Are you required to leave a spare set of your condo keys with the management office in case of emergency and if not  and should  there  be a requirement to do so ?

No and no.

I would never give my keys to anyone here, due to complete lack of trust.

End of story.

What sort of 'emergency' do you have in mind?

I had to move out of a condo because the British landlord insisted I leave him a spare set of keys and I knew him to be a thief and a scammer.

I dont think there is a requirement to leave keys with the office but it can be advantageous, especially if you are away for extended periods, lock yourself out, elderly and live alone etc. 

During extended absence its always a good idea to give someone access in case of an emergency, burst water pipe, fire etc. Also a good idea to have someone flush the toilets etc so the water in the traps doesn't evaporate letting in sewer gas.

 

The office can always have a system in place to sign keys in and out etc. I have locked myself out and my office would only give the key to security, to come and let me in. So you can have systems in place.

 

I was on my way out the other day and noticed water coming from under the door of an empty condo, told the office, they had a key, problem fixed.

Edited July 3, 20188 yr by Peterw42

10 hours ago, Delight said:

What sort of 'emergency' do you have in mind?

Could be a burst pipe, a fire, a flood etc.,you could be in need of help (sick).

I.have rented condos back home where landlords required a set of keys for exactly the reasons above.

  He could not use them without your permission but could in a emergency....after all...he is the owner of the property and will want to take care of it.

It's also handy when one locks themselves out.

If it is mentioned in the condominium bylaws, which all owners have agreed to, to follow, then it should be done. Usually, it is not mentioned in the bylaws. Most condominiums ask the co-owners (not tenants) to leave a set of keys with management. If you trust the management, I would recommend doing it. 

If there is a water leak from your unit, and it destroys the unit under yours or/and other surrounding units, you pay for all damages. In such a case, it would be nice if the management could come in and turn off the water before too much harm is done. In a case where there is an electrical short in your unit, blacking out the complete condo, a key would be nice to have with the management as well. There are certainly other cases where it's a good idea that the management has a key.

During extended absence its always a good idea to give someone access in case of an emergency, burst water pipe, fire etc. Also a good idea to have someone flush the toilets etc so the water in the traps doesn't evaporate letting in sewer gas.

In my building the main water valve is situated outside each condo and is accessible from the common area. The same applies to the electricity meter.

Cling-film over the toilet bowl prevents smells getting in if the water in the toilet dries out (remember to remove it before use!).

2 hours ago, quandow said:

I had to move out of a condo because the British landlord insisted I leave him a spare set of keys and I knew him to be a thief and a scammer.

it doesnt take much to change a lock after you have handed the landlord a set of keys....just saying

Burt pipes from kitchen sinks, toilet sinks, and the spray are the most common type of emergencies. Its not advisable to leave your condo key, if you are away for extended periods of time, just tell the building tech to turn off the water to your unit. My condo even post notices up during songkran for people to do so.

So, there you have it - damned if you do & damned if you don't, unfortunately. 

Whenever I leave my condo for one night or longer I turn off the water myself at the main valve (situated in the common area) and also turn off all the electric breakers inside my condo except the one that powers my fridge/freezer. I have left it like that for several weeks on several occasions.

To leave the water on when one is away seems completely daft to me, as does leaving all the breakers on.

Mgt has a set of keys to mine, I'm the owner, when I am away working for months at a time, they come in twice a month and clean my place, run the A/C's - its also an insurance to me.  case in point, a crazy Scandanavian went bonkers and superglued all the locks on the doors, turned on the fire hose so all the condos below him flooded - had it been above mine, the damage would have been pretty severe, flooded rooms, mold building up, ruined furniture etc etc etc since I was gone 4 months.  Lucky for me it was the floor below mine so effected everyone below where he did this.  I trust the Mgt, housekeepers have to sign out the keys, they are escorted by Bldg Security, and there is a sign in sheet on my kitchen table top. Works for me.