Lock Rekeying in Orlando, FL

Why Orlando households rekey

Orlando is a renters' city. The Census Bureau's 2024 estimates count 62.8 percent of occupied homes as rented, well above the statewide share of about 32 percent. A move-out can leave keys with former tenants, roommates, movers and cleaners, and the next tenant has no way to count the copies.

Owners ask the same question. Even a house only a few years old may have passed through agents, contractors and an earlier owner, each holding a key. Rekeying resets the pins inside the existing cylinder so the old keys stop working, while the lockset stays on the door. A worn or damaged lock is a case for lock replacement instead.

Leases, key logs and home sharing

• Tenants. Before rekeying a rented home, check the lease for a clause on changing locks, and get the landlord's approval in writing if the lease calls for it.
• Apartment buildings. Section 509.211(5), Florida Statutes, requires apartment buildings regulated under Chapter 509 to log the issuance and return of every key for each unit and to set policies for storing unissued keys. After a turnover rekey, ask management how the new keys are entered in that log.
• Home sharing hosts. Under Orlando's home sharing rules, Chapter 58, Part 5B(19) of the city code, the resident lives on site and is present while guests stay, for stays of under 30 days and one booking at a time. A guest who leaves without returning a door key is a reason to rekey the entry lock. Renting out a whole property is a separate category, a Commercial Dwelling Unit, which the city limits to certain zoning districts and ties to a Business Tax Receipt.

This is general information, not legal advice.

What to include in a rekey request

• How many locks, which doors, and whether they should all work on one key.
• The brand on the lock face or key head, if you can see it; locks of different brands may not share a key.
• Whether you own or rent, and for a rental, whether the landlord has signed off.
• The neighborhood or cross streets, plus the building and unit number for an apartment.

The lock rekeying page covers the service, and the Orlando page has the neighborhoods and rules referred to above.