Lock Rekeying in Paterson, NJ

Why rekeying comes up so often in Paterson

Chapter 175 of the city code opens by noting that most Paterson households live in rented housing (Section 175-1). Each change of tenant is a change in who might still hold a key. Rekeying re-pins the existing cylinder so the old keys stop working and a new set does, without replacing the lock body or its trim.

The gap between tenants

This is general information, not legal advice. A landlord needs a certificate of re-rental approval before a new tenant takes possession, and the inspection must happen while the unit is vacant, no more than 30 days before move-in (Section 175-3). The inspection checks the unit against Chapter 271, the city's housing-property maintenance code (Section 175-4). Rekeying after the outgoing tenant hands back keys and before the next one moves in puts only one set in circulation on move-in day.

An owner-occupied two-family house is excluded from Chapter 175 (Section 175-2), but its owner faces the same question whenever the other unit turns over.

Entrances and apartments are keyed apart

In a building of three or more units, N.J.A.C. 5:10-19.2 keeps the key to the outside entrance cylinder separate from the key to each tenant's own unit door. Rekeying one apartment therefore leaves the entrance alone, while rekeying the entrance means new keys for every household in the building. Because the state rule starts at three units, a two-family house and the three-family house beside it can be treated differently.

After buying a house

A buyer rarely knows how many copies the last owner, contractors or past tenants kept, so rekeying is a common first step after closing.

What to include in a request

List how many doors and cylinders need the new key, whether they should all work on one key, whether the unit is between tenants, and who controls the building entrance. See how lock rekeying works, weigh lock replacement if a lock is worn out, or go back to the Paterson page.