[Landlord- US- VA] new key locked in room
I didn't directly experience this, but a new co-worker did. I only have the story from the tenant's perspective. I'm curious how other landlords would deal with this, if they ran into it.
Co-worker shares an apartment with a non-relative. He'd previously told the landlord he would be moving out at the end of the month. He came back one day last week about Midnight and found a key in the door to his room. Since he already had a key to lock his room, he thought nothing of it, treating it as a spare. He put the key in his room, went to sleep, then went to work the next day. When he came back, he found the key he had for his room couldn't unlock the door.
He called the landlord and found that, the day previous, the landlord had changed the lock to his door. The key that had been in the doorknob was the new one, intended for the tenant.
The tenant asked if the landlord could stop by to drop off a copy of the new key. He then asked if the two could drive to a place halfway between, to hand a copy of the new key. The landlord suggested he sleep on the couch, but it was too short for the tenant.
Ultimately, the tenant found a hotel for the night and got a copy of the new key the next day.
I don't know why the lock was changed, or if it was coordinated in advance and the tenant forgot.
Given how the situation played out, would it be reasonable for the tenant/co-worker to see about getting the cost of the hotel deducted from the month's rent?