Lock Rekeying in Annapolis, MD

Why keys change hands in Annapolis

Lock rekeying resets the pins inside a cylinder so old keys stop working and a new key takes over; the lock body and door stay in place.

About 32 percent of Maryland households rent. In Annapolis, apartments turn up inside houses that look like single-family homes, as in the Eastport example in the comprehensive plan, and above shops and maritime businesses, where the city treats them as rentals.

Landlords and the city's rental rules

Every rental in Annapolis is inspected once a year. The city's property maintenance guidance lists weather-tight exterior doors with working hinges and locks, so a move-out is a natural time to rekey and check each lock.

In a house holding several units, settle three points before any cylinder is changed:

1. Whether one key fits both the street door and a unit.
2. Who keeps the owner's copy of each unit key.
3. That the shared door is rekeyed whenever a tenant with a key to it moves out.

Tenants should read their lease before changing a cylinder.

Lock changes after abuse

Real Property § 8-5A-05 lets a tenant who is a victim of abuse ask the landlord in writing, with a copy of the order, to change the locks when a protective order or an abuse-based peace order requires the respondent to stay out of or vacate the residence. The landlord's deadline is the close of the next business day. If the landlord misses it, the tenant may have the locks changed and must hand the landlord a duplicate key by the close of the next business day after the change. This is general information, not legal advice.

New owners

A house comes with every key that earlier owners, contractors and agents made. Most of the city's residential neighborhoods contain only single-family homes, so a new owner often has several exterior doors to count, garage entry included. Rekeying them together and keying them alike lets one key open every door. An older door may carry a mortise lock, whose cylinder can often be rekeyed without cutting into the door. If a cylinder is worn or damaged, lock replacement may suit better. Citywide notes are on the Annapolis page.