Lock Rekeying in Columbia, SC

Why keys change hands so often in Columbia

Renters occupy 57.6 percent of Columbia's occupied homes in 2024 Census Bureau estimates, against 27.7 percent statewide. With that many leases starting and ending, copies pile up: former tenants, roommates, cleaners and maintenance crews can all end up holding a key. In the University neighborhood near USC, long home to faculty members and students, keys can pass through several sets of hands in a few years.

Rekeying changes the pins inside the existing cylinder so it answers to a new key and no longer to the old ones. The lock body, trim and door stay as they are. Several locks on one home can share a single new key.

Landlords, tenants and new owners

Under Ordinance 2015-099, effective July 1, 2016, City Code Sec. 5-326 requires a Residential Rental Permit for every residential rental unit in Columbia before it is occupied as a rental. For a landlord, the gap between one lease and the next is the natural time to rekey, so each tenancy starts with a known set of keys.

Tenants need permission first. South Carolina Code section 27-40-530(e) says a tenant shall not change locks without the landlord's permission; get it in writing and ask whether the landlord wants a copy of the new key. This is general information, not legal advice.

New owners have the simplest case. A house bought in Earlewood comes with however many keys the previous owners handed out, and rekeying at move-in resets that count. Because it changes only the keys, it also suits a district such as Cottontown/Bellevue, where exterior work generally goes through city review. For stays of less than 30 days, which the city regulates separately, codes can be easier to manage than cut keys; see smart lock installation.

What to send

• The neighborhood or cross streets, and whether it is a house, a unit or a whole building.
• How many locks, and whether you want them all on one key.
• For a rental, the landlord's written permission.
• Any lock that sticks or is damaged, since worn hardware may need lock replacement instead.

See lock rekeying for the service in general and Columbia for the local rules in one place.