Lock Rekeying in Jersey City, NJ

Why keys pile up in Jersey City

About 31 percent of Hudson County homes are in buildings of two to four units, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 survey. When a unit in a building like that changes hands, nobody can say how many copies of the old key are still out there. Rekeying changes the pins inside the existing cylinder so the old keys stop working, while the lock body and trim stay on the door.

Two units or three: the rules differ

This is general information, not legal advice. The state's multiple dwelling regulations, N.J.A.C. 5:10-19.2, apply to buildings of three or more units. Among other things, a tenant's key to the outside cylinder of a shared entrance must not also open that tenant's own unit door. So when a unit in a three-family house turns over, the owner has two locks to think about, the shared entrance and the unit door, and rekeying the entrance means cutting new keys for every tenant, not just the new one.

A two-family house falls outside those rules, and there are many of them: the city's draft 2006 master plan amendments call one- and two-family housing predominant in the Heights, Greenville and the West Side, with a significant presence in Bergen-Lafayette. Tenants in a building of one or two units who have questions about locks are directed by the state's Truth in Renting guide to the municipal building inspector or health officer.

Older doors, new owners

Nearly 29 percent of Hudson County homes predate 1940, and doors from before bored locks became common may still carry mortise locks. A mortise cylinder can be rekeyed on its own, without cutting the door. A new owner may also want every exterior door keyed alike, so one key covers the front, rear and basement.

Details for a rekey request

Say how many units the building has, which locks need new keys (entrance, unit, rear or basement), the lock brand if you can read it, and how many keys you need. Landlords should mention whether current tenants are staying. If a lock is worn out rather than just outdated, see lock replacement. The lock rekeying page describes the service.