The keys come back on a Friday. The new tenants move in on Wednesday. In those few days, a landlord or property manager has one quiet question to answer: how many people still hold a working key to this place? If you've been through a few changeovers, you already know the honest answer is "I don't know." That's the reason a locksmith in Blacktown gets called between tenancies.
It's about the copies, not the tenant
At the end of a tenancy in NSW, the tenant has to return all the keys and security devices they were given at the start. Most do, and most are perfectly decent about it. What a returned set can't tell you is whether anything else was cut along the way. A spare for a partner, a copy for a relative who helped with the move, one made years ago and forgotten. None of that is sinister, and none of it is visible. The lock still turns for every one of those keys, and it will keep doing so for the next person living there.
Rekeying, and when it's enough
Rekeying changes the inside of a lock so the old keys stop working, then gives you new keys that do. The lock stays where it is. For a front door lock in good working order, that's usually the practical choice at a changeover, because the hardware is fine and the only thing you need to change is who can open it. Anytime Security Locksmiths offers rekeying across Blacktown and stocks and services locks from brands including Lockwood, Whitco, Carbine, Abus, Dormakaba and Lockton. Having the right brand on the van matters when you're working to a changeover date rather than a flexible timetable. Replacement is the better call when the lock is worn, the key sticks, the hardware is damaged, or the door has only a spring latch and no deadlock. The latch is the part that clicks shut when you pull the door closed, and on its own it isn't built to resist much. If you're already changing keys, adding a deadlock at the same visit is worth considering. Older houses are a different story. Anytime also works with architectural and heritage style locks, so a door with an older lock doesn't automatically mean replacing it with something that doesn't suit the house.
Who is allowed to change the locks
This is what landlords and tenants ask about most, so here is the general picture in NSW. It isn't legal advice, and NSW Fair Trading is the place for the detail. A landlord has to provide and maintain locks so the property is reasonably secure. During a tenancy, either side can change or add locks with the other's consent, or where there are reasonable grounds. If a tenant asks for the change, the tenant pays. Changing locks outside those circumstances is a breach of the tenancy agreement. At a changeover the practical version is simpler. The landlord or agent arranges the work while the property is empty, so there's no consent question and nobody is locked out of their own home. The new tenants then receive keys to locks that nobody else can open. If you're on the other side of the door, a new owner or a tenant who's been given permission, our post on why moving into a new house should always include a lock change covers it from your end.
Count the keys you hand over
The end-of-tenancy return only works if you know what went out. Record how many keys each tenant received for each lock, including any for a mailbox, garage or window locks, and put that number in writing. When the keys come back you're checking against a figure, not a memory. It also helps to have the locksmith cut the right number at the changeover rather than leaving one spare in a drawer. A spare you've lost track of is the same problem you've just paid to solve.
Getting the booking right
A lock change is quick when it's planned and awkward when it's squeezed into the day before. Tell the locksmith the address and whether the property is vacant, how many external doors are involved and whether any internal doors have locks, and the date the new tenants are due. A photo of the existing locks helps more than a description. If you manage several properties and have a run of changeovers coming up, say so at the start. The residential locksmith page outlines the range of work available for homes, and the locksmith Blacktown page sets out what's offered locally. If you've searched for a locksmith near me because tenants moved out and the keys came back in a bag, one phone call is usually enough to sort out what needs doing and in what order. Call 0478 779 984 Anytime / Emergency Call Anytime Security Locksmiths is a family-run business that has serviced the Blacktown area for many years, with over 11 years in the trade. More about the team is on the about us page.