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A silver-colored deadbolt set in clear packaging with two keys resting on the countertop in front. — Lock Rekeying, Toronto

Change or rekey · Toronto

Lock Rekeying

Three months of renovation are finally done. The kitchen looks wonderful, and along the way a general contractor, a tile installer, a plumber and an electrician each carried a key to your front door at one point or another.

In plain words

Rekeying is really about knowing who can open your door. Over the life of a home, keys are lent to trades, handed to neighbours for the holidays, given to a cleaner or a dog walker, and copied at the hardware store. Nobody keeps a list. Rekeying draws a line: from today, the only working keys are the ones counted into your hand. Good practice afterwards is simple, and a locksmith will suggest it: know how many keys exist, know who holds each one, tag them with a colour or code rather than the address, and rekey again whenever a key leaves your control.

Sound familiar?Toronto

The call
The builder handed over your new home with a stack of identical keys, and you know the framing crew, the painters and the flooring installers all used a construction key during the build. The doors are brand new, but the key that opens them should be yours alone.

NextHow the visit goes

Lock Rekeying · Toronto

How the visit goes

Person leaning over a blue bench machine in a small shop with keys, padlocks and door hardware displayed on blue walls. — Toronto
  1. Scene 1

    Who is entitled to change the locks

    Rekeying decides who can enter a home, so the first check is about the person asking. A homeowner shows photo identification and something tying them to the property, such as a tax bill, a closing document or a utility statement. A property manager brings authorization from the owner. A tenant is asked whether the landlord has agreed to the change and will receive a copy of the new key, because tenancy rules here expect both sides to hold one. Where a unit is in a condominium, the locksmith asks whether the building has a rule about suite-door locks. None of this is an obstacle; it is the part of the job that protects the home being worked on.

  2. Scene 2

    Taking the cylinder out of the lock

    Each type of lock releases its cylinder in its own way, and the locksmith works door by door, finishing one before opening the next, so every entry stays lockable throughout. On a knob or lever set, the handle comes off after a retaining clip or set screw is released, and the cylinder slides out of the handle. On a deadbolt, the interior thumb-turn and housing are removed and the cylinder is withdrawn from the outside body. On an older mortise lock, a small set screw on the door edge is backed out and the cylinder unthreads from the case. Nothing is pried or forced; the door and trim stay untouched throughout.

  3. Scene 3

    Handing keys out with a little method

    Rekeying gives you a clean start on who holds a key, and a few habits keep it clean. Give a key only to people who need one regularly, and know who they are. If a dog walker, a cleaner or a contractor needs access for a season, a lockbox with a code you can change afterwards is simpler than a key you have to ask for back. Tag spares with a colour or a number rather than the address. When a key does leave your control, a lost ring, a departing tenant, a relationship that has ended, that is the trigger to rekey again, and the next visit is simpler because the doors are already on one system.

In the van

  • Key gauge
  • Key blanks
  • Plug follower
  • Retaining clip tool
  • Dry graphite or PTFE lubricant

What shapes the quoteHumberlea Lock Experts

Condition of the existing cylinders
A clean cylinder is repinned as it is. One with collapsed springs, a plug packed with old oil or a worn housing needs service or replacement while it is apart, and that shows separately.
Travel to the property
Every visit includes the drive. A home across town and a rural property at the end of a long road involve different travel time, and the quote reflects the trip as well as the bench work.
Number of keys cut
Keys are cut and tested individually, so the total depends on how many the household or the tenants need. Say the number when you book and the quote reflects it from the start.

FeesSame any hour

Have it ready

Before you call · 0 / 3

(289) 804-5807

Things people wonder about

I am a landlord. Should I rekey between tenants?

Many landlords do, and it removes the question of whether every copy came back. The locksmith rekeys the unit's cylinders so the incoming tenant holds the only working keys, cuts the copies you want, and notes the count for your move-in record. Because provincial tenancy rules expect the tenant to be handed replacement keys whenever a landlord changes a lock, the visit ends with keys for both of you and a clear list of which doors were done.

My keys were lost with something showing my address. Is rekeying enough?

Rekeying is exactly the right response, because it makes the lost key useless at every door that was pinned. The locksmith will walk the property with you to be sure nothing is missed, including the garage side door, a shed and any padlock the same key opened, and will suggest changing any garage keypad code that was written on the same ring. After that, whoever finds the keys is holding brass that opens nothing on your property.

How long does a rekeying visit take?

It scales with the number of cylinders and how many need attention beyond pinning. A single deadbolt is a short bench job; a whole house with five or six exterior cylinders, a couple of swaps for mismatched keyways and a set of spares to cut and test takes a good deal longer. Tell the locksmith how many doors you want included when you book, and the visit can be planned realistically rather than guessed at.

Torontoinformation

TorontoOntario

Town
Toronto
In business
13 years
Hours
Open 24/7
Nights, weekends and holidays, same fees
Visits
On-site assessment preferred. Request a visit or call.

2021 census: what it means at the door

Every square is one home in a hundred.

  • 58 in 100 homes · older homes
  • About 58% of homes in Toronto were built in 1980 or earlier, according to the 2021 Census.Where most homes were built decades ago, doors often still carry their original mortise locks and brass knobs. That hardware can usually be cleaned, re-sprung and kept in service, with a modern deadbolt added above it for strength without losing the look.
  • Single-detached houses make up about 23% of homes in Toronto (2021 Census).In a building, a lockout happens in a hallway rather than a porch, and the neighbours notice. A locksmith confirms you belong to the suite, opens the door with the least fuss the lock allows, and leaves the door and cylinder intact for the night.

Source: Statistics Canada, Census Profile

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On-site assessment

Request a visit.

Three months of renovation are finally done.

(289) 804-5807, open 24/7.