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GTA Lockman Mobile Locksmith Services · Toronto & GTA
Change which keys open your locks while keeping hardware that still works, for homes, rentals and businesses.
Related services
Rekeying answers who holds a key; replacement answers whether the hardware suits the door. Compare both.
Learn moreReview every door the missing keys operated, then rekey or replace the locks that no longer control access.
Learn moreReview every opening affected by the missing keys and establish a documented, authorized change to mechanical access.
Learn moreKeep suitable hardware while changing which keys operate your new home’s locks.
Learn moreReduce the keys you carry where cylinders and access requirements allow a suitable keyed-alike arrangement.
Learn moreReview what the departing employee could open, then rekey the affected cylinders and issue new keys with a record.
Learn more
Rekeying changes which key operates a lock. The technician removes the cylinder, takes out the small pins that match the current key, and replaces them with a new set that matches a new key. The old keys stop working the moment the cylinder goes back in. The lock body, the handle, the deadbolt and the holes in the door all stay exactly as they are.
That makes rekeying the right tool when the hardware is sound and the problem is who holds a key. It is quicker than replacing locks, it keeps the finish you already have, and there is nothing to drill or patch on the door.
Most residential and light commercial cylinders in the GTA are pin-tumbler cylinders, and nearly all of them can be rekeyed. The few exceptions are covered further down.
The reasons are almost always about keys that are out of your control rather than locks that have failed:
In each case the goal is the same: make every existing key useless, then issue a known number of new ones.
Rekeying is not always the answer. If a lock sticks, the bolt does not throw fully, the cylinder spins, the handle droops or the hardware was damaged in a break-in, a new key does not fix it. Those are repair or replacement jobs.
The question to ask is whether the lock is right for the door and still works properly. If yes, rekey. If no, replace the hardware that is wrong and rekey the rest to match. A full comparison is on rekey or replace: how to decide.
A common mixed job: rekey three sound locks, replace one worn deadbolt, and set all four to the same new key.
Standard pin-tumbler cylinders in knob locks, levers, deadbolts and handlesets can be rekeyed, and so can most mortise cylinders and the rim cylinders used on older doors and some commercial doors.
Some locks need a different approach:
Rekeying is also how mismatched locks end up on one key. Cylinders that share a keyway can be pinned to the same new key, so the front door, side door, garage entry and back door all open with one key. Locks on a different keyway may need a new cylinder to join the set.
The same work can go the other way. A household that wants a separate key for a basement suite or a storage room can keep those cylinders on their own key while the rest of the house shares one. The terms are explained on keyed alike or keyed different.
On a typical visit the technician checks each lock with the door open and closed, because a lock that binds only when the door is shut has an alignment problem that rekeying will not touch. Each cylinder is removed, re-pinned to the new key and reinstalled, and every lock is then tested with the new key from both sides of the door.
You are given the new keys, and the number of copies is recorded. If you want fewer copies circulating, say so before the keys are cut. Extra keys cost little to make and are hard to get back.
How pins and springs decide which key turns is explained on how a pin tumbler lock works.
Commercial rekeying follows the same principle with more doors and more people. Before the visit, list the doors, who should be able to open each one, and how many keys each person needs. That list becomes the key record for the property.
Landlords and property managers usually rekey between tenants, and after an eviction the locks are changed once the enforcement officer has given possession. See eviction day lock changes for landlords. For a multi-unit building, the suite cylinders, the common entrance and any mailbox or storage locks are often on different arrangements, so it helps to know which ones the tenant actually held.
Where several people need different levels of access, a master-keyed system may be a better fit than a pile of separate keys. That is covered on master key systems for buildings and businesses.
No two rekeying jobs are quite the same, so the price is confirmed once the locks are known. The main factors are:
Mailbox, cabinet and padlock locks are usually separate items, covered on specialty locksmith services. A condo or Canada Post mailbox is often controlled by the building or the post office, so check who is responsible before booking. See mailbox lockouts and broken keys.
A working key for each lock makes rekeying straightforward. Without one, the lock can still be opened and rekeyed, but it takes longer.
It also helps to know how many locks you want on the new key, whether any should stay on a separate key, and how many copies you need. If a smart lock is involved, have the app login or admin code available so the codes can be cleared at the same time.
For rented property, the person arranging the work needs to be entitled to do it. A tenant rekeying a unit, or a landlord rekeying an occupied one, should check the tenancy rules first. Ontario's rules are summarized on tenants and lock changes in Ontario.
Keep reading
Yes. Once the cylinder has been re-pinned, the old keys no longer line up with the pins and will not turn the lock. Only the new keys work.
Yes. Once the cylinder has been re-pinned, the old keys no longer line up with the pins and will not turn the lock. Only the new keys work.
Usually, because no new hardware is bought and the door is not altered. The cost depends on how many cylinders are involved and what type they are. Restricted and high-security cylinders cost more to rekey than standard ones.
Most pin-tumbler cylinders can. Keypad and smart locks can usually have their override cylinder rekeyed, while their codes are cleared separately. Worn cylinders or locks with no available parts are normally replaced instead.
Usually, if the cylinders share a keyway. Locks on a different keyway may need a new cylinder so they can join the same key.
A single lock is a short job. A house with several doors, or a business with many cylinders, takes longer, mainly because each lock is tested with the new key after it goes back in.
It helps. With a working key each cylinder comes out easily. Without one the lock can still be opened and rekeyed, but the work takes longer.
It is one of the most common reasons to rekey. You rarely know how many copies the previous owners, their family or their contractors still hold.
Only if the stiffness comes from worn pins. If the key turns easily with the door open but binds when it is closed, the strike or door alignment needs attention instead.
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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