Why rekey your locks when you move in

Nobody knows how many keys are out there

Previous owners hand over the keys they can find. They rarely remember the spare left with a neighbour, the copy given to a dog walker, the one hidden under a planter, or the key a contractor kept after a remodel. Rentals are worse: a unit may have had several tenants, each of whom could have cut copies.

Rekeying changes the small pins inside the lock cylinder so it works with a new key. Every old key, wherever it is, stops working the moment the job is finished.

Rekeying versus replacing

Replacing a lock means fitting a whole new lock body. Rekeying keeps the existing hardware and changes only the internal pins. If the locks are in good condition and you like how they look, rekeying is usually the cheaper and quicker choice.

Replacement makes more sense when a lock is loose, sticky or damaged, when the hardware is very old, or when you want a different kind of lock such as a keypad deadbolt. A locksmith can look at each door and tell you which approach suits it.

• Rekey: same hardware, new key, lower cost
• Replace: new hardware, new key, more choice of style
• Mix and match: rekey the good locks, replace the tired ones

The doors people forget

The front door is obvious. The others are easy to miss. Make a list before the locksmith arrives so nothing is left on the old key.

• Back and side doors
• The door from the garage into the house
• Sliding patio doors with keyed locks
• Side gates with keyed latches or padlocks
• Detached garages, sheds and workshops
• Mailbox locks
• Any keyed window locks

One key for the whole house

Moving in is the perfect time to get every lock working with one key. If the locks share a keyway, they can usually be keyed alike during the rekey. If one or two are a different brand, those cylinders may need replacing to match. Either way, fewer keys on your ring means fewer keys to lose.

If you have family members or a cleaner who need access, a keypad on the front door can save cutting more copies. The cylinder in most keypad deadbolts can be keyed to match the rest of the house as a backup.

Landlords and tenants

In a rental, the landlord normally owns the locks. Tenants should ask before changing them and provide a copy of the new key if the lease requires it. Landlords who rekey between tenants protect both the new tenant and themselves.

For Brea rentals in older neighbourhoods, see the 92821 page. For newer homes and gated tracts in the east, see the 92823 page.

What it costs

The price list shows the service call fee and the starting price for rekeying each lock. The final cost depends on how many cylinders there are and their condition. The coupons page includes a move-in special and a rekey offer. For help booking, see residential locksmith services.

A simple moving-day order

Rekeying works best early, before you hand out copies to family, cleaners or contractors. A sensible order is to rekey on the day you take possession, cut enough keys for the household, then label and store one spare somewhere secure away from the front door.

If you are renovating, consider leaving one construction lock for the trades and rekeying the rest once the work is finished. That way the painter's or flooring installer's key is retired along with everyone else's.

Keep a record

Once the work is done, write down how many keys were cut and who holds each one. It sounds fussy, but the next time you wonder whether to rekey, that list answers the question in seconds.