When to Rekey Your Home

Whether your are renting or buying a new home, you should consider having your locks rekeyed. Yes, even a new home should be rekeyed. Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Who else has keys? If you are buying a home from a previous owner, you don’t know who has keys to home. Do you want a neighbor or a relative walking in on you?

    If you are renting, having the locks rekeyed should be part of the moving expense. Because some landlords may try to skip this expense, you will want to be present when it is done.

    Even if you are buying a new home, contractors, sub-contractors and others may have a key. Make sure you confirm that the locks have been rekeyed post construction. We had a client who came home to a strange man in her laundry room. Turns out he was a sub-contractor finishing up on loose ends.

  2. Does Insurance Require It? You may not know this, but most insurance will not pay for a burglary if there is no signs of forcible entry. Unless you can prove you’ve had your locks changed, your insurance may deny a claim.

  3. Loose or Ill Fitting Locks: Check your locks and deadbolts and make sure are tightly fitted and they latch all the way into the frame. If they don’t, a burglar can gain entry with a simple credit card. Having a locksmith rekey, replace and repair your locks periodically can keep you safe in your home. Just like changing you passwords online, it may be a good habit to rekey your locks every few years. Especially if you’ve given you key to pet sitters, relatives or neighbors.

  4. If Your Keys are Lost or Stolen: This one is pretty obvious yet often overlooked. Call a full service locksmith who can make both house keys and car keys to make replacements, your cars can be rekeyed too! And don’t forget to alert your workplace if you had keys to it, a simple Facebook search can reveal your workplace to the thief who now has your keys.

A REAL locksmith can give you a firm quote for the total cost of rekeying your home which includes service call and cost per cylinder (some doors have 2 cylinders). They will also walk through the house with you – before and after to ensure their work is performed to your satisfaction. If the final cost is drastically different from the original quote, you may have used a scammer. You can call the non emergency line of your local police department to help sort it out before you pay.