Closing day is the easy part. The part most new homeowners skip is the one that actually matters for your safety: you have no idea how many keys to your new front door are floating around out there.
The previous owner has a set. So does whoever watered their plants when they traveled. So might a old roommate, a contractor who never returned a spare, or a real estate agent who held onto a lockbox key. None of that is anyone’s fault, it’s just how keys work. The fix isn’t complicated.
Rekey, don’t necessarily replace
People often assume they need brand-new locks after buying a house. Most of the time you don’t. Rekeying means a licensed locksmith opens the existing lock cylinder and resets the internal pins so your old keys (and every copy anyone else has) stop working, while a fresh set of keys is cut for you. The hardware on your door stays exactly the same, only what opens it changes. It’s faster and less expensive than swapping out the locks entirely, and it works on deadbolts, knob locks, and most lever locks.
Full replacement makes more sense when the existing hardware is old, damaged, doesn’t match your other doors, or you’re upgrading to a smart lock or a higher security cylinder. A tech can tell you which situation you’re in during the same visit.
What to have rekeyed, not just the front door
- Front and back entry doors
- Side/garage entry doors
- Any exterior storage, shed, or gate locks that came with the property
- Mailbox lock, if it uses a physical key
- Garage keypad or remote codes, not a locksmith job, but reset these yourself the same week
When to do it
Ideally before you move furniture in, or within the first few days at the latest. There’s no real downside to doing it same-day at closing, the house is empty, there’s nothing to work around, and you’re not living with an unknown number of keys out there for even one extra night.
What it actually costs
Rekeying is priced per lock, and most South Florida homes have somewhere between two and five exterior locks to cover. Combining every door into one visit is almost always cheaper than calling for each one separately. Current rekeying pricing is on our pricing pageno guessing required before we show up.
One thing worth checking before you call anyone
Ask whether the technician coming to your door is actually employed by the company you called, licensed, and insured, not a subcontractor dispatched through a call center in another state. It’s your new front door; it’s worth a 30-second question.
Family owned, based in South Florida, licensed and insured technicians only. If you just bought a place and want it handled before move-in day, call us at (954) 406-8266 or see what rekeying runs before you decide.
The Openings Buyers Forget About
The front door gets rekeyed. The back door usually does too. After that, many new homeowners stop, but a South Florida house often has more ways in than it first appears. Walk the property on closing day and look for every one of these.
Sliding glass doors
Almost every South Florida home has at least one slider to a patio, pool deck or lanai. Slider latches are usually operated from inside only, but they wear out, fall out of alignment when the rollers wear, and sometimes do not engage at all. Lock the slider, then try to lift the door and pull it from outside. If it moves or pops out of the latch, the latch or rollers need attention. A secondary lock, such as a foot bolt or a bar in the track, adds a real layer of protection.
French doors and double doors
If the home has a pair of doors to the patio or pool, check the inactive door. Its top and bottom bolts should hold it firmly in place. If they are loose or missing, the whole pair can be pushed open no matter how good the deadbolt on the active door is.
The door from the garage
This door leads straight into the living space, yet it often has only a basic knob lock. Rekey it with the rest of the house, and consider adding a deadbolt if it does not have one.
Side gates and pool fences
Gates to the side yard and pool area often have keyed latches or padlocks. Rekey or replace them. For pool gates, also check that they close and latch on their own, which matters for safety, especially if you have young children or visitors who do.
Sheds, workshops and utility closets
Detached sheds, pool equipment enclosures and exterior utility closets often have old padlocks or keyed knobs. Replace padlocks with ones you own the keys to, and rekey any keyed locks.
Hunting for Hidden Spare Keys
Previous owners often hide spare keys around the property and forget about them. Before you consider the house secure, check the usual places: under doormats, planters and decorative rocks, on top of door frames and light fixtures, inside electrical and meter boxes, behind shutters, in the garage near the door and in fake sprinkler heads. Anything you find should be assumed to be one of many copies. Rekeying makes all of them useless, but finding them also tells you how casually keys were handled before you arrived.
Realtor Lockboxes and Owner Lockboxes
During the sale, the listing agent probably used a lockbox, which should be removed by the agent at or after closing. Owners sometimes install their own combination lockboxes for cleaners, pet sitters or rental guests. If you find one still mounted on a door handle, fence or wall, remove it or change its code, and remember that everyone who knew the old code could get to whatever key was inside.
Garage Doors, Remotes and Keypads
Garage door openers deserve their own step. The previous owner may still have remotes in a car, and service providers may have the keypad code. Most openers have a learn button on the motor unit that can be used to clear all stored remotes, after which you reprogram only the remotes you have. The exterior keypad code can also be changed. If your car has built-in garage door buttons, program them after the reset. Check your opener’s manual for the exact steps, since they vary by brand.
While you are in the garage, check the manual release. If the garage door can be opened from outside by fishing the release cord through the top of the door, a simple shield or zip tie on the release reduces that risk.
Smart Locks, Cameras and Connected Devices
Many South Florida homes now come with smart locks, video doorbells, cameras, thermostats and alarm panels. Each one can still be connected to the previous owner’s account. Ask the seller to remove the devices from their accounts before closing, then do the following:
- Factory reset each smart lock and set it up under your own account.
- Delete all existing user codes on keypad locks and create new ones.
- Rekey the mechanical backup cylinder in any smart lock so it matches your other locks.
- Transfer or set up new accounts for doorbells and cameras, and remove any shared users.
- Change the alarm system’s master code and user codes, and contact the monitoring company about the account.
- Change the Wi-Fi network name and password, since connected devices may still be joined to the old network.
Condos and HOA Communities
Buying into a condo or HOA community adds some shared-access items to the checklist:
- Gate codes and fobs: ask the association to deactivate the previous owner’s credentials and issue yours.
- Amenity keys: pool, gym and clubhouse access may be on keys or fobs managed by the association.
- Mailbox: depending on the community, the mailbox lock is managed by the association, the building or the post office. Ask who handles it and request a lock change.
- Unit door rules: some condo associations keep a key to each unit for emergencies and may require you to provide a copy after rekeying. Unit entry doors in many buildings are fire-rated, so replacement locks may need to meet the building’s requirements.
- Storage units and parking cages: if your unit comes with storage, rekey or replace that lock too.
Special Situations for South Florida Buyers
Former rental properties
If the home was a rental, assume that many tenants, property managers and maintenance workers had keys over the years. Rekeying every exterior lock is essential, and checking for any keypad codes left behind is just as important.
Foreclosures and bank-owned homes
Bank-owned homes often have locks that were changed by property preservation contractors during the foreclosure process. Those locks may use keys shared across many properties and carried by many contractors. Rekeying or replacing them should be one of the first things done after closing.
Estate sales
In homes sold by an estate, keys may have been given to relatives, caregivers, cleaners and neighbors over many years. Nobody may know how many copies exist. Treat it the same as any other purchase and rekey everything.
New construction
Even a brand-new home has had many hands on it. Builders, subcontractors, inspectors and sales staff may all have had keys during construction. Some builders use construction keying that disables the builder’s keys once the homeowner’s key is first used, but not all do. Ask your builder how the locks were keyed, and if there is any doubt, rekey.
Seasonal homes
If you are buying a second home that will sit empty part of the year, think about who needs access while you are away, such as a property manager, pool service or a neighbor checking on the house. A keypad lock with individual codes, or a small number of carefully tracked keys, is easier to manage than handing out copies.
Hurricane Season and Your New Home’s Locks
If you close during or just before hurricane season, add storm-related items to your list. Find out how the shutters or panels are installed and whether any of them lock with padlocks or keyed hardware you do not have keys for. Check that every exterior door locks smoothly, because swelling from humidity and heavy rain can make a marginal lock fail right when you need it. Impact doors with multipoint locks should engage all their bolts easily; if they do not, have them adjusted before a storm, not during one.
A Move-In Day Plan
Doing everything at once is easier than spreading it over weeks. A simple plan for the first day or two:
- Schedule the locksmith for closing day or the day after, before furniture arrives if possible.
- Walk the property together and list every lock you want included.
- Decide whether you want all exterior doors on one key.
- Reset the garage opener and change the keypad code.
- Reset smart devices and change alarm codes.
- Contact the HOA or condo association about gate and amenity credentials.
- Decide how many keys to cut and who gets them.
Windows Count Too
Locks on doors get most of the attention, but windows are part of the same picture. Walk through every room and check that each window latch closes fully and holds the sash tight. Older single-hung and horizontal sliding windows common in South Florida homes can have latches that are broken, painted over or missing entirely. Ground-floor windows facing side yards and back yards, out of view from the street, matter most. Impact windows usually have sturdy latches, but they still need to be locked to do their job, and some have secondary locks that previous owners never used.
If the home has jalousie windows, which are still found in some older South Florida houses and Florida rooms, be aware that their glass slats can often be removed from outside. Many owners replace them over time or add security measures on those rooms. At a minimum, know where they are and do not treat them as a locked opening.
Deciding Between One Key and Several
When you rekey, you get to decide how your keys are organized. Most homeowners want one key for every exterior door, and that is usually the best choice for a family. There are cases, though, where different keys make sense. If you plan to give a key to a pool service, dog walker or house cleaner, you might want the side gate or garage entry on a different key than the front door, so that key does not open the whole house. If you rent out a guest suite or in-law unit, that entrance should have its own key. A locksmith can set up a simple arrangement where your own key opens everything while service providers only get the key they need.
Budgeting Your Move-In Security
New homeowners have a long list of expenses, and it is tempting to put locks off. A sensible way to prioritize: rekey all exterior locks first, since that is what removes unknown keys from circulation. Then fix anything that does not lock properly, such as a slider latch that does not catch or a deadbolt that will not fully extend. Upgrades such as smart locks, higher-grade deadbolts or reinforced strikes can follow as your budget allows. The first two steps are the ones that close real gaps on the day you move in.
Check the Strike Plates While You Are at It
Rekeying changes who can open the lock, but it does nothing for how well the door resists being kicked. In many homes, the deadbolt strike plate on the frame is held by short screws that only reach the thin door jamb. Replacing those screws with longer ones that reach the framing behind the jamb, or installing a reinforced strike, is a small job that makes the door much harder to force. Since the locksmith is already at each door, it is an easy moment to ask about it.
Also look at how the deadbolt feels when you lock it. The bolt should slide fully into the frame without you having to push or pull the door. If it catches, the strike is out of line, and a bolt that does not fully extend offers far less protection. Humidity, settling and years of door use all cause this, and it is usually fixed by adjusting the strike rather than replacing the lock.
Tell Your Insurance Agent About Changes
Some homeowners insurance carriers ask about security features such as deadbolts, alarm systems and monitored cameras. If you upgrade locks or add an alarm after moving in, it is worth letting your agent know and asking whether it affects your policy. The answer varies by carrier, so ask rather than assume.
What the Locksmith Needs From You
To make the visit efficient, have the keys the seller left you, even if you are not sure what they open, and a way to show that you own the home, such as your closing documents or deed. If some locks have no keys at all, mention it when you schedule, since those cylinders will need to be opened before they can be rekeyed. Clear access to each door and gate, and let the technician know about any locks in unusual places, like a detached garage or a locked electrical enclosure.
Keeping Track of Your New Keys
After the rekey, you are starting fresh, so start a simple key record. Write down how many keys were cut, who has each one, and where the spare is kept. When you give a key to a housekeeper, dog walker or contractor, note it. When they no longer need it, collect it or plan to rekey. This small habit means that the next time you wonder who can get into your home, you will know the answer.
Where We Help New Homeowners
We rekey homes for new owners throughout Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Weston, Davie, Plantation, Coral Springs, Parkland, Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. We also serve Boca Raton and Delray Beach to the north and Aventura, North Miami, Miami, Coral Gables and Coconut Grove to the south. Tell us how many doors, gates and extra locks the property has, and we will plan the visit around your closing and move-in schedule.