Everyone's Got a Key

[Pandyon]

Haven't posted in quite a while, but found this out today..and I have no idea where to begin, but surely this is illegal...

I'm a Pinnacle tenant..let's start there. I live on upper Riverside Drive where he owns about 25 buildings. I heard a rumor that our building's front door key was the same key and lock that he uses in all his buildings...which I thought was ridiculous.

Well, I just took a little stroll up and down Riverside and found that my key gets me into no less than a dozen buildings..every one I tried. Certainly this can't be legal, for everyone to have access to all of these buildings. Any help appreciated.

[Rodneystri]

What does the Law have to do with what you key will open. As long as you cannot someone ele's apartment you are fine.

[HardKnocks]

So you think LLs should be allowed to use draconian, privacy-violating measures to make sure no one gets into the building who isn't vetted, checked and verified by the doorman, but then you turn around and say it doesn't matter that any resident of any of 25 buildings can get in, even if they don't live there.

Which is it, Rodney? Does it or doesn't it matter that non-residents can get into the building? Answer: whichever best suits the landlord.

[Rodneystri]

The LL makes the rules as long as they don't conflict with the law. If tyou want ot make the rule then you must rule your own.

[jim berg]

Rodney's at it again. Anyone have some asprin?

[jim berg]

Do you all have the same mailbox keys too?
Wait until all keys become electronic and you all have the same code.
Felt like using a graemlin.

<small>[ June 06, 2006, 12:36 AM: Message edited by: jmb ]</small>

[Rodneystri]

Mailbox keys and entry keys are as different as cars and ballons.

[dirae]

As long as you cannot someone ele's apartment you are fine.

Really?

What about someone who is waiting in the stairwell or elevator to rob the next person who comes in? Or the person who lets himself in with the key when he sees a tenant go inside alone?
People may be cautious about buzzing in someone they don't know, but would tend to assume that someone with a key is supposed to be there

Someone who knows one key opens a lot of building doors has plenty of time to check out fire escape windows, roofs, try picking a few locks, or put on workers clothes and talk, then push their way into someone's apt, all of which happens in NYC. Since most landlords are more concerned with fact checking tenants than they are the people who work for them, there's plenty of room for disgruntled employees, shady contractors and plenty of people who would know that one key opens the door to a lot of buildings, epecially in a big company like Pinnacle.

[Emeraldstar]

Never heard of this nor had I ever thought about it. Anna & Aubergine do you have any info on the legal security of this practice?

[HardKnocks]

Shady people have to live somewhere. And they very well could live in a building owned by Pinnacle... which gives them access to a lot of other buildings they shouldn't be in.

So now Rodney feels it doesn't matter who is allowed unfettered access to a building, after all that arguing over ID. He feels that as a tenant of a particular building, my chosen guests should have to show ID before being allowed entry, even if I say they can come in. Yet possibly shady people from any one of 25 buildings should be allowed to have a KEY?

Make up your mind, Rodney.

[jim berg]

Okay,let me clarify what I think Rodney is trying to say:
Unfettered access across twenty -five buildings and relative risks to tenants is perfectly acceptable. It poses no security risk,unless the intruders are illegal subletters or have one of those great rent stabilized apartments that go way back. In that case,it may be necessary to insist they be tracked with an ON STAR gps tracking chip or some rfid device.
On the other hand,if the security is lax enough to endanger and make a tenant with a "good deal" move,hurrah!
Anyone have a Tylenol?

<small>[ June 07, 2006, 04:45 PM: Message edited by: jmb ]</small>

[HardKnocks]

It also poses a security risk if the "intruder" is an invited guest of an actual tenant, but who doesn't happen to be carrying proof of his ability to drive a motor vehicle.

People who don't live there and don't even know anyone who lives there... no problem! They not only don't need to show ID, but they get a KEY!

There you have it. The convoluted, head-exploding logic of a landlord.

[Emeraldstar]

Oh Rodney for shame

[daphne]

Someone mentioned that he/she would be more concerned if former tenants (or anyone for that matter) had keys to their apartment than to the front door of the building. I agree. My former neighbor, who had lived in the building for more than forty years, recently moved. She and I are friends and when she lived here she entrusted to me a spare key to her apartment for emergency purposes. Well, when she moved out, she left the key with me so that I could move some things out. Well, the landlord hired a contractor to renovate the place and one night I decided to check out the changes that were made. I used my key and opened the door. As soon as I turned on the hall light, I saw pictures on the wall, a kitchen table with dishes and food on it, etc. I immediately closed the door and locked it. Fortunately, the new tenants did not seem to be home. I've since met them, but I haven't told them that the landlord never changed the lock. I threw the key away but the whole thing was a little weird. Anyway, it's probably not a bad idea for new tenants to spend a few bucks to get someone to change the locks on their apartments.