Why Rekey at Every Turnover
When a tenant moves out, every key they held is unaccounted for. They may have made copies. They may have given keys to employees, vendors, or family members. They may have returned all keys as agreed — or they may have kept one. There is no way to know. The only reliable response is to rekey every lock the tenant had access to.
This is not paranoia. It is standard commercial property management. A tenant who has left with a key can re-enter the space, the building, or common areas without authorization. If the new tenant experiences a theft or a vandalism event, the first question from the police, the insurance company, and the property owner is: who had access? If the answer includes a former tenant who still had a key, the property manager is liable.
Rekeying at turnover is also a lease requirement in most commercial agreements. Standard lease language requires the tenant to return all keys at the end of the lease and authorizes the landlord to rekey at the tenant's expense. If the rekey does not happen, the property manager has failed to enforce the lease terms.
The Rekey Process
A proper tenant turnover rekey involves more than swapping a cylinder. The process should cover every point of access the tenant used:
- Unit door: The primary lock — mortise cylinder, cylindrical lock, or IC core — gets rekeyed or replaced.
- Suite door: If the tenant had a suite within a larger space, the suite door gets rekeyed.
- Common-area doors: If the tenant had keys to shared entrances, corridors, restrooms, or storage rooms, those locks need rekeying too — but this requires coordination because other tenants still need access.
- Mail room or mailbox: If the tenant had a mailbox key, rekey the box.
- Alarm codes and access cards: Deactivate all credentials issued to the tenant. This includes key fobs, access cards, and alarm codes. If the system does not allow individual deactivation, all credentials may need to be reissued.
- Parking access: If the tenant had a parking gate remote or a coded gate access, deactivate or reprogram it.
- Roof and mechanical room keys: If the tenant had access to building systems — roof, mechanical room, electrical room — those locks must be rekeyed. This is frequently overlooked because these spaces are not part of the tenant's day-to-day use.
The last two items — alarm codes and parking access — are the most commonly missed. Property managers focus on the door lock and forget that access credentials extend beyond physical keys. A complete turnover checklist accounts for every credential type.
Interchangeable Cores Make Turnover Faster
If the building uses interchangeable cores (IC cores), rekeying at turnover takes seconds per lock instead of a service call. The property manager or maintenance staff uses a control key to remove the old core and insert a new one. No locksmith visit required — unless a new core needs to be pinned.
For buildings with frequent tenant turnover — retail spaces, office suites, flex spaces in Davie and Fort Lauderdale — IC cores pay for themselves within the first few turnovers. The cost of a locksmith visit to repin a standard cylinder is significantly higher than the cost of swapping a pre-pinned IC core.
The tradeoff is upfront cost. IC core hardware costs more than standard cylinders. The lock bodies must be IC-compatible. The property manager needs a control key, which itself must be secured. And the system needs to be designed so that core changes do not break the master keying structure — each new core must be pinned to the correct combination within the system.
Key Control Audit at Turnover
Every turnover is an opportunity to audit the building's key control system. A key control audit verifies that every key issued is accounted for:
- Compare the key log against actual key holders. Every key that was issued should either be in a tenant's possession or returned to the property manager.
- Identify keys that were issued but never returned. These represent a security gap — someone outside the building may still have access.
- Verify that the number of keys issued matches the number of keys cut. If more keys were cut than the log shows, keys were issued without being recorded.
- Check that restricted keyway blanks have not been duplicated. If the system uses Medeco or Mul-T-Lock restricted keyways, verify that no unauthorized copies exist.
- Confirm that master keys and grand master keys are held only by authorized personnel and stored securely when not in use.
If the audit reveals gaps — unreturned keys, undocumented copies, missing master keys — the system may need a full rekey, not just a turnover rekey. A single unreturned master key compromises every lock in the system.
Coordinating with the New Tenant
The rekey should be completed before the new tenant takes possession. The new tenant should receive keys at lease signing or move-in — not days later. A space without functioning locks is a liability during the turnover period between tenants, when contractors may be performing build-out work.
The number of keys issued to the new tenant should be documented in a key receipt form. The form specifies how many keys were issued, the keyway type (restricted or standard), that keys may not be duplicated without authorization, the replacement cost for lost keys, and the requirement to return all keys at lease end.
If the building uses a master key system, the new tenant's keys must be pinned to the correct level within the system. A change key opens only the tenant's unit. If the tenant also needs common-area access, those keys are pinned separately or as part of a sub-master group. The pinning schedule must be updated to reflect the new tenant's position in the system.
South Florida Turnover Considerations
South Florida's commercial rental market has high turnover in certain property types. Retail strip centers in Plantation, Sunrise, and Coral Springs see frequent tenant changes. Office space in downtown Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood turns over regularly. Each turnover requires a full credential audit and rekey.
Humidity affects lock function during vacancies. A lock that sits unused for weeks in a humid, unairconditioned space can seize. The lubricant dries out, pins corrode, and the key will not turn. Before the new tenant moves in, every lock should be tested and serviced — not just rekeyed. A lock that works when the core is swapped but jams two weeks later creates a service call that reflects on the property manager.
For coastal properties in Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Hollywood, solid brass cylinders and nickel silver key blades resist salt air corrosion better than zinc or steel components. If the building's existing hardware uses plated zinc cylinders, turnover is a good time to upgrade to brass — one cylinder at a time, as each unit turns over.
Half Off Locksmith is a licensed and insured locksmith based in Davie, serving Broward County. Flat-rate pricing is quoted up front. A certificate of insurance is provided for commercial properties. Call (954) 888-8804.