Lock Rekeying in Boise, ID

Why Boise keys change hands

Rekeying swaps the pins inside a cylinder so old keys stop working and a new key takes over, while the lock, handle and door stay in place. It suits sound hardware with an unknown key history.

Census estimates put 38.1 percent of Boise households in rented homes, above Idaho's 28.3 percent and the national 34.7 percent, and each new tenancy adds people who have carried a key. Owned houses collect copies too, from earlier owners, contractors and house-sitters.

Rentals and Idaho's rules

• Idaho Code 6-320(a) lists the landlord failures a tenant can sue over, such as weather protection, plumbing and heating. Locks and keys are not on that list, so check the lease for who arranges rekeying between tenants.
• The Attorney General's Landlord and Tenant Manual (July 2026) has a move-in and move-out checklist with lines for door locks and knobs and for window latches and locks. Record each lock there and ask in writing whether it was rekeyed since the last occupant.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Rekeying in different parts of Boise

• Original South Boise. In this 33-block neighborhood beside Boise State University, a landlord can rekey between tenants. In a building with several units, each door can take its own key, with one master key that unlocks them all.
• Southwest Boise acreage. Neighborhoods built from the 1960s to the early 1980s include acre-sized plots with the occasional farmhouse and pasture. On those lots, include the shop, barn and gate locks so one key covers the whole property.
• After a purchase. Rekey every exterior door after closing, including the garage entry and any back door. In Meridian, where 75.1 percent of homes date from 2000 or later, keys may also have passed through builders and trades.

Before you request a rekey

Count the exterior locks, note the brand on each, say whether they should share one key, and mention any shared entry or outbuilding. If a cylinder is worn or damaged, lock replacement may suit it better. The Boise page has neighborhood notes.