The keys you cannot see
At closing, the seller hands over a set of keys, perhaps three or four, and a garage remote. It feels complete, but it rarely is. Over the years of ownership, a house collects keys the way a drawer collects batteries. Some were given to family. Some went to a neighbor who watered plants. A pool service, a landscaper, a handyman, a real estate agent and a painter may each have had one. A previous tenant could have copied a key at a hardware store and kept it.
None of those people is necessarily a threat. Most are honest, and most will never use the key again. But you do not know who they are, and neither does anyone else. The point of rekeying is not suspicion of a particular person. It is that you can no longer say who can open your front door, and you can fix that in less time than it takes to unpack a kitchen box.
Rekeying changes the inside of the lock so old keys stop working and a new key takes over. The deadbolt, the knob and the finish all stay. It is one of the most effective first steps for a new homeowner or renter, and it is usually quicker and more economical than replacing hardware. This page explains how it works, what to rekey first, and how to fit it into a busy moving schedule.
What to rekey first
If you cannot do everything on the first day, put the doors in order of exposure. The list below gives a sensible sequence, and a technician can adjust it for your home.
- The front door. This is the main entrance and the door most people have keys for.
- Doors into the garage and the house from the garage. A garage entry is often overlooked, and garage door remotes may also be shared.
- Back doors, patio doors and sliders. Check whether they have key locks, and whether a lock bar or a pin supplements them.
- Side doors, pool gates and yard gates. Access to the property perimeter and the pool area.
- Exterior storage rooms, sheds and detached garages. Tools and equipment live here, along with ladders that help someone reach an upper window.
- Interior doors with keys. A home office, a wine closet or a safe room, if present.
- Mailbox and community amenities. Where you control the lock, include them.
A closing-day checklist
Moving day is crowded, and security tends to slip down the list. A short checklist helps. These are steps most new owners find useful, and you can adapt them to your situation.
Before closing, ask the seller or agent how many keys exist and who has had them. Ask whether a lockbox or key safe is installed and who holds its number. Find out whether the home has an alarm and who knows the alarm PIN, and whether there are gate remotes or garage openers that need to be reprogrammed. On the day, collect every key, remote and fob, and note which door each opens.
Arrange the rekey as close to closing as possible. Some new owners book a technician to arrive within hours of getting the keys. Others do the work in the first day or two. If you are renting, ask your landlord whether they have rekeyed and, if not, whether you can arrange it. Our moving day lock checklist goes into more detail, and the buying home lock priorities guide is useful before closing.
After rekeying, test every key on every lock, give copies only to people you trust and write down who holds them. Keep one spare in a secure place that is not hidden outside the home.
Buying a home: what changes and who to talk to
A purchase brings a few extra considerations. The home may have been empty for months, with a lockbox on the door and several agents coming and going. Even if the sellers are meticulous, the transaction involves appraisers, inspectors, photographers and sometimes contractors, many of whom were given access.
Talk to your agent about the lockbox. It should be removed at closing, and the number it used should no longer matter after rekeying. If the home is new construction, builders' crews and subcontractors may have worked in it for months, and the construction locks may be keyed differently. Our new construction lock service page covers that situation.
If the home is in an association with gates or common areas, ask the management about gate remotes, key fobs and any shared keys you receive. Those systems are normally controlled by the association, not by you. You should get new credentials, and the old ones should be deactivated. If you have questions about what you are allowed to change, ask the association before work begins.
Renting: what you can and cannot do
Renters have a different position. The locks belong to the landlord, and the lease usually sets rules about changing them. Some leases allow a tenant to rekey if a copy is provided, some require landlord approval and some forbid any change. Many landlords already rekey between tenants, so ask first.
If you want to rekey and your lease allows it, tell the landlord what you plan to do and ask whether they need a copy. If your lease does not allow it, or you are unsure, ask for permission in writing. A technician will ask who is authorizing the work, and may need the landlord's confirmation. We do not give legal advice, so read your lease carefully.
If the landlord will not rekey and you are worried, discuss other options. Some tenants add a portable door security device, a door stop alarm or a smart lock that can be removed at move-out. Others request that the landlord rekey as a condition of renewal. For a landlord's perspective, our apartment turnover rekeying page explains how a typical process works.
One key for every door
A new home often has a mix of brands and keys. The front door uses one key, the back door another, the garage a third and the shed a fourth, and you end up carrying a ring that grows with each move. Rekeying gives you a chance to simplify.
A technician can rekey several locks to the same new key, which is known as keying alike. Locks of the same brand and keyway can usually be keyed alike easily. Locks of different brands may need replacing or may be rekeyed only if they share a compatible cylinder. The technician will check each lock and tell you what is possible.
Think about whether you want everything on one key. It is convenient, but one lost key then affects every door. Many households choose one key for the main entrances and a separate key for the shed, the pool gate or a home office. If you employ a house cleaner or caretaker, a separate key for the main door only can help you manage access. Our keyed alike locks guide explains the options.
Garage doors, remotes and alarm systems
Keys are not the only way into a home. Garage door openers, gate remotes, smart locks, keypads and alarm systems each carry their own list of authorized users. A rekey does nothing for those, so they need separate attention.
For garage door remotes and keypads, the usual step is to clear the memory of the opener and reprogram only the remotes you have. The method differs between brands, and the owner's manual explains it. A car with a built-in remote may need to be reprogrammed too, and any old car remotes left behind by the seller should be disabled.
Alarm systems often have user numbers that belong to the previous owner, a monitoring company account and a list of people to call. Contact the alarm company, confirm the new account and change every user number. Smart locks and keypads should be cleared and set up again with new numbers. A technician can help with locks, though alarm and garage opener companies handle their own systems. Do these steps in the first week, so the house is not secured only by the doors.
Hurricane season and a first-year home
If you move in just before or during hurricane season, locks and doors deserve extra thought. A new owner is also learning how the house copes with storms, and doors that stick, swell or latch poorly are common. Salt air and humidity affect hardware in the first season, and a lock that felt smooth at the inspection may feel different after a wet summer.
When the technician comes to rekey, ask them to check that each door closes and latches properly, the deadbolt extends fully and the strike plates are secure. A loose door or a short screw in the strike is a weakness that a rekey does not fix. Impact doors and shutters may have their own hardware, and our impact door hardware page explains how those work.
Our hurricane season door lock prep guide is worth reading in your first season. A few small checks each year, such as testing the locks, cleaning the tracks and tightening loose screws, keep the home secure and the doors working.
What happens during a rekey visit
A moving-in rekey is usually a short visit. The technician arrives, confirms that you own or rent the home and asks which doors you want done. Each lock is tested with the old key, if you have it, and inspected for wear.
The cylinders are removed one at a time, rekeyed and put back. A new set of keys is cut, and the technician tests each key several times on each lock. If a lock is damaged, loose or worn, the technician explains the options. Sometimes a replacement is wiser, especially on exterior hardware that the sea air has eaten.
You receive the new keys and a clear picture of which key opens which door. Many technicians suggest a spare set kept in a secure location, not a flower pot. Complicated jobs, such as a large home with many locks, a gated estate or a house with several doors of different brands, may need an on-site visit before a quote can be given. Quotes are given only by phone, and a service call charge is explained before dispatch.
Preparing for the call
A few facts make the call quick. Say how many exterior doors have locks and whether any have a second lock, such as a deadbolt in addition to a knob. Mention garage entry doors, sliders, gates and sheds. If you know the brand, say so. A photo of each lock helps.
Tell us whether you own or rent and when you take possession. If you want the work done on the day you get the keys, say so, and we will discuss scheduling. Mention any particular concerns, such as an ex-partner who held a key, a long-vacant house or signs of earlier forced entry.
Have the existing keys on hand, even if you do not trust them, since they help the technician test the locks. Make sure someone can let the technician in and that the doors are accessible. When you are ready, call and describe the home, and a technician will help you plan what to rekey first and how to keep the whole process simple.
Homes that were vacant, foreclosed or inherited
Some homes arrive with a longer and murkier key history. A property that sat vacant for a season, an estate sale, a bank-owned home or a house that passed through several hands may have had many people inside it: realtors, cleanout crews, lawn services, inspectors, board-up workers and family members. Locks may have been changed more than once, with keys scattered across several companies.
In these cases, treat rekeying as essential rather than optional, and consider whether any lock needs replacing outright. A property that has stood empty may also have tampered or damaged hardware, a door frame that has been forced and repaired, or a lock that was swapped for a temporary one. A technician can look for signs of earlier forced entry and tell you whether the door and frame are sound. Our door frame damage page explains what those signs look like.
If you inherit a home with a safe, a gate or an alarm, add them to the list. Ask relatives who had access and who might still hold keys, and change the lock on any outbuilding as well. A single visit that covers the doors, the gate and the safe combination is usually more efficient than three separate calls.
Whatever the history, the sensible aim is the same. Know every person who can open each door, and make that list short and deliberate. If you are not sure where to begin, call and describe the property. A technician can suggest an order of work and what to check on the first visit.
Questions people ask
Should I rekey even if the sellers seem trustworthy?
Yes, in most cases. The question is not only about the sellers. Agents, contractors, cleaners, neighbors and earlier occupants may all have had keys. Rekeying is a simple step that makes the list of key holders reset to the people you choose, whether or not anyone was ever a concern.
How soon after closing should I rekey?
As soon as practical, ideally on the first day or two. The longer you wait, the longer old keys remain active. If you cannot do every door, start with the front door, the garage entry and any back or slider doors, and finish the rest within the week.
Do I need to replace my locks, or can they be rekeyed?
Most locks in good condition can be rekeyed, which keeps the hardware you already have. Locks that are worn, loose, corroded or very basic may be better replaced. A technician will test each lock and tell you which route makes sense. Replacement is more common near the coast where corrosion is faster.
Does rekeying change my garage door remote or alarm?
No. Rekeying only changes the keyed locks. Garage remotes, keypads, smart locks and alarm user numbers need to be reset separately, usually through the opener manual or the alarm company. Do those steps in the first week so the whole home is covered, not just the doors.
Can I rekey a rental?
It depends on your lease. Some allow a tenant to rekey with a copy to the landlord, some need approval and some forbid it. Ask your landlord in writing. A technician will want to know who authorizes the work. We do not give legal advice, so read your lease or ask an attorney.
How do I get a price for rekeying a new home?
Call and describe how many doors need work and what the locks look like. Prices are given only by phone, and a service call charge is explained before a technician is dispatched. A typical home can often be priced from a description. Large or complex properties may need a visit first.
Describe the situation by phone and we will tell you what the job involves. Quotes are given by phone. Jobs that cannot be quoted without seeing them need a technician on site, and the service call charge is explained on the phone before anyone is dispatched.
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