Houses with a long history of keys

Census Bureau estimates for 2024 put 317,400 Phoenix homes, 46.8 percent of the total, in the three decades from 1970 through 1999. A home from that stretch may have had several occupants, plus contractors, sitters and neighbors who once held a copy, and nobody can say how many keys exist. Rekeying answers that question while the hardware stays on the door. The lock is re-set so that every earlier key stops working, and a new key operates the same locks on the same doors.

That also means the door looks the same afterward. One new key can be cut for several doors at once, so the front, back and garage entry can share it.

Owners and renters

The same estimates count 363,791 owner-occupied homes and 267,479 renter households. For owners, the usual moments are a purchase, a lost key, or a roommate, former spouse or contractor who no longer has access.

For renters, A.R.S. 33-1324 lists what a landlord must do: comply with building codes that affect health and safety, make repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable, keep common areas clean and safe, maintain the electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling systems, provide waste receptacles and supply running water. As read for this page, the section never uses the words lock, key or rekey. Whether a landlord rekeys between tenants, or lets a tenant change a lock, is therefore worth asking about in writing before you sign.

The city's Human Services Department offers no-cost one-on-one counseling on the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, with forms in English and Spanish. It is educational and does not include legal advice or representation. None of this replaces advice from a lawyer.

Rekey or replace?

Rekeying works when the lock still operates smoothly and only the key list needs to change. A lock that is loose, worn or forced needs lock replacement instead.

What to send

how many locks: exterior doors, the garage entry, a gate or a padlock
the brand on the latch edge or lock face, if you can read it
whether you want one key for several doors
why: a move-in, a lost key, or a person whose access should end
whether the home is owned or rented

For the city as a whole, see Phoenix.

At the door

What lock rekeying covers

Changing the pins inside your existing locks so old keys stop working, without replacing the hardware.

An inspection of each lock to confirm it can be rekeyed
Re-pinning each cylinder to work with a new key
New keys cut for the rekeyed locks

ID and proof you may access the property are checked before any work.

Lock Rekeying in Arizona

Sources

Public records and references this page draws on. They are outside USA Locksmith Pros and open in a new tab.

Lock Rekeying in Phoenix, AZ