BRKWhy rekey your locks when you move
Why rekey your locks when you move
Nobody can tell you how many copies of your new front-door key exist. Rekeying makes that question irrelevant, for less than new locks.
CH 02Part 01
The key count nobody knows
Think about who has held a key to your new place. The sellers, and their kids. Former tenants. The property manager. A cleaner, a dog walker, a painter, the agent who ran open houses. In Berkeley, where many houses have been rentals for decades, the list can be very long.
Most of those people are honest. That's not the point. You can't know, and you can't collect the keys back. Rekeying cancels them all at once.
CH 03Part 02
What rekeying is
Inside a pin-tumbler lock, a row of small pins must line up for the cylinder to turn. Your key's cuts do the lining up. Rekeying replaces those pins with a new set that matches a new key. The lock body, the knob and the deadbolt stay where they are.
No new hardware means a lower bill than replacing locks, and a locksmith can do several doors in one visit. If the locks share a brand and keyway, they can all end up on one key.
CH 04Part 03
Rekey or replace?
- Rekey when the locks work smoothly and you just want the old keys dead.
- Replace when a lock is worn, rusted, cracked or sticky even with the right key.
- Replace when you want a different kind of lock: a stronger deadbolt, a restricted key, a keypad.
- Not sure? Ask for both prices. A locksmith can tell once they see the lock.
CH 05Part 04
If you rent
Talk to the landlord before touching any lock. Many landlords rekey between tenants as a matter of course, so ask if it was done. Rules differ by city and by lease, so check yours.
If it wasn't done and the landlord agrees, offer to arrange it and hand them a copy of the new key. Changing a rental's locks without permission can breach the lease.
CH 06Part 05
The doors people forget
Garage side doors. Back gates onto a path. Basement doors. Mailbox locks. The in-law unit out back. List every lock before you call so the quote covers them all. In Berkeley and Albany, call 510-803-3123 for a quote before any work.
CH 07Related