Why turnover is a security event, not just a cleaning job
Most landlords treat turnover as a cleaning, painting and repair exercise, with locks somewhere on the punch list. In practice the lock work sets the tone for the whole tenancy. A tenant who moves into a unit where the previous tenant's keys still work is a tenant who has reason to feel uneasy, and a landlord who cannot say who holds keys has a liability question waiting to be asked.
In Broward and Palm Beach counties the pattern is familiar. Condos and apartments turn over steadily, many single-family rentals change hands at the end of the school year, and seasonal units cycle between owners and short-term occupants. Each turnover involves cleaners, painters, maintenance staff, agents showing the unit, and sometimes contractors. All of them touch keys. The unit might be opened and closed many times before the next tenant gets the keys.
This page offers a practical sequence. It is written for owners and managers who want a consistent process rather than a different improvisation each time. It does not give legal advice, and your lease and local rules govern what you may do. It also does not describe how to get past a lock without a key, because that information is not needed for turnover work and does no good in the wrong hands.
Step one: reconcile keys the day the tenant leaves
The moment you accept the keys, count them. Compare what comes back to what you issued, including mailbox keys, storage keys, garage remotes, gate fobs, pool cards and parking tags. Write the result on a turnover sheet, with the date and the name of the person who received them. If anything is missing, note it and decide the next step right away rather than at the end of the process.
Keep a key log for each unit. It does not need to be elaborate: a spreadsheet or a paper sheet with columns for the key, who holds it, the date out and the date back is enough. The point is to make it possible, a year later, to say who had access and when. If your lease collects a key return acknowledgment from tenants, file it with the log.
Ask the departing tenant whether they gave any copies to friends, relatives, sitters or cleaners. They are not required to answer in full, but many will. Add what you learn to the log. If any key is unaccounted for, treat the unit as if every key could be in the wrong hands until the lock is rekeyed.
- Count every key, fob, remote and card against the issue record.
- Record the date, the name of the person returning them and who received them.
- Ask about copies given to others and write the answer down.
- Mark any missing item and plan the response immediately.
Step two: inspect the hardware before anything else
Before cleaners and painters arrive, inspect every lock, latch and door while the unit is empty. Look at the front door, the back or patio door, the sliding door, any garage entry, the gate and the interior doors that matter, such as a bedroom lock or storage door. Operate each lock from the inside and outside, with the door open and then closed.
Common wear signs in South Florida include swollen or shifted frames, rusty latch bolts, loose handles, corroded cylinders from salt air, a deadbolt that has to be forced, a strike plate that has drifted out of alignment and a sliding door latch that no longer catches. Our page on salt air and lock corrosion explains why coastal properties wear faster. Photograph anything that looks off and add it to the turnover sheet.
Distinguish between wear and damage. Normal wear is a stiff latch or faded finish. Damage is a split frame, a bent bolt or signs of a forced entry. The line matters for the security deposit and for your own records, and your turnover sheet should show which one you saw. If the lock was damaged in a break-in, see a lock broken after a break-in for how that situation is handled.
Step three: decide to rekey, repair or replace
With the inspection done, decide what each lock needs. Rekeying changes the pin configuration so the old tenant's keys stop working, while the hardware stays in place. It is the standard step at most turnovers, since it is quick and keeps the lock hardware uniform across the building. You can read the details on our page about what rekeying is.
Repair suits a lock that is sound but loose or misaligned. Replacement suits a lock that is worn, corroded, of a poor grade or an obsolete type. The tradeoffs are explained in rekey versus replace. If you manage several doors, consider whether a single key for the unit makes sense, as described on rekeying all doors to one key.
Ask a locksmith for a quote by phone. Complicated jobs need an on-site visit, and there is a service call charge that is explained before anyone is dispatched. For an owner with several units, planning the work to happen in one visit can make the process smoother for everyone, but the scheduling is something you agree on the phone.
Step four: gates, fobs, remotes and shared systems
Many South Florida rentals sit behind a gate, in a building with a fob entry, or in a community with a shared garage system. Those systems are rarely under the landlord's sole control. Find out who administers them: the association, a management company or a vendor. When a tenant leaves, contact the administrator to deactivate the departing tenant's fob, card or entry credential and to issue new ones to the incoming tenant.
For a single-family home with a garage door opener, reset the keypad entry number and clear the remotes from the opener's memory using the maker's instructions. If a remote cannot be returned, assume it is live until cleared. Our page on HOA and condo common door locks explains how shared doors are generally controlled.
Keep a written list of every access item per unit, together with the date each one was issued and cancelled. That list is the document you will want if there is ever a dispute about who could enter a building at a certain time. If the property uses a smart lock, remove old users and reset the master entry, then record that you did so.
- Identify who administers the gate, fob and garage systems.
- Deactivate the departing tenant's credentials the same day.
- Reset keypads and clear remotes from opener memory.
- Remove old users from smart locks and set a new master entry.
- Write the date on the access list for each item changed.
Step five: control who has keys during the work
A turnover brings many people through the door: cleaners, painters, flooring crews, handymen, agents and prospective tenants. Decide in advance how they will get in. A lockbox with a rotating entry number, a keypad with a temporary entry for each vendor, or a single manager who opens and closes the unit each day are all workable. What is not workable is handing out loose keys and hoping they come back.
Record who entered and when, even if only on a simple sign-in sheet or in a text message thread. If a vendor loses a key, treat it as a reportable event and rekey right away. If the unit is vacant for a while, check it at intervals and make sure it is locked, with windows latched and the slider secured. Vacant units in the summer, or during a storm, attract problems.
Where possible, perform the rekey after the last vendor has left rather than before the first one arrives. Otherwise you rekey, hand out new keys to the crew, and end up with the same exposure again. The cleanest approach is to give the crew a temporary solution during the work and then rekey as one of the final steps, when only the new tenant's keys will be cut. For related building-level issues, see our page on apartment complex turnover rekeying.
Step six: authorization and proof for every lock job
When you call a locksmith for turnover work, expect questions. A reputable locksmith asks who is requesting the work and how they are connected to the property. As the owner or manager you can show a deed, a management agreement, a lease where you are the landlord, or a written authorization from the owner. Have them ready before you call, because it makes the job faster and prevents delays at the door.
If the work is on behalf of an owner you represent, bring written authorization from that owner, and make sure the technician can reach you or the owner by phone. If the unit is in a condo, check whether the association needs to approve lock changes on doors that face common areas. Our page on locksmith authorization for landlords and tenants goes through who may authorize what.
Keep every invoice and receipt, and note the work in your key log: which locks were rekeyed or replaced, on what date and by whom. That paper trail is useful for insurance, for tenant questions and for your own records at tax time.
Step seven: key making, labeling and handing over to the new tenant
Once the locks are done, cut the keys the new tenant will receive. Use quality blanks and have each key tested in its lock. A poorly cut copy is a source of sticking, and it can break in the lock, which becomes a lockout on day one. The page on key cutting and copy quality describes what makes a good copy.
Label key sets with a unit identifier that does not reveal the address to a finder, such as a private mark that only you can read. Hand over keys in person at a move-in walk-through, count them together, and have the tenant sign for them. This is the same inventory discipline that should happen at move-out, now reversed. Tell the tenant what the lease says about lost keys and about changing locks, and provide a contact for lockouts.
If the unit has a keypad or smart lock, set up the tenant's own entry number during the walk-through, and make sure they know how to change it. Ask them to confirm that all doors lock and unlock without trouble while you are still there. A few extra minutes at handover prevents late-night calls.
A turnover sheet you can reuse, and when to call
Put the steps together as a one-page sheet for each unit: keys returned, hardware inspected, decisions made, work done, access credentials changed, vendors admitted, keys cut and keys handed over. Sign and date it. Over time, those sheets become the history of the property and a good defense against the occasional disagreement.
If you find signs that a lock was tampered with, or that someone has been inside a vacant unit, step back and call 911 if anyone may be present. Do not disturb evidence. A locksmith can secure the door after police have finished, as described in locksmith service after a claim or police report.
For routine turnover work, call, describe the property, the number of doors and the work you have in mind, and ask what documents the technician will need. Quotes are by phone, complicated jobs need an on-site visit, and the service call charge is explained before dispatch. When your unit is ready for the next tenant, call to line up the work.
Questions people ask
Do I have to rekey between every tenant?
Rules and leases vary, and a landlord should read local requirements, but rekeying at each turnover is a widely used practice because it removes the old tenant's keys from play. It also protects you if a copy was made. A locksmith can describe what rekeying involves, and any quote is given by phone.
Can a tenant change the locks themselves?
Usually only with the landlord's written permission, and your lease should say so. If a tenant is allowed to change a lock, require that they hand over a working key and tell you what was changed. Unapproved changes can create access problems in an emergency, so clear lease language and a written agreement are sensible.
What is the safest way to give contractors access to a vacant unit?
Use a controlled method, such as a lockbox with an entry number you change after each job, a temporary keypad entry, or a manager who opens and closes the unit. Keep a sign-in record. Avoid giving out loose keys. Rekey after the last vendor leaves, so the new tenant's keys are the only working set.
How should I label keys for a unit?
Use a private label that only you can read, not the street address. A finder who sees an address and a key can connect them. Keep a master list that maps the label to the unit, and store that list securely. Make sure the tenant knows which key opens which door.
What if I cannot prove I own the property when I call a locksmith?
A locksmith will want something that connects you to the address, such as a deed, management agreement, lease or written authorization from the owner. Without it, the technician may decline to work, which is meant to protect everyone. Gather the paperwork first, and the call goes more smoothly.
Should the lock work come before or after cleaning and painting?
Plan the final rekey for the end, after the last vendor leaves, so the keys you hand to the new tenant are the only working set. During the work, use a controlled access method. If a lock is damaged and must be fixed so the unit can be secured, fix it right away and rekey again at the end if needed.
Describe the situation by phone and we will tell you what the job involves. Quotes are given by phone. Jobs that cannot be quoted without seeing them need a technician on site, and the service call charge is explained on the phone before anyone is dispatched.
Related pages
Keeping a log that follows each unit through its life
Landlords who manage more than one property quickly discover that memory is not a record system. A simple log for every unit, kept in a spreadsheet or a notebook, solves a surprising number of problems. For each lock, record the location, the type, the last time it was rekeyed or replaced, and how many keys exist. Add the date of each turnover and who handled the work. Over time this turns into a history that shows which doors wear out fastest and when a unit last had its security reset.
The log also makes tenant disputes easier to settle. If a tenant claims a lock was loose at move-in, a dated note and photographs from the start of the tenancy answer the question. If keys went missing, the record shows how many were issued and when. Consistent documentation protects both sides, and it signals that the property is managed carefully. Keep the notes factual and avoid editorial remarks, because plain observations are the ones that hold up months later when someone looks back at them. Taking a few extra minutes at this stage usually saves a good deal of confusion afterward.
Share the relevant portion of the log with whoever performs the lock work, with the owner's authority in mind. A technician who knows the lock history can recommend sensible next steps, such as whether a repeated problem points to the door or the frame. Ownership or authority is checked before work, so have the lease or management agreement ready. The scope and any quote are explained before work begins, and your log makes that conversation shorter and more productive because the basic questions have already been answered. None of this needs special tools or training, only attention and a willingness to ask questions.