Field notes · 2026-08-19 · 4 min
Rekey or replace? The 60-second answer
Most 'change the locks' calls don't need new locks. Here's how to know which one you need.
Rekey when the hardware is fine
Rekeying changes which key turns the lock, keeping everything you see on the door. New apartment, tenant turnover, lost keys, a contractor who never returned the set — all rekeys. It is faster and cheaper than replacement, and on older doors it avoids drilling new holes.
Replace when the mechanism is the problem
A lock that sticks, a bolt that never fully throws, a cylinder that spins loose — that is mechanical failure, and rekeying a failing lock just gives you a fresh key to a broken thing. Replace it, and match the finish so the door still reads right.
The one non-negotiable: after a purchase
When you buy, rekey everything on day one — including the locks the seller 'lost the keys to'. You have no idea how many copies exist. One visit, one new key, zero inherited access.
Written by President Locksmith & Security — a working locksmith dispatching from Park Slope, Brooklyn. Questions about your door? (646) 832-4007.