Lock Rekeying in Trenton, NJ

When Trenton owners and landlords rekey

Lock rekeying rearranges the pins inside a cylinder you already have and matches it to new keys. Old copies stop working, while the lock, trim and door stay as they are. In Trenton, these are the usual moments:

• After a closing. Section 132-109 of the city code requires a Certificate of Housing Code Compliance from the Division of Housing Inspections before a residential property changes hands. It covers items such as detectors, electrical and plumbing standards and habitability, not who still holds the old keys, so rekeying after closing is a separate step.
• After a rehab in Old Trenton. The Trenton250 master plan calls for rehabbing historic homes there, and a rehab can leave keys with the contractors who worked on the house.
• When a tenant leaves or a key ring goes missing.

Buildings with three or more units

New Jersey's multiple dwelling rules start at three units. Under N.J.A.C. 5:10-19.2, the key a tenant uses for the outside cylinder must not also open that tenant's own unit door, so a departing tenant can hold two working keys: one for the unit and one for the building entrance. Ask the landlord before changing either cylinder, since the landlord supplies the entrance and unit locks in these buildings. For buildings under three units, the Truth in Renting guide sends tenants to the municipal building inspector or health officer instead.

Lock changes for survivors

N.J.S.A. 46:8-9.14, added by P.L.2023, c.174, lets a court that issues a temporary or permanent domestic violence restraining order direct the landlord to change the locks where the victim lives. If the landlord has not installed new locks within 48 hours of the victim's written request, the victim may change them, then must notify the landlord and provide a copy of the new keys within 48 hours. The victim pays but may seek reimbursement under N.J.S.A. 2C:25-29. This is general information, not legal advice.

Details to send for a rekey

Count the exterior cylinders on each door; a deadbolt above a keyed knob is two. Say whether you hold a working key for each, and list any rear, basement or storage locks that should share a key. In a historic district, mention it: rekeying leaves the outside of the door as it is, while a worn cylinder may point toward lock replacement.