Moving in NYC? Rekey or Replace Your Locks on Day One

You just got the keys to your new apartment. So did — potentially — the previous tenant, their ex-roommate, their dog walker, their cleaner, and whoever they gave a 'temporary' copy to three years ago. In New York, you have no idea how many copies of your key exist.

Rekeying solves this completely and cheaply: we change the lock's internal combination so only the new keys we hand you work. The old keys become scrap metal. For most apartments, rekeying every entry lock takes under an hour.

Replace instead of rekey when the hardware itself is worn, damaged, or low-quality. If your new place has a wobbly 30-year-old knob lock, that's the moment to upgrade to a proper deadbolt — you're already paying for the visit.

Landlords: New York's turnover cycle makes rekeying between tenants non-negotiable. Build it into your turnover checklist alongside painting and cleaning.

Do it on move-in day, before the furniture arrives and life gets busy. It's the highest-value security dollar you'll spend on the new place.