Arizona Locksmith Services

Homes and doors across Arizona

Arizona's homes skew new. The Census Bureau's 2024 estimates show 39.7 percent built in 2000 or later (27.4 percent nationally), 27.9 percent built before 1980 (48.1 percent nationally) and 1.4 percent before 1940 (11.5 percent nationally). Mobile homes are 9.0 percent of Arizona homes (296,171), against 5.4 percent nationally.

When a home has had several owners or tenants, the number of keys still out there is anyone's guess. Rekeying the exterior locks means the older keys no longer open them.

How Arizona's climate affects locks and keys

NOAA's 2022 state summary says the southern deserts frequently see summer temperatures of 105°F to 115°F, calls Phoenix the hottest climate of any major U.S. city, and expects drought to make dust storms more frequent.

Heat and vehicles:

• The National Weather Service says a dark dashboard or seat can easily reach 180 to over 200°F, and heat illness in a parked vehicle can happen on a mild day in the 70s.
• Call 911 first if a child, pet or other person is inside a locked car. A.R.S. 12-558.02 says a person who uses reasonable force to enter a locked, unattended car to remove a minor or confined pet is not liable for civil damages if all of its conditions apply, including notifying a peace officer, first responder or animal control before entering.

Dust and hardware:

• Master Lock's care guide says dust settles on and in a padlock and can add friction. It calls for cleaning and lubricating every three to six months, or every three months in extremely dusty places, and never with dry graphite or silicone. For any other lock, follow its maker's instructions.
• Yale lists an outside temperature range of -22°F to 140°F for its Assure Lock 2 line, so compare a rating like that with a door's sun exposure before a smart lock installation.

Renting in Arizona: locks, keys and rekeying

About 32.2 percent of Arizona households rent, a little under the 34.7 percent national share. Section 33-1304 applies the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (A.R.S. Title 33, chapter 10) to the rental of dwelling units.

• Entry. Under 33-1343, a tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent to entry for inspections, repairs and showings, and a landlord must give at least two days' notice and enter at reasonable times, except in an emergency or when notice is impracticable.
• Taking possession. Section 33-1374 bars a landlord from taking possession by forcibly removing the tenant or belongings or willfully cutting off electric, gas, water or other essential service, except for abandonment, surrender or as the chapter allows. Section 33-1367 covers a tenant the landlord unlawfully removes or excludes: the tenant may regain possession or terminate the agreement and, either way, recover an amount capped at the higher of two months' periodic rent and double the actual damages.
• After domestic violence or sexual assault. Section 33-1318(E) allows a victim to require a new lock at the tenant's expense. The landlord can comply by rekeying a lock that is in good working condition, or by replacing the entire locking mechanism with one of equal or better quality.

Nothing else in the chapter mentions locks, so whether a tenant may change one, or a landlord will rekey between tenants, is a question for the lease; get the answer in writing before you sign. This is general information, not legal advice.

Housing in Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa and Chandler

The four cities hold 38.5 percent of Arizona's homes but only 22.3 percent of its mobile homes.

• Phoenix has 678,852 homes and the most renter households of the four, 267,479 (42.4 percent of households). Buildings of five or more units hold 26.9 percent of its homes; 40.0 percent predate 1980.
• Tucson has the oldest homes of the four: 4.2 percent from before 1940, 22.0 percent before 1960 and 51.7 percent before 1980. Renters are 47.6 percent of households.
• Mesa has the most mobile homes of the four, 29,335 or 13.1 percent of its homes, and 42.2 percent of homes there date from 1970 to 1989.
• Chandler is the newest: 44.5 percent built in 2000 or later and only 8.9 percent before 1980.

Arizona Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Arizona.

Before you book a locksmith in Arizona

Arizona's Consumer Fraud Act, A.R.S. 44-1522(A), declares unlawful any deceptive or unfair act, fraud, false pretense, false promise or misrepresentation, and any concealment or omission of a material fact meant to be relied on, in connection with selling or advertising merchandise, whether or not anyone was misled; section 44-1521 counts services as merchandise. Questions worth asking before work starts:

• The total. What does the price cover, and can it be written down before the job begins?
• The job. Is it a repair, a rekey or a full replacement? If a part must go, what is wrong with it?
• The paperwork. Keep the invoice, the estimate and any advertisement you relied on.

If a seller turns up uninvited and pitches lock work, A.R.S. 44-5002 lets the buyer cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after signing, and a clause waiving that right is void. Under 44-5001, the definition covers only a sale the seller personally solicits without prior invitation, appointment or consent, with the agreement made at a home.

The Arizona Attorney General's Office investigates complaints about deceptive or unfair practices in selling or advertising goods or services and, with your permission on its complaint form, can forward a complaint to the business.