The question nobody can answer on closing day
How many working keys exist for the front door of the home you just bought or rented? The honest answer is that nobody can tell you. The sellers may say they gave you everything, and they may mean it, but they cannot account for a key lent to a friend years ago, a copy cut for a house sitter, or a spare left with a neighbor who has since moved away. Real estate agents, home inspectors, appraisers, photographers, cleaners and painters may all have entered with a lockbox key or a borrowed key during the sale. Contractors who worked on the home before listing may have kept copies.
None of those people are necessarily a threat. Most are honest and have no reason to return. But a lock is a promise that only certain people can open a door, and that promise is only as good as your knowledge of who holds a key. When you move in, you inherit uncertainty. Rekeying replaces that uncertainty with a known number: the keys in your hand.
This applies to every kind of home in South Florida. A new-construction house in Miramar or Wellington passes through a builder's crew, subcontractors, a punch-list team and sales staff before you arrive. A resale condo in Aventura or Deerfield Beach passes through a seller, a listing agent and possibly several showings. A rental apartment in Plantation or Sunrise may have changed hands many times. The common thread is unknown history.
Who may hold a copy of your keys
It helps to list the possible holders so the risk becomes concrete. For a resale, think of the previous owner and their family, any adult children who lived there, former roommates, relatives who watched the home, the listing agent and any agent who showed it, and the contractors, cleaners and landscapers who worked there over the years. For new construction, think of the builder, the site superintendent, subcontractors and the sales team. In many builds, a construction key is used throughout the project and then replaced by the final key at the end, but errors and shortcuts happen.
For a rental, think of the previous tenants, any co-tenants or guests who had keys, the landlord, the property manager and the maintenance team. In large complexes, a master key or a system key may exist, which is a deliberate arrangement and not a flaw, but it does mean other people can enter. Ask your manager which people have access and what the policy is on lock changes.
None of these questions requires suspicion. Think of rekeying as a reset, much like changing a password when you take over an account. You are not accusing anyone. You are simply starting with a clean list. For background on how the process works, read what rekeying is.
Owners and renters: who decides
If you own the home, the decision is yours. You can rekey every lock on the property, and a technician needs only to confirm your right to authorize the work with a photo ID and something linking you to the address, such as a closing statement, deed or mortgage document. If you are in a condo or an HOA community, check the rules, since some associations restrict changes to unit locks or require that locks stay on a master key system for emergency access.
If you rent, the decision belongs to the landlord. In many places, landlords have a duty to provide secure locks and to rekey between tenants, and a good landlord already does so as routine practice. If you are not sure that your landlord rekeyed, ask directly and ask for confirmation. If the landlord agrees to a rekey, they may arrange it themselves or authorize you to schedule it. If they decline, do not change the locks yourself without written permission, since most leases prohibit it. Our guide to locksmith authorization for landlords and tenants goes through the details.
Whether you own or rent, put the request in writing. A short message that says you have moved in and would like to confirm that the locks have been rekeyed, or would like to have them rekeyed, creates a record and makes the conversation clear.
A simple move-in sequence
The best time to rekey is early, before your life fills the house. A short sequence works well, and it can be done in the first days after you receive the keys.
First, test every key on every lock the day you arrive, including the front door, the garage entry, the patio or sliding door, any gate and the mailbox. Second, take photos of the locks and the keys, and note which keys you received. Third, ask the seller, agent, builder or landlord how many copies exist and who has them. Fourth, decide whether to rekey based on that answer and on your comfort. Fifth, arrange the rekey with a technician before the first full week, if you can, and confirm the documentation you will need. Sixth, after the rekey, test every new key again and write down who holds which key.
- Test every key in every lock on arrival and note any that stick or fail.
- Photograph the locks, the keys and the doors for your records.
- Ask who holds copies and write down the answers.
- Decide whether to rekey all locks, or only the exterior doors.
- Schedule the work early and gather your proof of ownership or lease.
- Test the new keys, label them and decide who needs a copy.
Which locks to include
A thorough rekey covers every exterior entry. That includes the front door, any back door, the garage entry door, sliding or French doors with keyed locks, side gates with keyed padlocks or latches, and any storage room or shed. Interior doors with keyed locks, such as a home office or a bedroom with a privacy lock, may also be worth including if they protect valuable items.
Do not forget the garage. Many homes in Broward and Palm Beach have a keyed entry from the garage into the home, and that door is often rekeyed last or not at all. If a garage door opener has an exterior keypad, change its PIN, and if the opener is old, consider whether it is time to upgrade. Our page on garage door and entry door security lays out what to consider.
Mailbox keys and amenity keys, such as a pool gate or a clubhouse door, are usually controlled by an association rather than by you. Ask the office how those are managed. In a managed building, the property manager may also have a policy about what you may and may not change.
Rekey, replace or add something new
Moving in is also a natural time to look at the hardware itself. Are the deadbolts solid and well fitted, or loose and worn? Is the strike plate secured with long screws into the framing? Is the door frame sound, or does it show cracks and swelling from humidity? Do you want a keypad or smart lock for convenience?
If the hardware is in good condition, rekeying is usually the most efficient step. If a lock is worn, loose or low grade, replacement with a better lock may serve you better, and the new lock comes with a new key. If you want a smart lock, installing one is a form of replacement, and you can set your own PINs from the start. Read our page on rekey versus replace for a framework to decide.
A technician can inspect your doors and tell you what makes sense. We give quotes only by phone, and a service call charge applies to a visit, explained before anyone is dispatched. For larger jobs, a visit to look at the doors may precede a final quote.
What to do about the keys you already have
After rekeying, the old keys no longer work. Do not throw them in a drawer and forget them, and do not give them to a friend as spares. Dispose of old keys sensibly, or ask the technician to take them. Keeping an old key that no longer works is harmless, but a mix of old and new keys in the same drawer causes confusion in a hurry.
Label your new keys. A small tag with a letter, not an address, helps you tell which key opens which lock. Never put your address on a key ring, since a lost ring with an address on it is an invitation. Keep a spare in a safe place that is not obvious, such as with a trusted neighbor or relative, rather than under a doormat or in a fake rock that thieves know to check.
Think about key duplication. If you need extra copies, have them cut from the original, and test each copy in the lock. Poor copies cause lock wear and can fail when you most need them. Our page on key cutting and copy quality explains why.
Other first-week security steps
Rekeying handles keys. A few other steps cover the rest of the doors and the rest of the access points. Change any alarm panel passwords you inherited and ask the alarm company to remove old users. Reset the garage door opener's remotes and keypad. Change the Wi-Fi password if the previous owner or tenant knew it, and check any smart devices that were left behind, such as cameras, thermostats or doorbells, to make sure they are not tied to the previous owner's account.
Walk the property and look at windows, sliding doors and any gate. Make sure they latch and lock properly. A sliding door with a missing security bar is a common weak point in Florida homes. Our page on sliding door locks and security bars explains the options.
If you are in a hurricane-prone area, as all of South Florida is, think ahead about how your doors will hold up in a storm. See our page on hurricane season lock and door prep for items worth handling before the season arrives.
A few example move-in scenarios
Examples show how the same idea plays out in different homes. A family buys a resale house in Coral Springs. The sellers lived there for many years and handed over three front door keys and a garage remote. The family asks the sellers how many keys existed and learns that an adult child kept one and a neighbor held another for watering plants. That is five unknown holders in one answer, and the family chooses to rekey the front door, back door and garage entry before moving a single box.
A first-time buyer closes on a condo in Aventura. The association keeps a key to each unit for emergencies, which is common, and the buyer learns the unit lock is part of a building system. Rekeying outside the system is not allowed, so the buyer asks the management office how keys are controlled, who may sign them out and what the log looks like. The decision is not to rekey but to ask for that information in writing, and to add a keypad deadbolt that the association approves.
A tenant moves into an apartment in Sunrise. The lease says the landlord rekeys between tenants, but the tenant has no proof. A short written message asks the manager to confirm the date of the last rekey. The manager answers the same day with a note from the maintenance log. The tenant now has a record, and nothing needed to be changed.
A couple takes over a house in Wellington from a relative who is moving to a care facility. The relative's friends have been popping in for years, and the couple does not know who. They arrange a rekey and a new garage keypad PIN, and they thank the friends and tell them the locks changed as part of the transfer, which avoids hard feelings.
When you are ready to call
A rekey call is usually short. Have the address, the number of locks, the type of each lock if you know it, and the reason for the change. Have your photo ID and your closing or lease documents on your phone. If you rent, have the landlord's authorization ready to forward.
Tell us whether you want all locks on one key or separate keys for different doors, and how many copies you need. Mention any smart locks or keypads, since the electronic parts are handled differently from the mechanical cylinder. If you are in a condo or gated community, tell us about any association rules that affect contractors.
Quotes are given only by phone, the service call charge is explained before dispatch and complicated jobs may need an on-site visit. Call when you are ready, and we will walk you through the process and help you start your new home with a key count you can trust.
Questions people ask
Do I really need to rekey a new home?
It is not required, but it is a widely sensible step. Previous owners, agents, builders, contractors and past tenants may hold working copies, and you cannot know how many. Rekeying makes all old keys useless and leaves you with a known set. Whether you do it is your choice.
Should I rekey before or after I move my belongings in?
Before is better, because it protects your belongings from day one and the work is easier with an empty home. If that is not possible, do it within the first few days. Test every key and lock on arrival so you know what you are working with.
Can I rekey a rental apartment myself?
You should not without written permission. The lock belongs to the landlord, and most leases prohibit changes. Ask whether the locks were rekeyed after the last tenant and request a rekey if not. If the landlord agrees, they may arrange it or authorize you to schedule it.
Do new construction homes need rekeying?
Often it is worth considering. Builders and subcontractors may use construction keys or hold copies during the build, and mistakes in handing over final keys do happen. Ask the builder how keys were managed and whether the locks were changed at completion, and decide from the answer.
Does rekeying include my garage and gate locks?
It can, if those locks are rekeyable. A thorough job covers every exterior entry, including the garage entry door, sliding doors and any keyed gate or shed. Tell the dispatcher about every lock you want included so the job is planned correctly.
What proof will I need to schedule a rekey?
A government photo ID and a document linking you to the address, such as a closing statement, deed, mortgage statement or lease. Renters typically also need the landlord's authorization. Have these ready on your phone when you call so the visit is not delayed.
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.