So I lost my apartment mail box key a couple of months ago (it was actually stolen, as was my entire backpack). The mailbox has 4 individual boxes/locks, and a master lock used by the post office to open the entire box. I contacted my landlord about getting a spare, and he said he doesn't have one. I contacted my post office, and they said they only have the key for the master lock, not my individual lock. So my last option seems to be calling an overpriced locksmith to change my lock. Now I lost the key a couple of months ago, and had been getting everything of importance shipped to my office address in the meantime (so the mailbox is essentially just junk mail at this point). I'm filling out some grad school apps and obviously don't want all of that stuff shipped to the office, so I'm going to contact a locksmith sometime this week. My questions is - am I responsible for the locksmith fee (will be upwards of $100)? Aren't landlords technically required to carry spare keys? In fact, if I recall correctly, my landlord never even gave me a mailbox key when I first signed the lease...I got it from the previous tenant who has since moved out of state.
You can work with your mail delivery person to get the code number off of the back of your lock. A locksmith can cut a key using this code. Getting a key cut by code usually costs a fraction of what it costs for a locksmith service call. In order to get the code number, you will need a mirror and a flashlight. When the mail delivery person comes, they will open the bank of mailboxes. You will be able to reach down into your mailbox with the mirror, shine the flashlight, and read the number from from the back of the lock. Be sure to have a piece of paper and a pen so you can write it down! http://hubpages.com/hub/USPS-Approved-Mailboxes---FAQ You can try the items listed on below as well: http://www.ehow.com/how_4851110_replace-apartment-condo-mailbox-lock.html Never tried it but it is worth a shot.
I have a rental property that seems to have the same mailbox setup as the one you described. When I changed tenants, I went to the post office and had them change the lock on the individual mail slot. I think the cost was $25. However, this is something only the landlord can do. And in regards to your second question, the answer will be in your lease. Personally though, I just give the tenant both copies of the mailbox key and don't keep one for myself. I see no point in having an extra.
