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GTA Lockman Mobile Locksmith Services · Toronto & GTA
Replace the previous tenant's key arrangement with one your business controls, following the lease and building rules.
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Review what the departing employee could open, then rekey the affected cylinders and issue new keys with a record.
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When a business moves into a new office or retail unit, the locks usually stay behind from the previous tenant. So do an unknown number of keys. Former staff, cleaners, contractors, the previous tenant's landlord contact and perhaps a property manager may all have held copies. Until the locks are changed or rekeyed, the business cannot say who else can open its doors.
A lock change at move-in establishes a known starting point. The business decides which doors need attention, who will hold the new keys and how the arrangement should work day to day. That is easier to organize before staff and equipment arrive than after.
Commercial leases often say who may change locks, whether the landlord must approve the work and whether the landlord keeps a key. In multi-tenant buildings, the suite door may be part of the building's master-key system, and a cylinder outside that system can prevent building staff from reaching the unit for maintenance, fire inspections and safety checks.
Contact the landlord or property manager before booking. Ask whether you may rekey or replace the suite cylinder, whether the building's supplier must do the work, and what keys the building needs. Keep the answer in writing. A lock change that breaches the lease can cause problems long after move-in.
Walk the space and list every lockable opening: the main entrance, rear or service doors, internal office doors, storage rooms, server or records rooms, and any cabinets or mailboxes included with the unit. Note the hardware on each door. Storefront units often have narrow-stile locks in aluminium frames; office suites commonly use lever locks or mortise locks; rear doors may have heavy-duty deadbolts and exit devices.
Check each door's condition at the same time. Does it close and latch on its own? Does the key turn easily? Is the closer working? A move-in is a good time to correct problems left by the previous tenant, rather than discovering them at closing time. The page on a commercial door that will not lock at closing describes common faults.
Where the existing locks are in good condition and suit the business, rekeying is often enough. It changes the key without changing the hardware. Replacement is worth considering when the hardware is worn, damaged or wrong for the way the business will use the door. A clinic may need a different lock function on a records room than the previous occupant used. A retailer may want a deadlock that cannot be opened from the outside without a key.
The technician should explain the function of each lock and recommend changes only where they serve a clear purpose. The lock change page and commercial locksmith page cover the hardware options.
Decide who needs access to what. The owner or manager may need every door. Staff may need only the main entrance and their work areas. Cleaners may need specific rooms at specific times. A master-key system can organize this so each key opens only the doors that person needs, while managers hold a key that opens more.
For small offices, one key for the main doors and separate keys for sensitive rooms may be enough. Whatever the arrangement, keep a key register from the start: record each key, what it opens and who holds it. The page on rekeying after an employee leaves explains why that record matters later.
Many offices now combine mechanical locks with electronic access, such as keypads, card readers or smart locks. Existing electronic systems left by the previous tenant should be reset or reprogrammed so old codes and cards no longer work. If the building controls access at the lobby, register your staff with building management.
Mechanical keys still matter where electronic systems are used. Most electronic locks include a key override, and that cylinder should be included in the rekeying.
Doors on exit routes must allow people to leave without special knowledge or effort. When changing hardware on those doors, keep the exit function intact. A lock that requires a key to exit may be unsuitable for a door that serves as an exit route. The technician should flag any hardware that appears to conflict with safe exit, and the landlord or a fire-safety professional can confirm specific requirements.
Arrange the lock work before staff and equipment move in, or on the day the keys are handed over. Allow time for the landlord's approval and for ordering any hardware that is not in stock. Tell us the address, the number of doors, the hardware types and any building requirements when you call. Our posted hours appear below, and we do not promise a fixed arrival time.
Street-level units often have a glass storefront with a narrow-stile lock, sometimes supplemented by a rolling grille or security gate. Each of these may use its own key. Include the grille or gate lock in the survey, and confirm who controls it; in some plazas the landlord manages grilles and gates for several units.
Glass storefront doors frequently use cylinders specific to the door manufacturer. Replacement cylinders or rekeying parts may need to be ordered, so identify the hardware early. If the storefront lock is worn or the door sags on its pivots, correcting it at move-in avoids problems at the end of the first busy week.
Some businesses move into space shared with another company or subdivided within a larger suite. In those arrangements, agree who controls the main entrance, who holds keys to shared rooms and how private offices are secured. Put the arrangement in writing. A master-key system can give each business its own keys while allowing the landlord or a managing tenant access to common doors.
Units often come with mailboxes, storage cabinets, filing cabinets or lockers that the previous tenant used. Their keys are easy to overlook in a move. Ask the landlord whether mailbox keys are part of the handover, and include cabinets and lockers in the survey. Small locks can usually be rekeyed or replaced at the same visit as the doors, which avoids a second appointment later.
Moving is also a good time to check the locks on doors you do not plan to use regularly, such as a second entrance or an unused storage room. An overlooked door with an old cylinder still accepts the previous tenant's keys.
Keep the invoice, the key register and any approval from the landlord together. If the business moves again, expands into additional space or changes staff, that record makes the next change simpler to plan and shows the landlord exactly what was done to the unit's locks.
Keep reading
Often, yes. Many commercial leases require the landlord's consent for lock changes and require a key to be provided to the landlord. In multi-tenant buildings, the suite cylinder may belong to the building's master-key system, and only the building's supplier may be able to change it. Check the lease and contact the property manager before booking the work. Keep the approval in writing. Following the lease avoids having to reverse the work later and keeps building staff able to reach the unit when required.
Often, yes. Many commercial leases require the landlord's consent for lock changes and require a key to be provided to the landlord. In multi-tenant buildings, the suite cylinder may belong to the building's master-key system, and only the building's supplier may be able to change it. Check the lease and contact the property manager before booking the work. Keep the approval in writing. Following the lease avoids having to reverse the work later and keeps building staff able to reach the unit when required.
If the existing locks are in good condition and suit how you will use the space, rekeying is usually enough. It makes the previous tenant's keys useless while keeping the hardware. Replacement is worth considering when a lock is worn, damaged or has the wrong function for a particular door, or when you want a restricted keyway that controls who can copy keys. The technician should explain which option suits each door rather than recommending new hardware throughout by default.
Walk the space and list every lockable opening: entrances, rear doors, internal offices, storage and server rooms, and any cabinets or mailboxes that come with the unit. Include doors you do not expect to use, because an overlooked door with an old cylinder still accepts the previous tenant's keys. The technician can help identify cylinders and confirm which ones share a key. The survey is also a good time to note doors that do not close or latch properly.
Yes, with a master-key system. Each key is cut to open a defined set of cylinders, while managers hold a key that opens more. This suits offices with several rooms and different levels of access. Smaller offices may manage with one key for the main doors and separate keys for sensitive rooms. The right arrangement depends on the number of doors and people. The technician can explain what the existing cylinders support and what a new system would involve.
Reset or reprogram it so old codes and users are removed, following the manufacturer's instructions. If you do not have the administrator access needed, the manufacturer or installer may need to help. Most keypad locks also have a key override cylinder, and that cylinder should be rekeyed along with the mechanical locks. If the keypad no longer suits the business, the keypad lock page describes the options for replacing it with a supported model.
Changes to exit doors must keep their exit function. People inside must be able to leave without a key, special knowledge or undue effort. Replacing a lock with hardware that requires a key to exit can create a safety problem and may conflict with fire code. Exit devices and panic bars should be repaired or adjusted, not removed. The technician will flag hardware that appears unsuitable for an exit door, and the landlord or a fire-safety professional can confirm the requirements for your building.
Ideally before staff and equipment arrive, or on the day the keys are handed over. That closes the period when previous key holders could still enter. Allow time for landlord approval and for ordering any hardware not held in stock. If the move is phased, prioritize the entrances and any room that will hold equipment, stock or records. Tell us the move date when you call so the visit can be planned around it.
Only as many as the people who need them, plus a small number of spares kept securely. Every extra key is another one to track. Record each key in a register with the date and holder, and store spares in a locked cabinet or safe. If you use a restricted keyway, additional copies must be ordered through the authorized supplier, which helps keep the number of keys under the business's control.
Describe the door, hardware and service address. Contact GTA Lockman Mobile Locksmith Services to confirm the scope and scheduling for your location.
