Last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new law requiring apartment communities to maintain a log accounting for the issuance and return of all keys and establish policies for their issuance, return, and storage.
“Miya’s Law”, named after Miya Marcano, a young college student who was murdered last year at the apartment complex where she lived and worked, elevates security on residential properties with stricter background checks and limitations on the use of master keys.
Marcano’s family had been pushing for the protection since the 19-year-old was killed in September 2021 when police said a maintenance worker who had a master key to her unit killed her.
“Every tenant deserves to be safe in their own home,” DeSantis said in a statement following the passage of the new law. “By signing this legislation, we are making it safer to live in a rental unit and giving renters more peace of mind in their homes. Miya’s death was a tragedy, and our prayers continue to be with the Marcano family. I am proud to act on their behalf to help prevent a tragedy like that from happening to another Florida tenant.”
With over 2 million renters in the state of Florida, the use of secure electronic key control systems has become a necessity for multifamily communities to help save lives, instill a sense of security and reduce premises liability.
HandyTrac protects over 5 million apartment units nationwide and offers a number of features including audit trail maintenance and remote reporting to ensure your multifamily community meets the requirements of Miya’s Law. To learn more about HandyTrac Key Control systems, contact us today.
Sources: