Rekeying is an affordable way to change the locks in your home or business. The process involves replacing the old lock cylinder, making older keys useless. There are certain situations in which rekeying is recommended. If you’re a property owner, we recommend you get your locks rekeyed in any of the situations we outline below.
When to Get Your Locks Rekeyed
As a property owner, you should have your locks rekeyed in any of the following situations:
- Moving into a new house
- Lost a key
- After a recent break-in
- Want to update all locks to a single key
- After a tenant didn’t return the keys
- Previous employee didn’t return keys
- Part of regular safety and security protocols
1. Moving Into a New House
If you’re a new homeowner, congrats! One of the first things you should do when getting the keys to your new home is to change the locks. A locksmith can change all the locks of your home in less than an hour, depending on the size.
We recommend you have this done as soon as possible since you don’t know who may have a copy of the original keys. In some cases, agencies will change the locks when the house goes up for sale, but that isn’t always the case. Make sure your new home is safe and secure with lock rekeying.
2. Lost a Key
When you or someone has lost a key to the property, it’s better to be safe than sorry. You should have your locks rekeyed in case someone finds the key and attempts to use it. This is especially important if the key is stolen rather than lost.
Don’t put your home or business at risk of an easy break-in. Get in touch with a local locksmith right away!
3. After a Recent Break-In
Break-ins are scary and can be devastating. If this kind of event ever occurs to your property, get your locks rekeyed immediately. There is no telling what they got ahold of while in your home. Plus, your existing locks may have been tampered with, allowing them to gain access.
Make sure your intruders can’t make you a target again by getting your locks rekeyed. Even better, upgrade your property with high-security options and security systems!
4. Want to Update All the Locks to a Single Key
In some cases, your property may have multiple entryways that require different keys. While this may seem like it increases the security and safety of your property, it often just creates a lot of inconveniences.
Cut down on the number of keys on your keyring by having your property rekeyed by a professional locksmith.
5. After a Tenant Didn’t Return the Keys
Property owners or managers will have experienced the problem of a past tenant not returning keys. This might be especially problematic if they were evicted. It is critical you have the property rekeyed to prevent the tenant from entering after they have left.
Rekeying will help keep them out and prevent any problems future tenants don’t want to experience.
6. Previous Employee Didn’t Return Keys
Similar to the previous situation, businesses would benefit from rekeying if a previous employee didn’t return keys. If the employee left on bad terms, rekeying is much more important. Doing so will prevent the disgruntled employee from harming the business.
Even if the employee didn’t leave on bad terms, rekeying your locks is a great safety and security protocol, which leads to our next situation…
7. Part of Regular Safety and Security Protocols
Both residential and commercial properties should enact safety and security protocols on a regular basis. All properties should be rekeyed on a regular basis, depending on the size and access. Larger corporations may rekey every other year, while smaller businesses rekey every five years.
Homeowners should consider rekeying every three to five years. Implementing these protocols will help prevent safety and security breaches regardless of the property type.