Do You Need to Rekey?

Good locks are one of the best lines of defense when you’re trying to keep intruders out of your home or business, but even the best lock in the world is useless if the intruder has the key. You might be wondering if it’s really necessary to rekey your locks—is it actually keeping you safe, or are you just feeling paranoid? There are a few situations where you don’t need to worry, and many more where it’s best to rekey.

Who Can Get in?

Simply put, you should rekey whenever you believe that a person you want to keep out has had access to a key. This situation can occur more often than you might think. For example, a business might have given their employees office keys. But if an employee becomes disgruntled, is caught stealing, or gets let go, they may want to exact revenge, and if the locks haven’t been changed they’ll have the means to do it. The same is true if a key becomes lost or stolen—who knows who has it now?

Is Your House Safe?

Homeowners should also be wary. An ex-spouse, old babysitter, maintenance worker, maid, or real estate agent might have access to your home if you ever gave them a key. If it’s been an especially long time since the locks have been changed, then a former owner of the home might still be able to get in. If you’re a landlord, you should have the locks changed after every tenant.

Has the Key Been Copied?

Even if you think you’ve collected all the keys you ever gave out, you can still be in trouble. Duplicating a key is fairly simple and can be done at most hardware stores or locksmith’s shops. If somebody intending to harm you has gotten a key, they can easily make themselves a copy, return the original, and then drop by when you’re least expecting it. 

Are You Worried?

Rekeying the door may not be necessary in every case, however. If you have never given out your key or rekeyed fairly recently, you probably do not need to do it again. The decision to rekey also depends on how much you trust the person you’ve given a key to. Are you worried that your favorite sister is going to break into your home? If not, don’t worry about rekeying.

How Old is the Lock?

Sometimes, rekeying isn’t a good idea simply because the lock needs to be replaced. Rearranging the lock pins won’t help you much if the lock is broken, old, or finicky. In addition, if you need a higher level of security, get a better lock instead of just rekeying an old one.

Rekeying isn’t always the answer, but in many cases it’s a good idea. If you do need to rekey, we can help you here at RBM Lock & Key.