Lock rekeying: make the old keys stop working

What this covers

Lock rekeying changes which key opens a lock without replacing the lock itself. The handle, the deadbolt and the finish on your door stay exactly as they are; what changes is inside the cylinder, so your previous keys no longer turn it and a new key takes over. It suits a move into a new home, a lost set of keys, or a key that went to someone who no longer needs one.

How we approach it

We rekey at your door. Each lock you want changed is set to the new key, and when several locks are done together they can all share a single key, so the front door, the back door and the deadbolts share a single key. Every lock is tested with the new key, and the new keys are handed to you when we finish.

Where it stops

Rekeying makes sense when the lock itself is in good condition. If a lock is worn, loose, sticky or damaged, rekeying only gives a tired lock a new key, and replacing it is the better answer. We look at each lock first and say which ones are worth rekeying and which ones are not.

Rekeying and replacing do the same job for your security: in both cases the previous keys become useless. The difference is the hardware. Rekeying keeps the locks you have and changes what is inside the cylinder, while replacing takes the whole lock out and puts a new one in. If you like your locks and they work well, rekeying keeps them.

Moving into a new home is the classic time to rekey. Nobody knows how many copies of the old keys exist: previous owners, their family, contractors, agents. Rekeying before your belongings move in means the only working keys are the ones you hand out. If you rent, ask your landlord first, since the lease may say who looks after the locks.