Lock Rekeying in Athens, GA

Rekeying where most households rent

Rekeying changes the inside of a lock so the old keys stop working while the lock stays on the door. In Athens-Clarke County, renters head 60.6 percent of households by Census Bureau estimates for 2024, against 33.7 percent across Georgia, so a lease ending, a roommate leaving or a unit turning over is an everyday reason to rekey.

Who rekeys, and why

• New owners rekey because former owners, tenants and contractors may still hold copies.
• Landlords rekey between leases so the last tenant's keys no longer work.
• Tenants rekey after lost keys or when a roommate moves out, but the lease comes first.

What the state handbook says about locks and keys

The Department of Community Affairs' Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook, revised in August 2024, says leases typically require the landlord's permission to change locks. If the lease is silent, a tenant may change them but must give the landlord the new keys at move-out and follow any lease terms on access. Rekeying is a lock change, so read the lease and get any permission in writing.

Handing keys back early does not by itself end rent owed through the term unless the lease says otherwise. Under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-23, a tenant protected by a family violence or stalking order, or whose minor child is, may end the lease 30 days after written notice with a copy of the order (plus the police report for an ex parte temporary order). Neither the statute nor the handbook adds a separate right to change locks. This is general information, not legal advice.

Old doors and busy houses

On Milledge Avenue the county's guidelines describe the surviving original doors as mostly wood. Rekeying leaves the lock on its door, which suits a chapter house or converted office there, where keys change hands often.

What to include in a request

• The number of doors and locks to rekey.
• Whether you own or rent, and whether the landlord has approved in writing.
• How many keys you need, and whether several doors should share one key.
• The street or historic district, and whether the hardware is original.

A lock too worn to rekey may need lock replacement. The lock rekeying page covers the service, and the Athens page has more local notes.