What changes when a home sits empty for months
A home that is lived in has a rhythm that protects it: lights go on and off, mail is collected, cars come and go, neighbors see familiar faces. A seasonal home loses all of that for months at a stretch. In Palm Beach and Broward counties, many residents spend part of the year elsewhere, and their homes, condos and villas stand quiet through the heat, the rains and the storm season. That quiet is the main risk to manage.
Locks are one layer of the plan, not the whole plan. A reliable lock in a sound door protects against casual entry, but it cannot tell you that a pipe has leaked, that a window has been left unlatched or that a stranger has been given a key by a well-meaning cleaner. The point of preparation is to reduce the number of things that depend on luck, and to make the access list short and written down.
This guide is written for seasonal residents, whether you are in a single-family home, a condo or a townhome. It explains what to check before you leave, how to handle keys and entry numbers while you are away, who to trust and how, and what a locksmith can and cannot do. It does not give instructions for defeating locks, and it does not suggest any step that would expose you to live electricity or gas.
Check every door, window and latch before departure
Plan a quiet hour a week or two before you leave. Walk through the home with a notepad and test each exterior door, window and slider. Open them, close them, lock them and see how each behaves. A door that sticks in the wet season or a latch that barely catches is a reason to call for repair while you are still here and can supervise the work.
Pay close attention to sliding doors, which are common in South Florida homes and condos. Make sure the latch seats fully and that a security bar or pin is in place. Check the track for debris. For windows, check that every latch engages, including those in rooms you rarely use. Confirm that screens and shutters are in good order. Our page on sliding door locks and security bars and our guide to window locks and latches explain the parts.
Look at the deadbolts and the strike plates. If any lock is stiff, loose or corroded, have it fixed before the trip. Humid summers are hard on hardware, and a lock that is already tired may fail in August, when you are not there to notice. Rekeying or replacement now is far easier than coordinating it from a distance.
- Test every exterior door, slider, window and gate latch.
- Fix sticking doors and stiff locks before you go.
- Make sure sliders have a bar or pin and a clean track.
- Check that shutters and screens work and are secured.
Decide who may hold a key, and keep the list short
Every extra key is another way in. Before you leave, decide who truly needs access: a neighbor to check the house, a property manager, a cleaner, a pool service, a relative or a friend. For each person, decide what they need: a key, an entry number, or only a call if something is wrong. Write the list down with names, phone numbers and the date you gave access.
Avoid scattering keys. A common pattern is a key with a neighbor, a key with the cleaner, a key in a lockbox and a key with a relative, none of them recorded. When a problem arises, nobody can say who has what. Choose one or two primary key holders and ask them not to make copies or pass the key on. If a service provider needs access, consider a lockbox or a keypad entry number that you can change when they finish.
Do not hide a spare key outside. In neighborhoods where many homes stand empty for months, a hidden key is easy for others to find. If you need a backup, give it to a trusted person. Our page on duplicate keys and who has copies talks about keeping track, and key control for landlords has methods that a homeowner can borrow.
Keypads, smart locks and shared entry numbers
Electronic locks are convenient for seasonal homes, because you can give a service provider a temporary entry number and remove it afterward. They also bring chores: batteries, accounts and updates. Before you leave, replace batteries, confirm that your phone app works and set the entry numbers for the people who truly need access. Remove old users who no longer need it.
Check what happens if the battery runs down while you are away. Most smart locks warn you, but you may not see the warning if the app is not set up for notifications. Ask a trusted person to check the lock periodically, and make sure a backup key is available to someone who can use it. Our overview of smart locks and the page on smart lock access and guest entry go through the options.
A power outage matters here too. In storm season, outages are common, and a lock that depends on the home's power or network may behave differently. Know how your lock behaves without power, and know how to use the physical key. Where a lock is linked to a home network, think about who has the login for the account. Keep that information with your documents, and not on a sticky note near the door.
Gates, garages, remotes and community access
Many seasonal residents live in gated communities or buildings with fobs and remotes. Before you leave, ask the association or management how access is handled while you are away. Who may let in visitors? How do you add a guest, a cleaner or a contractor to the list? What happens to your fob while you are away? Some communities let you suspend a fob and reactivate it when you return, which reduces the risk of misuse.
Take the garage remote seriously. A remote left in a car, or a keypad entry number that a previous owner knows, is an open door. Reset the keypad, check that the opener is in good order and decide whether to leave a remote with a trusted person. If you park a car in a driveway or a shared lot, remember that anything with a remote in it is a possible way in.
Check your mailbox arrangements. A mailbox key that is lost, or a box that is not emptied, signals that no one is home. Ask the post office about holding mail, or ask a neighbor to collect it, and make sure whoever collects it has the right key. Our page on HOA and condo common door locks describes how shared doors and systems are generally managed.
- Ask the association how guest, vendor and delivery access works.
- Reset garage keypad numbers and review who holds remotes.
- Arrange mail collection with the right key and a trusted person.
- Ask whether fobs can be suspended while you are away.
- Write down what you decided and who knows.
Rekey before you leave, or when you return
If you bought the home recently, or if you have had many service people with keys, consider rekeying before you leave. Rekeying changes the lock so that old keys no longer work, and you decide who gets the new ones. It is a sensible way to reset the access list before a long absence. You can read more on what rekeying is.
Rekeying is also worth thinking about when you return, if you had to give out keys while you were away. After a long absence, you want to know that the keys in circulation are the ones you intended. A quick rekey on your return resets everything, and you start the season with a clean slate.
Ask a locksmith for a quote by phone. Complicated jobs require an on-site visit, and a service call charge applies, explained before dispatch. A locksmith will ask for photo ID and proof that you own or control the home, such as a deed, a tax bill or a utility statement. If you are a renter, expect to need the landlord's approval. See our page on proof of ownership.
Storm season, water and the things that go wrong while you are away
Summer and fall in South Florida bring heat, heavy rain and hurricane season. A home that is empty cannot respond to a storm. Before you leave, read hurricane season lock and door preparation, and decide who will check the house after a storm and how they will get in. Make sure that person knows how the shutters operate and where the key or handle is.
Think about water. A leak can do great damage in a few weeks, and the person who checks the home may need to enter more often than you planned. If so, they should have a reliable way in, and you should have a way to know that they entered. A smart lock with an access history, or a simple written log in the house, can help.
If a storm damages the home while you are away, the first step is safety, and the second is to secure the opening. A locksmith can help once the area is safe, as described on our page about inspecting locks and doors after a storm. Remember that a locksmith will need proof that the person asking has the right to authorize the work, so an absent owner should give a trusted person written authorization.
Written authorization for the person who stays behind
Imagine that a pipe bursts, or a door is damaged, and your neighbor calls a locksmith to secure the house. The locksmith will ask who is requesting the work and on what authority. A neighbor is not the owner. Without something in writing, the technician may decline to work, which can be frustrating, but it is meant to protect you. A stranger who claims to be a friend of the owner is exactly the kind of person the process is designed to stop.
Solve it in advance with a short, signed note that names the person, describes what they may authorize, such as securing a door or changing a lock, and gives your contact information. Send a copy to the person and keep one with your records. If you use a property manager, make sure the management agreement covers lock work. For details, see who can request a lockout service.
Also tell your key holder how to reach you, and what documents prove that they are acting for you. A photo of the deed or a tax bill on their phone, together with your note, makes the call go faster. None of this is complicated, but it needs to be done before you are away, not during an emergency.
On your return, and when to call
When you come back, arrive in daylight if you can. Look at the exterior before you go in. Check that doors, windows and shutters are as you left them. Inside, look for signs of water, pests or entry. If something seems wrong, step outside and call 911 if you suspect that someone is present. Do not touch anything that may matter for a report.
Test every lock and key. A lock that sat unused in the heat may be stiff, and a key that has been in a drawer may stick. Replace batteries in electronic locks. Review your access list and decide who still needs a key. Consider changing any entry numbers you shared. This is the moment to rekey if you want a fresh start.
If you need a lock checked, a key replaced or a lockout resolved, call, explain the situation and have your documents ready. The technician will tell you what is needed before anyone is sent. Our page on seasonal resident lockouts describes the situation that arises when you arrive and find that you cannot get in.
Questions people ask
Who should I give a key to while I am away for months?
Choose one or two people you trust, give them only the access they need and write down who has what. A neighbor, a relative or a property manager are common choices. Avoid hiding a spare outside. Ask them not to copy the key, and tell them how to reach you in an emergency.
Should I rekey before I leave for the season?
It is worth considering if you recently bought the home, if many service people have had keys or if you are unsure who has copies. Rekeying resets access so only the new keys work. A locksmith can explain it and quote by phone. A rekey on your return is another option.
Can my neighbor call a locksmith if something happens?
A locksmith will ask who is authorizing the work. A neighbor is not the owner, so the technician may need written authorization from you. Give your key holder a signed note, your contact details and a photo of an ownership document, so that an emergency is not delayed by a lack of proof.
Are smart locks a good idea for a seasonal home?
They can be, because you can issue and remove entry numbers remotely. They also need fresh batteries, a working account and a plan for power or network failures. Make sure a physical backup key is available to a trusted person. A locksmith can explain how your model works.
What if I return and cannot get in?
Check the key, the lock and the door in daylight. If a lock is stiff or a battery is dead, try the backup key. If you remain locked out, a locksmith can help once you show photo ID and proof of ownership or residence. Do not force the door or the lock yourself.
What should I do if I find signs of entry when I come back?
Step away from the door and call 911 if you think someone may be inside or if there is damage. Do not disturb evidence. Once police have finished, a locksmith can secure the door and rekey the locks. Tell your insurer and take photographs before anything is repaired.
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
A departure-day walk that catches what lists miss
On the day you leave for the summer, a checklist helps, but a slow walk helps more. Go to each exterior door and operate the lock yourself, from inside and then from outside using the key you will leave behind. Notice anything that takes effort. A deadbolt that you have been shouldering for months will be worse after a long, humid summer, and it is far easier to deal with now than when someone else is trying to open it. Do this walk at the end of your final packing, not the morning before, so any last-minute change to the door is part of what you check.
Check secondary entries that people forget: the lanai slider, the side door off the garage, a pet door, and the door between the house and the garage. Make sure each latch catches fully and the track on any sliding door is clean and straight. Look at window locks on the ground floor. If something feels loose, note it and decide whether to fix it before you leave or ask a professional to look. Add a sentence about anything unusual, such as a window that sticks or a door that swells after rain, so the person watching the home knows what to expect and does not mistake it for a break-in.
Take photos of each locked door and write down which keys exist. Leave a short summary with the person who will check on the property, including who may enter and who may not. When you call us, whether before departure or when you return, we explain the scope and any quote before work begins, and we check ownership or authority before opening any door. Please call us to confirm availability. Send yourself a copy of the notes before you leave the house, because a note left only on the kitchen counter does not help if the home is your problem and you are hundreds of miles away.