1. Rekey every keyed door
Not just the front door — back, side, garage entry, and any keyed gate or storage lock. The outgoing tenant’s copies, and every copy they ever lent, stop working at once. If the property is new to you, treat the first turnover as a full reset regardless of what you were told about the keys.
Consider keying all units’ doors alike per unit (one key per home) while keeping units different from each other. For multi-unit buildings, a master system gives you building access without tenant keys opening each other’s doors.
2. Test like a tenant, fix like an owner
Work every lock with its key from both sides. Check the slider (see sliding door locks), the deadbolt throws, and the doors that ‘need a lift’ — those are alignment repairs now or lock failures mid-lease. Note mailbox and laundry keys, and any community or pool keys you issue.
Turnover is also the moment to decide on a keypad for the front door: no physical keys to chase at the next turnover, and cleaner access by code. See codes for guests and cleaners.
3. Document the key set
Write down: how many keys exist, who holds each, and the date of the reset. Hand over a counted set, get signatures if your lease calls for it, and keep one labeled spare somewhere that isn’t the unit. When the next turnover comes, the routine repeats in minutes — the business version of this discipline is key control.
How this article connects
- ✓Rekey Locks — the service page
- ✓Rekey Before You Move In
- ✓Master Key Systems
- ✓Business Rekeying & Key Control
Locks change, lock rekey, lock replaced — which job is yours?
A locks change and a lock rekey are the same routine with different words: the hardware stays, every old key stops working. A lock replaced is the other side of the decision — new hardware when the lock itself is worn, damaged, or due an upgrade. Our rekey vs. replace guide walks the choice door by door.