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Locksmith services are always 10% off for seniors.
Open Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–9 PM, Fri 8:30 AM–4 PM, Sun 9:30 AM–9 PM
GTA Lockman Mobile Locksmith Services · Toronto & GTA
A simple list of every lock, key and code in the house, and when it shows you should rekey.
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Ask most households how many keys to the front door exist and who holds them, and the honest answer is a guess. There are the keys on everyone's ring, the spare in the kitchen drawer, the one the neighbour has, the one given to a cleaner three years ago, the copy a contractor had, the key a former roommate never returned. Each one is a way into the house.
A home key inventory is a simple written list of the locks in the house, the keys that open them and who holds them. It takes half an hour to make, and it changes how well you can answer the question that matters after a lost key, a break-in or a household change: who can get in?
Every lock that takes a key:
For each lock:
Making the list usually turns up surprises:
Each gap is a decision: collect the key, rekey the lock, or accept the risk knowingly.
The inventory tells you when rekeying makes sense:
Rekeying resets the count: old keys stop working, and you start a fresh list with a known number of keys.
Cleaners, caregivers, dog walkers and contractors often need access. The inventory makes it easy to track who has what and to collect keys when an arrangement ends. A key safe, a keypad code that can be deleted, or a restricted key that cannot be copied freely are alternatives to handing out copies, as with keys for cleaners and caregivers.
Decide how many spares you need and where they live: one hidden safely or with a trusted neighbour, one with a family member. Avoid hiding a key outside where it can be found. The question of how many spares and where to keep them follows the guidance for spare keys.
Include keypad and smart lock codes in the inventory: who has a code, when it was set, and whether it is temporary. Delete codes when people no longer need them. For smart locks, review the user list in the app.
The inventory is useful to a burglar as well as to you, so:
Update the inventory whenever a key changes hands, a lock is rekeyed, or a code is added or removed. A yearly review, perhaps alongside an annual door and lock maintenance check, keeps it accurate.
Landlords and small businesses benefit even more. A landlord with several units needs to know which keys exist for each unit and rekey between tenancies. A small business needs to know which staff hold which keys and collect them when people leave. Larger organisations use a key cabinet and sign-out register, as with key cabinets and managing many keys.
A notebook or a spreadsheet works. Columns for:
That is all it takes.
Car keys, garage door remotes and building fobs belong in the inventory too, because they often travel with house keys and open other things. Note how many car keys and fobs exist, how many garage remotes are programmed, and which building fobs you hold. A lost key ring may contain all of them, and knowing what was on it speeds up the response.
Many households give a spare key to a neighbour or relative. That is sensible, but it is easy to forget, especially when neighbours move or relationships change. Recording who has a spare, and asking for it back when circumstances change, keeps the inventory honest.
When a household changes through separation or a death, keys are often in many hands. The inventory helps decide which locks to rekey and when. In those situations, the practical steps follow those for lock changes after separation and locks after a death in the family.
When you sell or move out, use the inventory to gather every key, fob, remote and code to hand over or delete. Handing over a complete set, and telling the buyer or landlord how many keys exist, makes the transition cleaner for everyone.
Some households keep the inventory in a password-protected document or a notes app. That is convenient, but keep it private, avoid putting the address next to key codes, and make sure someone else in the household knows where it is.
For an older relative living alone, a key inventory is particularly valuable. Family members, caregivers and neighbours often hold keys, and when care arrangements change, those keys need to be collected or the locks rekeyed. A key safe for caregivers, with a code that can be changed, often replaces several copied keys, as with a key safe for home care visits.
As children get their own keys, add them to the inventory: which key, when it was given, and whether it is on a lanyard, in a bag or with a keyring that shows nothing about the address. If a child loses a key, the inventory shows which locks are affected. Keypad codes are an alternative for younger children, as with children coming home alone.
Cottages, rental properties and second homes have their own keys, often held by neighbours, cleaners and property managers. A separate inventory for each property keeps things clear, especially when several people visit or maintain the property over the year.
Renovations bring contractors, trades and sometimes temporary locks. When the work is done, update the inventory: collect keys, delete codes and, where keys were handed out widely, rekey. The process is the same as for contractor access during a renovation.
Going through the inventory with everyone in the household once a year is a good way to catch forgotten spares, keys held by people who no longer need them, and codes that should have been deleted. It takes a few minutes and often turns up something worth fixing.
In apartments and condos, the inventory includes the suite key, the building entrance fob or key, the mailbox key, storage locker and bike room keys, and parking access. Building fobs are managed by the building, so note how many you have and report any lost fob professionally so it can be deactivated, as with a lost condo fob or building key.
Alarm codes and safe combinations are not keys, but they control access in the same way. Note who knows the alarm code and when it was last changed, and keep safe combinations in a secure place separate from the inventory itself.
The easiest way to start is to empty every key ring and drawer onto a table, match each key to a lock, and note anything that does not match. Unknown keys often turn out to belong to locks long since replaced, and can be discarded once confirmed.
If the inventory shows keys you cannot account for, a rekey is the clean way to start again. Rekeying keeps the existing locks, changes the key, and lets you cut exactly the number of keys you want, recording each one as it is handed out.
Most households have a few keys nobody can place. Before throwing them away, try them in every lock on the list, including padlocks, cabinets and the mailbox. Any that open nothing can be discarded; any that do open something should be added to the inventory.
If making the inventory shows more keys out than you can account for, the simplest fix is a rekey. Tell us which locks are involved, whether you want them on one key, and how many keys you need.
We can rekey every lock on the list to a fresh key, set up restricted keys that cannot be copied freely, fit key safes or keypads for helpers, and cut the exact number of keys you want. Household work is part of our residential locksmith services.
Keep reading
A written list of every lock in the house, the keys that open it, how many copies exist and who holds them.
A written list of every lock in the house, the keys that open it, how many copies exist and who holds them.
It tells you who can get in. After a lost key, a break-in or a household change, it shows which locks are affected and whether rekeying is needed.
Every exterior door, the garage and garage side door, the mailbox, sheds and gates, window locks with keys, storage rooms, cabinets, safes, and any keypad or smart lock codes.
After moving in, when a key is lost or stolen, when someone with a key leaves, or when more keys are out than you can account for.
A key safe, a keypad code that can be deleted, or a restricted key that cannot be copied freely all work.
Somewhere private, not on display. Store key codes separately from the keys and keep a copy with your important papers.
Whenever a key changes hands, a lock is rekeyed or a code changes, plus a yearly review.
Yes. Landlords should track keys for each unit and rekey between tenancies so each tenant starts with a known number of keys.
GTA Lockman Mobile Locksmith Services is a mobile locksmith working on homes, businesses and vehicles across Toronto and the GTA, with more than 14 years in the trade. Every review is written by a customer on Google, where you can read them in full.
Areas served: Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Stouffville, Newmarket, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Uxbridge.
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