Commercial Locksmith in Albany, NY

Albany's older commercial buildings

The Downtown Albany Historic District covers 19 blocks between Columbia and State streets and Broadway and Lodge Street, and most of its 160 buildings date from 1880 to 1930. A building of that age can carry hardware from several decades: an original wood or glass storefront door, a later steel service door at the back, and suite locks added by one tenant after another. A lock survey that lists every door and who holds its keys is a sensible first step before changing anything.

Just north, the state's revitalization plan for the Clinton Square area listed vacant historic buildings such as the former Kenmore Hotel, where a developer proposed retail space with homes above, and it noted interest in abandoned buildings in the Warehouse District. A conversion like that puts a storefront and a residential entrance in one building. Each needs its own key plan, so shop staff do not carry keys to the apartment entrance and residents cannot open the store. If the upper floors are rented, Chapter 231 of the Albany City Code requires the landlord to register each rental unit. This is general information, not legal advice.

Turnover and key control

Staff and tenant turnover is where commercial key control usually slips. When an employee leaves without returning keys, or a tenant moves out of a suite, the options include:

• rekeying the affected cylinders so old keys stop working
• a master key system, so managers carry one key and staff carry keys only for their own areas
• restricted keyways, where copies can only be cut with authorization
• replacing worn hardware on high-traffic doors

Keep a written key log of who holds which key and when it came back.

What to include in a commercial request

1. The street and cross street, and which doors: storefront, rear, tenant suites, storage.
2. Door types, such as aluminum-framed glass, hollow metal or wood.
3. How many people need keys and at which access levels.
4. Who can authorize the work, whether owner, property manager or tenant, and any lease limits on changing locks.

The commercial locksmith page covers the service. For turnover, see lock rekeying; for the city, the Albany page.