Lock Rekeying in West Valley City, UT

When rekeying makes sense here

Rekeying changes the pins inside a cylinder so old keys stop working, while the lock stays on the door. It is the usual step when you cannot account for every key.

West Hunter, Woodhaven and Oquirrh, in the western part of the city, are mostly planned developments from the 1990s and 2000s. A buyer in one of them takes over a house whose keys may have gone to earlier owners, neighbors, cleaners or contractors. Rekeying on move-in day closes that gap, and keying the front, garage and back doors alike lets one key cover the house.

Landlords and turnover

Utah's Fit Premises Act does not make rekeying between renters mandatory. Section 57-22-4 of the Utah Code requires rental premises to be safe, sanitary and fit for human occupancy but does not mention locks, so an incoming renter can ask whether the locks were changed since the last one.

Keying rooms and units separately

Some owners want a different key for each rented bedroom or for a tenant entrance. West Valley City's questionnaire for new rental properties bears on that plan. It notes that Single Unit Dwelling zones do not allow boarding homes or duplexes, and it asks whether rooms will be rented individually and whether each bedroom reaches the kitchen or living areas on its floor through only one door.

Internal accessory dwelling units that meet Section 7-7-115.5 of the city's zoning ordinance do not need that questionnaire. The section requires the owner of record to live in the house as a primary residence, and it rules out these units in a mobile home, on a lot of 6,000 square feet or less, and in single-unit homes east of 4000 West. Confirm how the city views the property before separate keys are cut. This is general information, not legal advice.

Information to send

• The number of exterior doors, counting garage entry and basement doors.
• The brand on each lock face, if you can see it.
• One key for the whole house, or separate keys for a room or unit.
• Proof that you own or manage the property.

If a lock is worn or damaged, lock replacement may suit it better. The western neighborhoods are named on the West Valley City overview.