Lock Rekeying in Jacksonville, FL

Why Jacksonville houses get rekeyed

Jacksonville leans toward houses: Census Bureau estimates for 2024 put 58.7 percent of its homes in detached single-family buildings, and about 32 percent of occupied homes across Florida are rented. A sale or a new tenancy can leave old keys with former owners, tenants, agents, cleaners and contractors.

A rekey re-pins the lock cylinder so a new key works and every old key stops, while the deadbolt, knob and trim stay on the door. Most house doors carry a keyed knob or lever plus a deadbolt, and rekeying can bring both onto one key. A loose, cracked or hard-turning lock needs lock replacement instead.

Florida rules that touch rekeying

• Locks and keys. Under section 83.51(2)(a), Florida Statutes, a landlord must make reasonable provisions for locks and keys unless the parties agree otherwise in writing, but that paragraph does not reach a single-family home or duplex. For a rented Jacksonville house, the lease is the place to look.
• Landlord entry. Section 83.53 says a tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent for the landlord to enter. Before you rekey a rental, check the lease for a lock-change clause.
• No lockouts. Section 83.67(2) bars a landlord from blocking a tenant's reasonable access by changing the locks or using a bootlock.
• Apartment key logs. Section 509.211(5) requires apartment buildings regulated under Chapter 509 to log each unit key issued and returned.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Springfield doors

In Springfield, a locally designated historic district, an exterior door change can need city approval; the city's historic preservation rules are in Chapter 307 of its Ordinance Code, and lock replacement covers the approval steps. A rekey happens inside the cylinder, so an original door and its visible hardware stay as they were while the old keys stop working.

Details for a rekey request

• The count of exterior doors, plus any gate, shed or garage entry.
• Whether one key should open everything; locks of different brands may not accept the same key.
• Whether you own the house or rent it, and the landlord's sign-off for a rental.

The service itself is on the lock rekeying page; for the wider city picture, use the Jacksonville page.