Lock Rekeying in Greenville, SC

Why Greenville keys change hands so often

Greenville is a city of renters: Census Bureau estimates for 2024 count 56.5 percent of its occupied homes as rented, against 27.7 percent across South Carolina. Its housing is the youngest of Charleston, Columbia and Greenville, too: 31.9 percent of homes were built since 2010. Between tenants moving in and out and new houses passing from builders to buyers, a key to a Greenville door may have been through several hands before it reaches yours.

Rekeying changes the pin arrangement inside a cylinder so every old key stops working, while the lockset stays on the door. On a house built in the last few years, where the knobs and deadbolts are sound, it is a sensible first step for a new owner, since builders, subcontractors and sales agents may all have carried keys.

In Colonel Elias Earle, an early automobile neighborhood north of downtown, a rear garage may have a lock of its own. Rekeying can put it on the same key as the house, so one key opens both.

Tenants, landlords and building keys

Under section 27-40-530(e) of the South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, a tenant shall not change locks without the landlord's permission. If you rent, ask for that consent in writing before any rekeying, and find out whether the landlord wants a key to the new pins. This is general information, not legal advice.

Apartments add a layer. In a managed building, unit locks may be keyed into a system that management controls, and rekeying one unit outside that system can leave maintenance staff without access, so ask how the building's keys are organized first.

What to include

• how many locks, and whether they are knobs, deadbolts or both
• whether every door should take one key
• whether you own, or rent and have written permission
• any garage, shed or gate locks you want on the same key

If a lock is worn or damaged, lock replacement may make more sense than rekeying it. If you are unsure which one you need, ask through the contact page.