Lock Rekey in Van Nuys, CA

What does it mean to rekey locks in Van Nuys?

Inside a standard pin tumbler lock is a row of small brass pins that sit at set heights. Your key lifts each pin to exactly the right height so the cylinder can turn. When we rekey a lock, we open the cylinder, replace the pins with ones sized for a new key, and cut that key. The lock stays on your door. The old key, and every copy of it floating around, no longer turns it.

That is why lock rekeying is usually the more economical route compared with buying new hardware. You keep the deadbolt, knob or handle set you already have, and change only what decides who can open it. In Van Nuys, where plenty of homes and apartment buildings still carry older, solid hardware, that is often exactly the right call.

Rekeying is not a repair. If a lock is worn out, loose in the door, or damaged, rekeying will not fix it, and we will say so instead of rekeying something that should be replaced.

When should you rekey your locks?

The trigger is almost always the same: you cannot be sure who still has a working key. These are the situations that bring people to us most often.

• Rekey locks after moving in. Previous residents, a former roommate, relatives, a cleaner or a dog walker may all still hold keys.
• Rekey locks after buying a house. Sellers, agents, contractors and lockbox visitors have all had access at some point, and a rekey gives you a clean start.
• Rekey locks after a tenant moves out. A returned key does not prove there is no copy, which is why tenant turnover rekey is standard for many landlords.
• Rekey locks after losing keys. If keys disappeared with an address attached, or were stolen in a bag or wallet, change what they open instead of hoping nobody tries the door.
• Rekey all house locks to one key. If you carry separate keys for the front door, back door and side entry, we can often put them on a single key.
• After a falling out. A former partner, employee or roommate you no longer want inside is reason enough.

How we rekey your locks, step by step

Brand and keyway matter in this work, so we start with a few questions. Then the process is simple and mostly happens at your door.

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us what you have: how many locks, whether they are knobs, deadbolts or handle sets, and the brand if you can read it. Photos help but are not required.
2. One of our mobile vans comes to you. We are one company, so the person on the phone is not passing you to a dispatch network, and David oversees the work.
3. We check each lock first. The cylinder should turn smoothly, the bolt should throw fully, and the door should line up with the strike. A lock that fails is a repair or replacement conversation, not a rekey.
4. We remove the cylinder, usually without taking the whole lock off the door, and rebuild it with new pins matched to a new key.
5. We cut your new keys and test each one in its lock repeatedly. We also try the old key to confirm it no longer works.
6. You test the locks yourself before we leave. We tell you which key fits which lock, and we suggest you destroy the old keys instead of tossing them in a drawer.

How much does lock rekeying cost in Van Nuys?

We do not quote a flat figure without knowing what we are rekeying, and we will not invent one on a web page. Cost depends on a handful of real factors:

• How many cylinders. Each one is taken apart and tested, so one deadbolt and a whole house are different jobs.
• The brand and type of lock. Common residential hardware is straightforward. Some locks need particular parts, and restricted keyways may need authorized key blanks.
• How many keys you need. Extra copies for each family member or tenant are cut through key duplication.
• Whether locks are keyed alike. Putting several doors on one key takes planning.
• Condition. A worn or sticky cylinder may need extra work or replacement.
• Scheduling. A planned visit is easier to fit than an urgent after-hours call, and that can show in the total.

Should you rekey or replace the lock?

Rekey when the hardware works and you like it. Replace when it does not. Here is how we think it through with customers:

• Rekey if the lock turns smoothly, looks sound, and your only concern is who holds keys.
• Replace if the lock is loose, sticking, corroded or damaged by a break-in attempt. See lock replacement in Van Nuys.
• Change the hardware if you want a different style or function, such as a new handle set. That is changing locks.
• Step up if your worry is picking, bumping or drilling. Look at high-security locks.

Tenant turnover rekey for landlords and property managers

For anyone renting out a unit, rekeying between tenants is a simple part of the move-out checklist. A returned key does not prove there is no duplicate, and rekeying puts the door back under your control before the next person moves in. It also means the new tenant is the only one holding keys to their home.

If you manage several units, tell us up front. We can rekey them in a consistent way, label which key fits which door, and for larger buildings talk through a master key system. Our page on locksmith services for landlords covers the wider picture.

Rekeying across Van Nuys: Kester, Sepulveda and the civic center

Van Nuys has a high renter share, and it shapes the rekey work. The flats are full of 1940s-50s bungalows and ranch homes, while corridors like Sepulveda, Kester and Victory carry 1960s-80s garden apartments and dingbat-style multifamily buildings. Many of the older apartment buildings still have their original knob-and-deadbolt hardware. If that hardware still operates smoothly, re-pinning it is often all it needs.

Rekeying after tenant turnover in Kester-area garden apartments is the scenario we picture most here: a unit empties out, and the owner wants new keys before the next move-in. If several doors need doing, tell us the count and we plan the visit around it.

On denser blocks near the Van Nuys Civic Center, security screen doors are a common sight. Many have their own keyed lock that people forget when rekeying the main door. If yours has a cylinder and you want it on the same key, mention it and we will check what is possible.

Summer heat in the interior San Fernando Valley runs well above Westside temperatures, and it can swell wood doors and frames until latches bind. If your key feels stiff in July but fine in winter, the problem may be door fit rather than the cylinder, and we check that before rekeying. Corrosion risk is low this far from the coast, so wear is the usual concern with older cylinders.

We work across ZIP codes 91401, 91405, 91406 and 91411, including the Van Nuys Boulevard, Sherman Way, Sepulveda and Victory corridors. Our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, about 12 miles away, and our vans do the driving. More on what we do locally is on our Van Nuys locksmith page.

Commercial and business lock rekey in Van Nuys

Businesses rekey for the same reasons as homeowners: an employee leaves, a keyholder cannot be reached, or a space changes hands. A commercial lock rekey just involves more doors and more people, so who gets which key matters more. Typical jobs include a front door, rear door, stock room and office, all brought onto keys you control.

Small businesses along Van Nuys Boulevard are a natural fit for this. Commercial keying for offices around the Van Nuys Civic Center government complex shows when planning matters: many doors, many keyholders, and a need to know who can open what. Businesses in the Raymer Street industrial district near Van Nuys Airport can call us the same way.

Before we start, it helps to know the number of doors, the hardware type, and who needs access to which areas. One caution: stamping a key with a do-not-duplicate message does not physically stop anyone from copying it, and we will tell you so. For the broader scope of business work, see our commercial locksmith services.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a rekey?

Rekeying is detail work, and these are the reasons customers stay with us.

• In business since 1987, serving 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
• A storefront and mobile vans. Our Westwood storefront supports the vans that come to you.
• One company, no dispatch middlemen. The person on the phone works for the company that sends the van.
• David's oversight. David is the owner and lead technician.
• Phones answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (213) 577-1366. Most rekeys are planned, but a lost key or a sudden move-out does not wait for business hours.

A note on licensing

California requires locksmith companies to hold a Locksmith Company (LCO) license through the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). Ask any locksmith you are thinking of hiring for their LCO license number before work begins, and verify it with BSIS. That is a fair question, and a reputable company will not mind it.

More locksmith help in Van Nuys

• Change Locks in Van Nuys
• Deadbolt Installation in Van Nuys
• Gate Lock Repair in Van Nuys
• High Security Locks in Van Nuys
• Key Duplication in Van Nuys
• Lock Installation in Van Nuys
• All services in Van Nuys

Lock Rekey near Van Nuys

• Lake Balboa
• Valley Glen
• Panorama City
• Sherman Oaks
• North Hills
• Encino