Lock Rekeying in Richmond, VA

Keys change hands often in Richmond

Rekeying resets the pins inside a cylinder so the old keys stop working; the lock and door stay. That matters in a city where Census Bureau estimates for 2024 show 57.7 percent of occupied homes are rented, against 32.9 percent statewide. Each move-out can leave copies with a former tenant, a roommate or a contractor; a landlord who rekeys between tenants knows exactly which keys are in circulation.

Buyers, older houses and shared gates

Buyers rarely know how many keys a seller handed out. In Westover Hills, where most homes date from 1920 to 1940, a house may still have exterior locks from more than one era, so ask for every exterior lock to be rekeyed, keyed alike where the cylinders allow.

A mortise lock on an older door can usually be rekeyed like any other; a worn or cracked cylinder calls for lock replacement.

Statewide, 11.6 percent of homes are attached single-family houses such as townhouses, nearly double the national share. If a homeowners association controls a shared gate or storage room, ask who else holds those keys before you rekey.

What Virginia law says about rental locks

• Va. Code § 55.1-1221 lets a locality require, by ordinance, deadbolts and peepholes on the exterior swinging entrance doors of a multifamily building whose landlord rents five or more units. It matters only where the locality has adopted such an ordinance, so ask the city whether one covers a Richmond building.
• Va. Code § 55.1-1230 is narrower. A tenant or authorized occupant who holds a family abuse protective order, or an order under § 20-103(B) granting possession to the exclusion of a co-tenant, can hand the landlord a copy and ask for a new exterior lock at the landlord's actual cost, or for permission to fit one. Ex parte orders are not covered.

Tenants should check the lease and tell the landlord before rekeying. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to include in a request

• how many exterior locks there are
• whether they should share one key
• whether you own, manage or rent, with the landlord's permission if you rent
• roughly when the house was built, since older doors may carry mortise locks

Housing figures for the whole city are collected on the Richmond page.