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Residential · Kentucky Locksmith Pros

Lock Rekeying in Lexington, KY

Lock rekeying in Lexington, where 46.2 percent of homes are rented: after a move-out or closing, KRS 383.500 and 383.300 rental rules, and what to list.

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Smiling homeowner holds up two sets of new keys beside a locksmith in a wood-trimmed entry hallIllustrative image

Lexington notes

Updated 4 sources

Why rekeying comes up in Lexington

Lexington rents more than Kentucky as a whole. Census figures for 2020–2024 show 46.2 percent of the city's occupied homes rented, against 31.7 percent statewide. Each move-out can leave a unit key with a former tenant, a cleaner, a mover or a contractor.

Rekeying answers that without new hardware. The pins inside the existing cylinder are changed so old keys no longer turn it, while the lock body, trim and door stay put. It suits a sound lock with unknown keys in circulation; a worn or broken lock calls for lock replacement instead. Locks rekeyed together, such as the front, back and garage-entry doors, can be set to share one key.

After a closing, nobody can say how many keys the sellers, agents or contractors handed out, so a rekey is a sensible first step in a house you have just bought.

Rental rules that touch locks

KRS 383.500 lets cities, counties and urban-county governments adopt Kentucky's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. As of April 2025, Kentucky Justice Online listed 21 places that have done so, Lexington-Fayette County among them and Bowling Green and Owensboro not. Read the lease for any clause on changing locks before you book.

One rule reaches every rental in Kentucky. KRS 383.300 covers leases created or renewed on or after June 29, 2017: a tenant protected by a domestic violence order or another listed protective or no-contact order can, after notifying the landlord, put in a new lock at the tenant's own expense, either by rekeying a lock that works or by swapping the mechanism for one of equal or better quality. On request the landlord receives a key, and may withhold it from the restrained person. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to list in a request

  1. How many exterior locks, and whether they should share one key.
  2. Whether you own, rent or manage the property. In an apartment, ask the manager before changing a lock tied to a building fob or shared entry.
  3. The brand on the lock face, or a photo of it.
  4. Any garage-entry, storage-room or side-gate lock to include.

Service details are on the lock rekeying page, and the rest of the city is covered under Lexington.

At the door

What lock rekeying covers

Changing the pins inside your existing locks so old keys stop working, without replacing the hardware.

  • An inspection of each lock to confirm it can be rekeyed
  • Re-pinning each cylinder to work with a new key
  • New keys cut for the rekeyed locks

ID and proof you may access the property are checked before any work.

Lock Rekeying in Kentucky

Sources

Public records and references this page draws on. They are outside USA Locksmith Pros and open in a new tab.

  1. U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-year via Census Reporter, Year structure built, units in structure and tenure (B25034, B25024, B25003)api.censusreporter.org (external site, opens in a new tab)
  2. KRS 383.500, Local governments authorized to adopt the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Actapps.legislature.ky.gov (external site, opens in a new tab)
  3. Kentucky Justice Online, Places that passed URLTA (repair and deduct)kyjustice.org (external site, opens in a new tab)
  4. KRS 383.300, Protections for tenants protected by a domestic violence or interpersonal protective orderapps.legislature.ky.gov (external site, opens in a new tab)
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