Who Should Have Keys and Access to an Investment Apartment?

Prepared by the NovAsia Editorial Team

A key to an investment apartment appears to be a small operational detail until there is an emergency, theft or tenant change. Then the owner discovers that one copy remains with a former property manager, another sits at reception without a log, a cleaner knows the permanent code and the owner does not control the smart-lock administrator account.

The apartment is formally locked, but nobody can identify every person who can enter.

A secure system does not mean that the only key must sit with an owner abroad. It means that every key, card and digital permission has an identified holder, purpose, duration and transfer record. Emergency access remains fast, but it does not become a permanent right for an undefined group.

Allocate access by role

Start with the people who genuinely need access:

• owner;
• tenant;
• authorised occupants;
• property manager;
• reception staff;
• security or building engineers;
• cleaner;
• contractor;
• letting agent;
• emergency representative;
• valuer or buyer during a sale.

Each role needs a different level of access. The owner retains legal and administrative control but may not use a physical key for months. The tenant receives normal exclusive occupation. The property manager may need entry for inspections, repairs and emergencies, but not unrestricted entry whenever convenient. Contractors and cleaners should have time-limited access.

The governing principle is least necessary access. Give a person enough authority to perform the task, not every convenient permission.

A spare key is not permission to enter at any time

Cambodian lease principles require the landlord not to interfere with normal use of the rented property. The tenant must also allow necessary action to preserve the property in appropriate circumstances. A spare key held by the owner or manager does not create a general right of entry.

The lease should explain:

• who holds a duplicate;
• when planned access is permitted;
• how notice is given;
• what counts as an emergency;
• how repair access works;
• how renewal or sale inspections are arranged;
• whether the tenant may replace the lock;
• what happens if a key is lost;
• who pays for a replacement card;
• how all access devices are returned at move-out.

The owner keeps a key is too vague. The tenant should know whether it is for emergency use only or also for a properly notified inspection.

If the tenant wants to change the cylinder because a key may be compromised, the parties can agree on the replacement, a sealed emergency copy or another access method. A complete prohibition can be unfair, while unrestricted replacement without emergency access creates operational risk.

A smart-lock history should not become a tool for monitoring when the tenant comes home. Access records exist to protect the property and investigate incidents, not to supervise private life.

Keep a physical-key register even for one apartment

A simple table is enough. Record:

• internal key identifier;
• what it opens;
• date made or received;
• person holding it;
• date and purpose of issue;
• expected return date;
• actual return;
• acknowledgement by recipient;
• lost or stolen status;
• action taken.

Label keys with a neutral number rather than the full address. A key ring stating tower and apartment makes misuse easier if found. Store the lookup table separately.

The owner should know how many originals and copies came from the developer or seller. When nobody can answer how many historic copies exist, treat the cylinder as potentially compromised. This matters after short-term letting, several management companies or a resale purchase.

The building's records do not replace the owner's register. Management may track lift cards but not the metal apartment key. A handover can be acknowledged through a short form or written message.

Access cards are a separate control system

A card may open the lobby, lift, parking and amenities without opening the apartment door. Losing it creates a different risk from losing a mechanical key.

For each card, record:

• card number or internal identifier;
• permitted zones;
• assigned user;
• activation date;
• expiry date;
• deposit paid;
• replacement cost;
• parking connection;
• confirmation of deactivation.

At move-out, do not merely collect the card. Confirm that it is disabled or reassigned. A returned card may have been copied. Where possible, the building should confirm the current active-permission list.

Parking remotes, mailbox keys and amenity wristbands should be recorded separately. They are often forgotten and later become deposit disputes.

Building rules determine use of common facilities. An owner cannot promise access to a car space, gym or floor that the unit does not legally hold.

Smart locks reduce physical copies but create digital risk

Advantages include:

• individual codes;
• temporary permissions;
• scheduled access;
• remote revocation;
• event logs;
• no physical key for a contractor.

New dependencies include:

• administrator account;
• email address and telephone number;
• cloud service;
• Wi-Fi or hub;
• battery;
• software updates;
• manufacturer support;
• mechanical backup;
• account recovery.

The owner should remain the principal administrator. Give the manager a separate role rather than ownership of the whole account.

Maintain a record of:

• lock model and serial number;
• principal administrator;
• recovery email and telephone;
• multifactor status;
• location of the mechanical backup;
• battery-replacement schedule;
• last software or firmware update;
• active users and codes;
• most recent access review.

One permanent code used by the tenant, cleaner, manager and contractors destroys the value of access logs. Individual codes allow one person's permission to be revoked without disrupting everyone.

Temporary codes should expire automatically after the job. Do not post them in large group chats. The manager should send the code to the named person and confirm deactivation.

Account security is part of property maintenance

A strong lock becomes weak when the administrator password is reused or the recovery telephone belongs to a former manager.

Basic controls include:

• a long unique password or passphrase;
• multifactor authentication where supported;
• current owner-controlled recovery details;
• removal of former managers;
• removal of old devices;
• regular user review;
• software updates;
• a separate guest network where appropriate;
• a working offline method of entry.

Do not store codes in an open spreadsheet shared with every contractor. When management changes, first transfer administrative control to the owner or new company, test sign-in and account recovery, then remove old devices.

The door should remain accessible if the app, cloud service or internet fails. A smart lock should simplify control, not make the apartment inaccessible when the manufacturer closes a service.

Reception should not be an uncontrolled key cupboard

Leaving a spare key with reception can be useful during an emergency. Informal storage — the guard has it — creates risks:

• no sealed envelope or secure cabinet;
• no identity check;
• no issue log;
• frequent staff changes;
• easy copying;
• visible apartment number;
• release to a contractor without authority;
• no confirmed return.

If the building holds a key, agree:

• protected storage;
• neutral key number;
• authorised requesters;
• telephone or written verification;
• incident log;
• witness requirement;
• recognised emergency grounds;
• same-day return;
• notice to owner and tenant.

Building engineers may need access to a common system passing through the unit. That does not mean any staff member may enter for convenience. Authority should follow the building rules and actual necessity.

Where reception cannot provide reliable control, the spare may be safer with the property manager. Verify annually that the key is genuinely where the register says it is and that the procedure has not changed.

Cleaners and contractors should receive temporary access

A cleaner may attend regularly, while a contractor attends once or for a defined project. Neither needs a permanent master key by default.

Options for a cleaner include:

• the tenant opens the door;
• a scheduled temporary code;
• attendance with the manager;
• a key issued and returned for each visit.

For contractors, record:

• work order;
• named individual;
• date and time;
• permitted areas;
• temporary key or code;
• supervision for material work;
• entry and exit;
• return or expiry.

Giving access to a company is not enough. The contractor may send another employee or subcontract. The manager should know who entered.

During a long renovation, a temporary construction cylinder can be installed and replaced after completion. This prevents a large workforce from retaining access to the future tenant's lock.

If a key is lost, assess the context. A key lost with an address and access card requires immediate action. An unlabelled key lost far away is lower risk, but still belongs in the incident log.

Emergency access should be fast and narrow

Emergencies include active water, fire, electrical danger, structural damage, loss of secure entry and threats to a neighbouring apartment. Owner curiosity or convenient viewing is not an emergency.

The procedure should answer:

1. Who authorises entry?
2. Who opens the door?
3. Who acts as witness?
4. Which areas may be inspected?
5. How are personal belongings protected?
6. What evidence is created?
7. How is the apartment secured again?
8. How is the tenant informed?

If the tenant is unreachable, the building engineer and manager may enter under the lease and building emergency procedure. The scope is limited to the threat. A bathroom leak does not justify photographing bedroom cupboards.

After the incident, the owner receives a chronology, names of entrants, reason, photographs and key information. A universal emergency code known to many staff is weaker than a sealed key or a temporary code created for the incident.

Move-out requires a complete reset

Move-out is not complete when the tenant returns one visible key. The process should include:

• count every mechanical key;
• collect cards and remotes;
• remove the smart-lock user;
• cancel codes;
• unlink telephones and devices;
• change the owner-provided Wi-Fi password where relevant;
• check mailbox and parking access;
• reconcile card deposits;
• review the access history;
• ask about extra copies;
• remove cleaner and agent access;
• update the register;
• test the lock.

The tenant may honestly not know whether a family member copied a mechanical key. Where access cannot be revoked and security matters, replacing the cylinder is often simpler than debating every historic copy.

Removing a visible smart-lock code may be insufficient when the tenant was an administrator or linked a device. A full factory reset and new principal account may be necessary.

Responsibility for replacement cost depends on the lease and circumstances. Routine preventive replacement by the owner differs from replacement required because the tenant lost a key. The cost of upgrading to a much more expensive system cannot automatically be charged to the tenant.

A management change must close the old manager's access

At handover, the new property manager should receive:

• every key;
• cards and remotes;
• smart-lock administrator rights;
• recovery information;
• building authorisations;
• access register;
• cleaner and contractor permissions;
• warranties;
• incident history;
• records of lost copies.

The former manager should not keep a backup just in case. At the termination date, their authority ends. Disable codes, remove devices and transfer cloud accounts.

The owner should test access before releasing the final management payment. Receiving a password is not enough if recovery still belongs to the former manager.

Sale and inheritance

During a sale, agents, valuers, prospective buyers and lawyers may need entry. One permanent code for all visitors weakens security if it is not changed and no viewing record exists.

The seller should define:

• viewing schedule;
• tenant consent and notice;
• authorised agent;
• temporary access;
• prohibition on copying;
• photography rules;
• point of final transfer;
• full key inventory at completion.

After completion, the buyer receives every key and administrator role, and the seller removes their own access.

For inheritance planning, a trusted person should know where the register is and how access can be recovered. Do not publish live codes in a will or family group chat.

Annual access review

Once a year, check:

• who has physical keys;
• active cards;
• smart-lock users;
• whether the previous manager has been removed;
• cleaner and contractor access;
• whether reception still stores a key;
• battery and software status;
• mechanical backup;
• emergency contacts;
• recent loss incidents;
• upcoming tenant change or sale.

Red flags include:

• unknown number of copies;
• one code for everyone;
• owner is not administrator;
• former tenant remains active;
• no mechanical fallback;
• reception holds a key without a log;
• outdated recovery telephone;
• card cannot be disabled;
• contractor retains a permanent key;
• full address written on the key.

A secure apartment is not one that nobody can enter. It is one where authorised people can gain access when necessary, excessive permissions are restricted and every permission can be revoked.

This article is for general information and is not legal advice or a professional physical- or cyber-security assessment.

Sources

1. Kingdom of Cambodia — Civil Code provisions on normal use of rented property, landlord non-interference and access required to preserve the property.
2. Royal Government of Cambodia — Sub-Decree No. 126 on the Management and Use of Co-Owned Buildings, covering internal rules, private units, common systems and building management duties.
3. National Institute of Standards and Technology — current public guidance on strong passwords, multifactor authentication, updates and account control.
4. NIST Internet of Things cybersecurity guidance — device identification, secure configuration, access control, data protection and update capability.

Frequently asked

Should the building reception keep a spare key?

Not necessarily. It depends on building rules, security standards and written agreement with the owner and tenant. Any storage should be logged, protected and strictly limited.

Can the property manager give a key to a contractor?

Only for a specific authorised job, with a record of issue, a return deadline and access control. A permanent contractor copy creates unnecessary risk.

What should happen after a tenant moves out?

Collect every key and card, disable codes and devices, review access records and, where there is doubt, replace the lock cylinder or fully reset the smart lock.

Is a smart lock safer than a mechanical lock?

It can improve control through temporary codes and access logs, but it requires a strong administrator password, multifactor protection, updates, account control and a reliable mechanical fallback.