Florida Locksmith Services

Homes and doors across Florida

Florida's housing is young. Census Bureau estimates for 2024 put 68.0 percent of homes in buildings from 1980 or later, against 51.9 percent nationally, and just 1.8 percent before 1940. Older stock clusters in Miami and Tampa, where 28.5 and 24.6 percent of homes predate 1960. Orlando leans new, with 43.3 percent built since 2000.

In Miami, 43.5 percent of homes sit in buildings of 50 or more units and only 21.5 percent are detached houses; in Jacksonville, 58.7 percent are detached houses. Mobile homes make up 7.8 percent of Florida housing, against 5.4 percent nationally.

What that means for locks:

• Tower living. In a large Miami condo or apartment building, the lobby, garage and elevator may run on fobs the association or management controls; your unit door may be the only lock you manage.
• Manufactured homes. Mobile home doors do not always take the same locksets as site-built houses, so measure the existing lock first.

How Florida's climate affects locks and keys

NOAA's state climate summary calls Florida the most humid state in the nation, with average annual precipitation of 53.7 inches over 1895 to 2020 and hurricane-force winds reaching the state an average of three times every five years. It projects the summer heat index to rise 8 to 15°F, the largest increase in the nation.

Practical upkeep:

• Humidity and, near the coast, salt spray can corrode exposed lock hardware. For a stiff cylinder, use the lubricant the lock's maker recommends rather than household oil, which collects grit.
• A deadbolt that starts binding after heavy rain can point to a swollen door or a shifted strike plate rather than a failing lock.
• Before a storm, pack spare house and car keys with your evacuation kit. Have any lock that sat in floodwater checked for corrosion; lock repair or lock replacement may follow.
• Keep spare key fobs indoors rather than in a parked car, where cabin heat builds and a spare invites theft.

Renting in Florida: locks, keys and rekeying

About 32 percent of occupied Florida homes are rented. Renters are the majority in Miami (67.3 percent) and Orlando (62.8 percent), and in Tampa the split is about even.

Part II of Chapter 83, Florida Statutes, governs residential tenancies. On locks:

• Locks as a landlord duty. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, section 83.51(2)(a) requires the landlord of a unit other than a single-family home or duplex to make reasonable provisions for locks and keys. That paragraph does not cover a rented house or duplex, so check the lease there.
• Entry. Under section 83.53, a tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent for the landlord to enter, and reasonable notice for repairs is at least 24 hours, with repair visits between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Before you rekey, check the lease for a clause on changing locks.
• No lockouts. Section 83.67(2) bars a landlord from preventing a tenant's reasonable access by changing the locks or using a bootlock or similar device, and section 83.67(5) bars removing outside doors or locks except for maintenance, repair or replacement. Under section 83.67(6), a violating landlord is liable for actual and consequential damages or three months' rent, whichever is greater, plus costs, including attorney's fees.
• Apartment key logs. Section 509.211(5) requires apartment buildings regulated under Chapter 509 as transient or nontransient apartments to log the issuance and return of all keys for each unit, set policies for storing and accessing unissued keys, and have employees background-screened under section 83.515. At move-in, ask how keys to your unit are tracked.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Where we take requests in Florida

Our city pages cover Jacksonville in northeast Florida, Orlando in Central Florida, Tampa on the Gulf coast and Miami in South Florida. Florida Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Florida.

• Jacksonville
• Miami
• Tampa
• Orlando

Elsewhere in Florida, use the request form and include the ZIP code where you need service.

Before you book a locksmith in Florida

After the Governor declares a state of emergency, section 501.160(2) makes it unlawful to sell an essential commodity, which can include services needed as a direct result of the emergency, at an unconscionable price within the declared area. Under section 501.160(1)(b), a price that grossly exceeds the trade-area average of the 30 days before the declaration is prima facie evidence of an unconscionable price, unless added costs or regional, national or international market trends explain it.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services takes complaints about businesses through its online Consumer Complaint Portal and says it can help whether or not it regulates the industry.

A few checks:

1. Get the full price in writing before work starts and keep the invoice, especially after a storm.
2. Have photo ID ready, plus proof of address, such as a lease or utility bill, or the vehicle registration.
3. In a condo tower or apartment, confirm with the association or landlord which locks are yours to change.