Lock Rekeying in Rochester, MN

Rekeying and Rochester's rental rules

Rekeying changes the pins inside a cylinder so the old keys stop working; the lock itself stays on the door. In Rochester the City's rental rules reach further than many owners expect. Rochester Code of Ordinances 7-3-2 requires a Rental Property Certificate from anyone who rents out a dwelling, and the City counts a home as a rental when someone other than the owner or the owner's relatives lives there, whether or not money changes hands. A house lent to a friend without rent can fall under the same rules.

The City says only the owner or manager may escort the housing inspector. After rekeying between tenants, label each new key by unit and keep a full set where you can reach it, so every door opens on inspection day.

Tenants and landlord access

Statewide, about 28.4 percent of occupied homes are rented, and landlord and tenant law sits in Minnesota Statutes chapter 504B. Section 504B.211 lets a landlord enter for a reasonable business purpose after a good-faith effort to give advance notice, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. unless both agree otherwise. Some leases require the landlord to keep a working key, so a tenant who wants a lock rekeyed should read the lease and ask the landlord first. This is general information, not legal advice.

New owners

When you buy a house, assume that earlier owners, contractors and neighbors may still hold copies. On Pill Hill, where most houses date from the early 1900s, that can mean generations of owners; in one of Rochester's newer homes, it may mean the builder's crew and trades. Rekeying every exterior cylinder, including the garage door, closes that gap without new hardware, and cylinders of one brand and keyway can often be keyed alike. A lock that is worn, cracked or sticking is a better fit for lock replacement.

What to include

• How many doors and cylinders, and which ones: front, back, garage, storm door.
• Whether you want them keyed alike.
• Whether this follows a change of tenants or a purchase.
• For a rental, the unit numbers and whether a building master key is involved.

The City's rental and heritage rules are summarized on the Rochester page.