Lock Rekeying in Springfield, MA

Why new owners and landlords rekey

A deed or a new lease changes who lives in a home, not who holds its keys. Earlier owners, contractors and past tenants may still carry copies. Rekeying resets the pins inside each cylinder so the old keys stop working, while the lock body, trim and door stay in place.

In Sixteen Acres, where many of Springfield's post-World War II houses stand, exterior doors more often have a knob or lever set plus a separate deadbolt. When those cylinders share a keyway, they can usually all be set to one new key, replacing the ring of mismatched keys a previous owner hands over at closing.

Rented units and shared entries

The Census Bureau's 2024 survey puts roughly one Massachusetts home in five in a building with two to four units, where a single tenant change can touch several locks. This is general information, not legal advice.

• Keys owners must supply. The State Sanitary Code's lock section, 105 CMR 410.270, has owners give occupants keys to the main entry, their own unit and any common areas. Rekeying one unit door affects one household; rekeying a shared main entry means a new key for every household in the building.
• Lock charges at move-in. M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B limits what a landlord may require at or before the start of a tenancy to first and last month's rent, a security deposit no larger than the first month's rent, and the purchase and installation cost of a key and lock.
• Tenants. The sanitary code makes entry locks the owner's responsibility, so get the owner's permission before rekeying a rented unit.

When rekeying is the wrong fix

Rekeying settles who holds working keys. It does not cure a worn lock. A tired mortise lock in a McKnight or Forest Park Victorian, a cylinder that sticks, a bolt that will not throw or a key that has to be jiggled calls for lock repair or lock replacement first.

Details that help

Name your neighborhood, say how many exterior doors and cylinders there are, and whether you want them all on one key. Add the lock brand if it is stamped on the key or the latch. Landlords should say how many units share the main entry. For the service itself, see lock rekeying; the Springfield page covers the city.