Lock Rekeying in Charlotte, NC

Why keys pile up in Charlotte

Rekeying swaps the pin set inside a cylinder so every old key stops working, while the lock body and handle stay on the door. Close to half of Charlotte households rent, according to Census Bureau estimates for 2024, so apartment and house keys pass from one tenant to the next, and each hand-off is a chance for a copy to stay behind.

• After closing on a house. No one can account for every copy a previous owner, cleaner or contractor made. Rekeying retires them without new hardware.
• Between tenants. Landlords often rekey front, back and garage-entry doors at turnover. Charlotte's housing code sets a rule for this, described below.
• One key for the house. Locks of the same brand that share a keyway can usually be keyed alike, so a single key opens every exterior door.

Charlotte and state rules on tenant keys

Charlotte City Code Sec. 11-77(o) requires operable locks on all doors giving access to a home, and says the owner or operator must provide a change of locks or keys for new tenants.

State law adds a separate duty. Under G.S. 42-42.3, a tenant may tell the landlord, orally or in writing, that a protected tenant is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking and ask for the locks to be changed. If the perpetrator is not a tenant of the unit, the landlord has 48 hours to change them or let the tenant do it. If the perpetrator is a co-tenant, the tenant first provides a court order directing the perpetrator to stay away, and the landlord has 72 hours. The protected tenant pays the cost, and if the landlord does not act in time, the tenant may change the locks and must give the landlord a new key within 48 hours. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to list for a rekeying job

• How many locks, and which doors, including the door from the garage.
• Whether they should all work on one key.
• The brand name on each lock face.
• Any lock that sticks or turns roughly; a worn lock may call for lock replacement instead.

The lock rekeying page explains the service, and Charlotte has more on the city's housing rules.