Why rekey
- Builders, agents, previous owners and tenants may all hold keys.
- A rekey makes every old key useless without replacing the locks.
List the doors
- Front, back and side doors
- Garage entry and basement-suite doors
- Mailbox and shed locks
Ask for keys back
- Ask the previous owner or landlord to hand over every key.
- Record how many were returned.
Tenants
- Ask the landlord before changing a lock.
- In Ontario a landlord who changes locks must give the tenant a working key.
A timeline for a new owner
On the day you take possession, count the keys you received and ask for any others. Book a rekey for the entry doors, garage and storage areas within the first week. Update your key log with who holds each key.
Tenants in the building
Tenants should hear about any change in advance. Under Ontario rules a landlord must give the tenant a working key when a lock is changed. Keep written notice and the date of the change.
Common mistakes
Owners often rekey only the front door and forget the patio, garage entry and storage rooms. Others rekey but do not record who received the new keys, so the same confusion returns in a year. Make a one-page list of doors and keys the day you rekey, and file it with the lease or the purchase papers. If the building has a shared entrance, ask the property manager who controls it before you change anything.
Contact us
iGuard Locksmith is at Unit 29, 5310 Finch Ave E in Scarborough, open 7 AM to 11 PM, with walk-ins welcome.
Need a locksmith? See our emergency locksmith and pricing and process pages.