My Tenant Won't Give Me a Key

So I just had a tenant change locks on a property and didn't give me the key. So what did I do and what should y'all do as landlords if this happens to you? Oh, and in case y'all don't know, I'm Jackie the Happy Investor. I talk about all things real estate investing. I make it easy to understand, short and sweet, because I know y'all got shit to do today. Oh yes, I had a tenant change locks on the property, they didn't give me a key. And here's the thing, I want to be very clear to whoever, whether it's a tenant listening or the landlord listening. We don't just want the key to the property, just to have access and just walk in whenever we feel like it. That's not what's going down. Once you rent the property to me, it's your home. I respect that. But I'm also the landlord. So I have to have a key and have access to the property for things like emergencies, maintenance, repairs, and then other things that the lease allows for. So, what should you do? Well, the first thing you need to do is go back to your lease. I already know what my lease states, but you need to check your lease and make sure it says that if the tenants do change the locks, they are required to bring you a key. It is a have to. So first, check your lease or add it to the lease. And for the record, this is why I keep telling y'all this stuff because this is something that's happened to me and you have to have it in writing because somebody does something dumb, then I gotta go back and make a rule for it because somebody wants to give you a hard time about something somewhere. Keep in mind, in different states, there's also different rules about when you can and can't do stuff, right? Like when can you enter, when can you not, what when can you change locks? Don't just get mad that somebody changed the locks, like show up with a drill and drill it out. Right? Like, don't be that guy. Don't be a jerk. But what you do need to do is go back to your lease. You can either call the tenant or put it in writing, whatever method that you use to contact your tenants, but let them know, say, hey, I'm aware that you changed the locks and by all means, I need a copy of the key because I'm the landlord. And give them a reasonable amount of time to bring you a key. I've had people do this sometimes, it takes a week or two. It's not the end of the world. If for some reason you get this rogue tenant that just refuses, that says I'm not giving you my key, right? Like, I don't know, that's my. Okay, anyways, I digress. So if you get a rogue tenant that just refuses, document it and then follow the laws within your state. You gotta look it up, whatever it is. And then make sure you're able to get a key. But don't get emotional, don't go to the house and have like a showdown or duel in the driveway, like don't do all that. Handle it like a business. And the very next thing you're gonna do is go back to your lease and update it if you didn't already have this in it, so you don't have to learn the same lesson with the next tenant when they want to give you crap about it. And then for the record, if you get a rogue tenant that just refuses, document it and then follow the laws within your state. You gotta look it up, whatever it is. And then make sure you're able to get a key. But don't get emotional, don't go to the house and have like a showdown or duel in the driveway, like don't do all that. Handle it like a business. And the very next thing you're gonna do is go back to your lease and update it if you didn't already have this in it, so you don't have to learn the same lesson with the next tenant when they want to give you crap about it.