You might have driven around your neighborhood and notice that some homes have gray, square-shaped boxes hung around the front door handle. These are called lockboxes and are typically used on homes for rent or sale. What is the purpose of the lockbox for rental homes in Utah?
KeyRenter, a Utah property management company, uses them on all of their homes for rent in Utah. Sometimes they are used on other entryways to the house, not just the front door. There are two purposes the lockbox serves: security and more accessibility for interested applicants.
The rental home is probably empty and more of a target to intruders and vandalism. With a lockbox, it is harder to get access into the house. The lockbox holds the house key inside and can’t be released unless the code is known. Without the code, the lockbox is securely on the entry way so intruders can’t break in.
Apart from security, lockboxes can provide more accessibility to interested applicants who are on a tight schedule. They may be in town for only a short while and if an agent can’t meet with them immediately, then that’s one potential tenant that is lost. But if you have a lockbox on your house, then they just need to be told the code from an agent to be let into the house.
This may be nicer for potential applicants as well since they can freely talk with each other about the house without an agent or owner looking over their shoulder. In essence, they give themselves a self-guided tour of the rental home. KeyRenter uses this to their advantage to get more people into viewing more rental homes in Utah.
You could buy a lockbox for your own purposes, but they tend to be pricey. If you go through a Utah property management company, they can use it on your home as part of your managing agreement. Lockboxes are very handy to have and should be considered when you start to market your empty rental home.