Tenant Rekeying in Ottawa: Protecting Your Property Between Leases

What Tenant Rekeying Involves

Tenant rekeying replaces the internal pins in each unit's locks so keys from the previous tenancy no longer work, while keeping the existing lock hardware in place. For landlords managing multiple units, we can coordinate this across several properties or several suites within one building in a single scheduled visit.

When to Schedule It

• A lease has ended and a new tenant is moving in
• A tenant reports a lost key during their tenancy
• You're taking over management of a property with unknown key history
• You're preparing a unit for the rental market after a long-term tenancy

Why Rekeying Between Tenants Matters

Outgoing tenants rarely return every key that's ever been cut for a unit, roommates, partners, and dog walkers often received a copy at some point that never makes it back. Even when a tenant genuinely intends to return everything, there's no reliable way to confirm all copies are accounted for without changing the underlying pin configuration.

Rekeying vs. Full Lock Replacement

Rekeying is sufficient when the existing lock hardware is in good condition, which covers most units. Full replacement becomes worthwhile if the hardware is outdated, low-grade, or you're using tenant turnover as an opportunity to standardize hardware across a larger property.

Single-Unit Rentals

For landlords with one or two rental properties, tenant rekeying is typically a straightforward single visit between move-out and move-in, timed to fit your turnaround window in areas like Orleans or Nepean.

Multi-Unit Properties

Property managers overseeing apartment buildings or multi-unit complexes across Ottawa and Kanata benefit from scheduling several units together, along with keeping common area access consistent across the building through the same visit.

Lock Types We Rekey

• Standard residential deadbolts and knob locks
• Mortise locks in older rental properties
• Communal entry and common area locks
• Compatible high-security cylinders

Security Considerations

Beyond the unit door itself, we recommend reviewing common area locks, mailbox locks, and any shared amenity access as part of a tenant turnover, since these are often overlooked despite being just as relevant to who can access the property.

Ongoing Practices for Landlords

• Rekey as standard practice between every tenancy, not just when something goes wrong
• Keep a documented log of rekey dates for each unit
• Address any tenant-reported lost key promptly rather than waiting for lease end

What Happens During a Service Call

We rekey each unit's exterior locks, test them with new keys, and provide dated documentation for your records. For multi-unit properties, we coordinate scheduling to minimize disruption to any tenants still in place.

Safety Tips

• Never assume a returned key means every copy came back with it
• Keep a documented key log for every rekey performed
• Rekey promptly after any reported lost key, not just at lease end

Why Professional Rekeying Matters

Consistent, documented rekeying protects both landlord and tenant, and doing it properly the first time avoids the cost and disruption of addressing a security concern after the fact. We treat every unit with the same care regardless of portfolio size.

Why Local Service Matters

We work directly with landlords and property managers across Ottawa, Kanata, Nepean, Orleans, Barrhaven, Stittsville, Rockland, and the Valley, understanding the tight turnaround windows common in this rental market.