let us circumvent your price to replace our missing keys by copying their key behind your back! Evict him!
Because 70 dollars is ridiculous for a key and they're all single mothers who likely don't have that money spare? They aren't saying they won't lock the door, they're saying none of them have keys. Take the key to a key cutting place, get a copy made for the woman they are locking out of their own house in the dark and the problem is solved. The landlord is not going to evict a tenant for copying the hall door key for someone who has lived in the damn building for five years. Meanwhile, the OP is wondering why they aren't friendly any more. I don't think I'd be saying a cheerful good morning to someone who knowingly and deliberately locked me out of my house at night, would you?
I had some keys with work that I wanted to copy. The key was cut that you couldn’t get a duplicate made in one of those automatic kiosks, and the key said do not duplicate. No locksmith or place would make you a dupe. If yours says do not duplicate then I doubt it can be in any legal way. Makes you wonder though, why didn’t they duplicate before. I presume they would lock the hall door until someone lost their key. Why would 2 more lose their keys if the door was then left unlocked after the first loss
My guess is they took it off their keyring after they stopped locking the door and all but the first lost key are lost somewhere in the tenant's apartments, shoved deep in a box/forgotten drawer somewhere.
I had a key that said "Do Not Duplicate." A big box store cut a copy without even mentioning it. Dude just needs to get it done while he is out. YTA
NTA Just because they've established that their preference is to leave the hallway unlocked doesn't supercede your preference for the door to be locked. There is a hallway lock for a reason. You pay to live in a building that has that added level of security. There are three lost keys to the building out there, so just making new copies leave at least three keys out there unaccounted for. Neighbors need to own up to their mistake and have the hallway rekeyed and new keys distributed. Write a polite and respectful note for your neighbors (keep a copy for yourself) telling them that you intend to notify the landlord about the key situation for the hallway in two weeks, be sure to include the date, and that you're concerned about the safety of the situation. That gives them time to come up with the extra money for the fines or fees if they can't produce their copy of the key. Especially since they would have to pay the money for a key replacement when they move out anyway. Afterwards once you all have new keys, thank them for understanding your concerns and that you appreciate them taking the extra time to make sure the building is secure.
>Just because they've established that their preference is to leave the hallway unlocked doesn't supercede your preference for the door to be locked. This is what gets me. All the people saying "you're making it dangerous for women" or "you're being spiteful making them pay more from the landlord" are completely missing the point that OP moved into this apartment with the presumption that it was going to be a secure building. If OP had known that the building "in a dangerous area" was going to unlocked at all times, then OP might've chosen a different apartment. OP deserves the security he paid for, since he rented with the presumption that he'd be at least able to walk into the hallway without there being a possibility of getting jumped. While it might be kind for OP to lend his neighbors his key for them to duplicate, it's, quite frankly, not his problem. Lending them his key could lead to a variety of issues, such as breaching his housing contract (if it said they can't duplicate keys). Heck, the "kind neighbor" who offered to copy the key could just throw his out, and say "Oops, I lost it, so I guess we'll have to leave it unlocked all the time."
I agree that the hall door should be locked wherever you live it just makes sense. Insurance policies might have an issue with that if there's a claim as well no? Still it would have been better if you'd all spoken about it like adults. They should have been locking the door but you knew they didn't and so when you locked it you were knowingly locking them out. I don't understand why you're standing in the way of progress by not letting them have the key to make copies though. Surely you could make arrangements to loan her the key for a while so she can do this? Did you mean you didn't care "about" the food or "for" the food? I feel like if it's "for" you're an a-hole because it kind of suggests you'd be upset about losing the food if you liked it and are a bit ungrateful. It also makes her sound like a really sweet person.
NTA. The tenants for losing the hallway key and just keeping the door unlocked in a very dangerous neighbourhood while they have children. The landlord needs to know these keys have been lost since now complete strangers could have those keys. Chances are he'll change the locks and they'll get new keys. Does the landlord even know the hallway door is kept unlocked?
Why the FUCK have all of these people gone years without replacing their keys? I would have gotten it replaced immediately. Actually, I would have made copies of both the hallway key and the one to my apartment within the first week! They're in a high crime area. They *know* they're in a high crime area. They are single adults with *children* to protect. They lost the key to a security door, and their solution is to leave it unlocked. BTW, how did all three of these assholes manage to lose *only* that key & not their apartment keys? That has me really scratching my head because it doesn't make any sense. What do they do, just keep the keys loose in their pocket? And the only tenant who cares enough to keep the damn door locked is being berated. NTA. Keep right on locking that door. I'm a little surprised it doesn't lock automatically. If they don't want to be locked out, they can schlep over to the landlord and get a replacement key, like they should have done ASAP after losing it in the first place. If you want to go ahead & make another key & hand it over, that's up to you. Considering how they've been acting, I'd be tempted to call the landlord and ask them if they know that door has been left unlocked for years, endangering the safety of every resident.
NTA. The landlord should have been informed when the keys were initially lost as they will likely have to replace the common door lock for the building for security reasons.The other tenants lack of responsibility and accountability is most definitely not your problem. Exterior building locks are normal and an expected part of building security. Without them you get the unhoused camping in the halls.
NTA. If someone dangerous or something wrong happens because you leave the door open it's your fault. Personally I'd report to the manager because they put the entire building at risk
NTA It is not in your interest to violate your lease agreement by allowing anyone else to copy your keys. Full stop. Your neighbors are being childish, and if they want to risk eviction for creating unauthorized copies of keys to someone else's property, they are free to take on that risk. It is not your job to cater to their teenage-esque ineptitudes. I get that 70$ can be a lot, but also, I cannot put a price tag on perspnal safety Also. I have never lost a key because I am not irresponsible.
I do not understand the comments below. This is a safety issue. The other tenants were careless and lost their hallway keys, which is their problem. One or all of them can contact the landlord and get replacements - that is not the OPs issue. Safety is the issue. I live in a tiny rural town, and I lock my front door, let alone living in a larger community that is known for crime issue. NTA, and I will die on this hill. With four tenants, it should be a 4 yes, 1 no - all 4 tenants agree to leave the door unlocked, one no nixes that.
NTA. The landlord should have made it so all the tenants' keys work on the hallway door/lock. I would never copy my key for another tenant because it's not my key to copy. It is the landlords. The tenants can pay the 70$ for replacement keys.
NTA They can get their keys from the landlord. And: If you give them trhey key, they would likely just not give it back anyway - because that works better for them than paying for a lot of keys.
NTA. Let them pool together and come up with $70 for one key from the landlord and then copy that.
Exactly. Why should he have to compensate for their terrible habits? This comment thread is fucking ridiculous.
YTA. It'd be one thing if you weren't letting people you didn't know copy the hallway key, or you weren't letting neighbors copy your personal apartment key. But you aren't letting neighbors you know for a fact live in the building copy the hall key. Why wouldn't you do this? Just to make them pay the 70$ to the landlord? Do you really like your landlord or something and want to make him a bunch of money?
NTA I’m genuinely surprised by the Y T A answers. The hallway door should be locked, especially if in a dangerous neighborhood, otherwise they wouldn’t have been given keys. It is not OP’s fault the other tenants lost their hallway door keys, and it should not be his responsibility to help replace them. It is the other tenants’ responsibilities to contact the landlord and get their keys replaced. At all apartments I’ve lived at, the hallway doors were locked and used key fob entry. If anyone lost their key fob, it was on them to replace it. Most apartment keys cannot be copied anyway, as that would be dangerous for all tenants and the landlord. If the other tenants don’t want to be locked out, the fix is easy and simple, they need to get new keys.
Do you really want to piss off all your neighbours that quickly? She even gave you decent compromise that means the door would be locked so not sure why you wouldn't want your key copied. Honestly you should get a copy made for all of them as an olive branch.
N-T-A for wanting to lock the hallway door, but you are a massive AH for not helping them to get copies made. Why exactly do you feel uncomfortable with that?! So you expect them all to pay $70 to get a replacement from the landlord instead of $2-5 from the hardware store? WTF. YTA
He probably doesn't want to break his lease agreement. It's usually strictly forbidden to copy keys. And what's stopping them from pooling together $70 and then copying two more? Also, did these 3 morons all lose their keys on the same day or something? Why didn't they get together and copy a key when the 1st person lost theirs???
NTA.... its not YOUR fault the adults lost their keys... seriously...