Lock Rekeying in Las Vegas, NV

Why rekey in a young housing market

In Clark County the median home was built in 1998, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey. Homes from the 1990s and 2000s keep changing hands, and each sale or lease can send keys to more people than anyone tracks, from listing agents to cleaners, movers and earlier tenants.

Rekeying changes the inside of each cylinder so the old keys stop working, and new keys are cut to match. The knob, lever or deadbolt stays on the door. On a tract house, the front door, back door and the door in from the garage can be keyed alike, so one key works on all three.

Rented homes and short-term rentals

Under Las Vegas Municipal Code Chapter 6.75, a home rented to guests for less than 31 consecutive days is a short-term rental. Per city guidance, a new short-term rental needs the owner living on site during rentals, and these rentals are prohibited in some master-planned areas, including Summerlin and Skye Canyon. Where they are allowed, a guest who drives off with a physical key still holds a working copy, and rekeying that lock retires it.

A tenant who wants a lock changed should start with the lease and the landlord. One Nevada statute speaks to new locks directly. NRS 118A.345 applies after a tenant gives written notice ending the lease under that section because of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault or stalking. From then on the tenant, a cotenant or a household member can require a new lock, paid for by the tenant. The landlord can rekey a lock in good working condition or fit one of equal or better quality, can keep a key, and must refuse one to the adverse party. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to include in a request

• the number of exterior locks, counting the garage entry and any keyed gate
• the brand on each lock, or a photo of it
• whether every lock should take one key
• whether you own, rent or run a short-term rental

A lock that sticks or is worn through may call for lock replacement instead. The lock rekeying page explains the job, and the Las Vegas page collects city rules.