Having your locks replaced from time to time is an easily overlooked part of home maintenance. Old locks can break, become stiff, or even become obsolete. However, changing the entire lock isn’t always necessary. If it hasn’t been too long since your locks were changed, you may be able to get by with having your existing locks re-keyed. Re-keying provides you with new keys, but it is cheaper and quicker than completely replacing your locks. When locks are re-keyed, only the section of the lock that accepts the key is replaced. You pay less, but still get the peace of mind that comes with knowing that any spare keys that are floating around out there will no longer open your door. Here are some times when re-keying is a good alternative to replacing your locks.

Moving Day

Landlords often reuse the same keys for one tenant after another, and it is impossible to know how many spare copies have been made or who ended up with them. Even if your home is newly built, subcontractors, plumbers, HVAC personnel and even the salesperson may have all had ample chances to make their own copies of your keys. Even expensive hardware can be economically re-keyed.

Breakups

Even the most reasonable people can behave badly during a breakup, and it’s a good idea to re-key your doors as soon as possible after a separation. Arguments over belongings, pets, or even children can make an ex-partner feel fully entitled to enter your home without your permission. Re-keying your locks removes that temptation.

Roommates

You may be certain your old roommate will never use that old key again, but do you feel the same level of trust for the roommate’s ex? Keys end up in all sorts of odd places, and new roommates deserve new keys.

Lost Keys

It only takes a few minutes to have a key copied. Even if your keys were only out of your hands long enough for the store or restaurant to call you to come pick them up, an unscrupulous person may have had a copy made. Having your locks re-keyed is an inexpensive way to remove that nagging seed of doubt and keep your home secure.

Latchkey Kids

If your teens carry keys, it’s a good idea to have your locks re-keyed regularly. Even responsible children can’t always keep their keys in sight. Additionally, kids often trust their friends completely, which is a feeling you might not share.

Emergency Keys

Most people have a number of house keys in the hands of neighbors, relatives, friends, babysitters, housekeepers, and many others. While you may have felt perfectly safe when you handed these keys out, circumstances change. Even if you could collect all of these stray keys, you can never be sure they weren’t copied. Avoid awkward moments and just have your locks re-keyed.

Break-ins

If a criminal has had access to your home, then he or she has had access to any spare keys you keep there. Even if the keys look untouched, they may have been copied. Re-keying is an easy, inexpensive way to restore your home’s security after a break-in.

Re-keying is a smart way to keep your home secure between routine lock changes. You can even have all of your home’s locks re-keyed alike so that one key will work for all of them.