What does it mean to rekey locks?
Rekeying is the usually more economical way to make old keys useless without touching the lock itself. Inside each cylinder is a set of small pins, or wafers in some locks, cut to match one specific key. We take the cylinder apart, swap those pins for a new combination, and cut a key that fits it. The lock stays on your door, looks the same and works the same. Every key that used to open it, including the one your old roommate never gave back, no longer does.
Rekeying is not a repair. If a deadbolt is loose, a latch sticks, or the door doesn't line up with the strike plate, rekeying won't fix it. It only changes which key operates the cylinder. That is why the first thing we do on any job is look at the hardware. A worn or poorly made lock is sometimes not worth rekeying, and we'll say so before we start.
You may hear the work called a house rekey, a home lock rekey, an apartment lock rekey, or simply rekeying door locks. It is the same job whether it's one front-door deadbolt or every lock in the building.
When does it make sense to rekey your locks?
The common thread is that you don't know who holds a copy. Keys get duplicated at hardware counters, handed to cleaners, dog walkers and contractors, tucked under planters, and kept by people who moved out long ago. Rekeying resets all of that at once. These are the situations we get called for most:
- Rekey locks after moving: a previous occupant, their family, a property manager and an old contractor may all still have working keys to your new front door.
- Rekey locks after buying a house: you have no record of who received keys over the years, and a rekey before your first night is a sensible part of closing on a home.
- Rekey locks after a tenant moves out: this is tenant turnover rekey, and it keeps one tenant's keys from opening the next tenant's home.
- Rekey locks after losing keys: especially if the keys were in a bag or wallet with anything that points to your address.
- After a breakup, a roommate leaving, or a falling-out with someone who had a key.
- For businesses, after an employee, manager or vendor leaves and you can't be sure every key came back.
Lost keys and lockouts are not the same call
If you've lost your keys but you're inside and the door works, a rekey is the right fix. If you've lost your keys and you're standing outside, getting you in comes first, and we can handle that through our apartment lockout service or the house and car versions. Once you're in, we can rekey the same visit so the lost keys are dead for good. Many people skip that second step and then spend months wondering who might find the keys.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How we rekey your locks, step by step
The process is the same whether we're at a single apartment door or a house with a dozen cylinders. Here is what you can expect.
- You call (213) 577-1366, which is answered around the clock, and tell us how many locks there are, what kind they are (deadbolts, knobs, handle sets), and whether you want every lock on one key.
- We come to you in one of our mobile service vans, or you can bring cylinders to our storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood if that suits you better.
- We inspect each lock, identify the maker and keyway, and tell you honestly whether it can be rekeyed, whether it's in good enough shape to be worth it, and whether any lock should be replaced instead.
- We remove the cylinders, replace the pins with a new combination, and cut new keys to match.
- We reinstall every lock and test it. The new key must turn smoothly, the old key must fail, and the bolt and latch must fully engage with the door closed.
- We hand over the keys and explain how many extra copies you may want and who should hold them, so the fresh start stays fresh.
Should you rekey, change the locks, or replace them?
Rekeying is the right answer when the hardware is sound and your only concern is who has keys. It is not always the right answer, and a locksmith who rekeys everything regardless is not looking at your door.
If a lock is damaged, badly worn, loose in the door, or too cheaply made to rekey reliably, changing the locks makes more sense. If you're upgrading because the old lock was never strong to begin with, or the door itself was forced, a full lock replacement is the better route. Here is how we think about the choice:
- Rekey: sound hardware, unknown key holders, you like the lock you have.
- Change: you want a different style or finish, or the existing lock can't be rekeyed.
- Replace: the lock or the door area is damaged, worn out, or was attacked.
- In a mixed situation, we may rekey the good locks and replace only the ones that need it.
How much does lock rekeying cost in West Hollywood?
We don't quote numbers on a web page, because an honest price depends on your actual doors. What we can do is explain what moves the cost up or down, so you can judge any quote you get from anyone.
Because the lock stays in place and only the pins change, rekeying is almost always the lighter-cost option compared with replacing hardware. The main factors are:
- How many cylinders you have. Each lock is its own piece of work, and a whole-house job has a different scale than a single door.
- The type and condition of the locks. Common residential deadbolts are straightforward; older, unusual or restricted-keyway locks take more time and may need special parts.
- How many keys you need cut, and whether every lock should be keyed alike.
- Whether the locks are high-security models, where the manufacturer controls the key blanks.
- Where we're coming to and when. Service at night or on a holiday is a different situation than a daytime appointment, and travel distance is part of it.
- Whether anything else turns up, such as a worn lock that should be replaced, which we'd discuss with you before doing it.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Commercial and business lock rekey
A business has more keys in more hands than a home does, and turnover is part of how it runs. When a manager quits, a vendor contract ends, or a key goes missing from a ring, a commercial rekey closes the gap without replacing every door. We rekey front doors, back doors, storage rooms, offices and cabinets, and we can set the new keys so that employees only get access to what they need.
If your building has outgrown a pile of individual keys, a master key system lets one key open many doors while others open only one. For a broader look at what we do for shops, offices and venues, see our commercial locksmith service. We will tell you plainly when a business needs more than a rekey, such as better door hardware or access control, and when a simple rekey is all it needs.
Rekeying in West Hollywood: what we see on these doors
West Hollywood is small, dense and mostly rented. Most of the housing is 1920s and 1930s courtyard apartments, mid-century dingbats and newer condominium buildings, so rekeys here are often about turnover rather than a single homeowner. Our base is in Westwood, about seven miles away, and our vans cover the city across ZIP codes 90069, 90046 and 90048.
In the renter-heavy Eastside, move-in rekeys are a regular request. A new tenant takes the keys, but the previous tenant may still have a set, and so might a friend, a partner or a former roommate. The same is true in buildings near Santa Monica Boulevard and the Rainbow District, where controlled-access entries mean the unit door is often the one door you control yourself. Rekeying it is how you make sure your side of the entry is truly yours.
The older courtyard buildings bring their own wrinkle. Many still have vintage locksets on original wood doors. Some of those can be rekeyed and are worth keeping. Others have worn internals, unusual cylinders or parts we can't source, and we'll tell you if a rekey isn't realistic. Buildings of this age also tend to have intercom doors and shared mailbox banks, which run on separate keys; if the mailbox lock is part of your concern, see our mailbox lock replacement page. The same goes for single-family streets in West Hollywood West and the Norma Triangle, where house rekeys after a purchase are more typical.
On the commercial side, boutique storefronts along the Melrose Avenue corridor and in the West Hollywood Design District rekey when staff changes, and nightlife venues on the Sunset Strip deal with high turnover and many hands on the keys. Summer heat and strong sun on south-facing entries can dry and fade door finishes, but the effect on the lock mechanism itself is modest, so it rarely changes whether a lock can be rekeyed.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Tenant turnover rekey for landlords and managers
If you manage rental units, rekeying between tenants is routine maintenance, and it protects both you and the incoming tenant. It is much faster and lighter on cost than swapping hardware at every turnover, and when the locks are all the same make, it keeps your key inventory manageable. We can rekey a vacant unit between a move-out and a move-in, and we can rekey several units in one visit when you tell us ahead of time.
We also set up keying plans so your maintenance key, any building-wide keys and each unit key work as intended. Our locksmith for landlords page covers the wider picture of keys, lockouts and property upkeep for owners and managers.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a rekey?
We've been in business since 1987, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, West Hollywood among them. We have a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd and mobile vans, so you are dealing with an actual company, not a call center that passes your job to whoever is free. There are no dispatch middlemen between your call and the person who shows up. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
One more thing worth knowing: California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, called an LCO license. Ask any locksmith for their license number before they start work, including us. It is a fair question, and a reputable company will answer it plainly.
Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366. If you have lost keys at night and want your locks reset before bed, call us. If it can wait until morning, we'll tell you that too.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get my locks rekeyed tonight in West Hollywood?
Our line at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, every day. Call, tell us what you have, and we'll tell you honestly what's possible tonight. If you're locked out or worried about a lost key, we'll treat that with urgency. If it can safely wait, we'll offer a daytime visit.
How long does it take to rekey a lock?
A single standard lock is a short job, and a whole house takes longer because each cylinder is done individually. The real answer depends on how many locks you have, what brand they are and what condition they're in. We can give you a clearer idea once we know those details.
Can all the locks in my house use the same key?
Yes, in most cases. We can rekey every compatible cylinder, such as the front door, back door and garage entry, so one key opens them all. Some locks, especially certain high-security models, may be limited by their manufacturer. We'll check each lock and tell you which ones can be matched.
Can the old locks in my courtyard apartment be rekeyed?
Often yes, but not always. Many 1920s and 1930s West Hollywood buildings still have vintage locksets, and some are sound enough to rekey. Others have worn parts or unusual cylinders. We inspect first and tell you if rekeying makes sense or whether a change is the better move.
Is rekeying enough after a break-in?
Only if the lock itself wasn't damaged and keys weren't the concern. If someone forced the door, the lock, strike plate or frame may need repair or replacement. Rekeying only changes which key works, so we check the door and hardware before recommending it.
Can you rekey a smart lock or a high-security lock?
If a smart lock has a standard key cylinder, the cylinder can usually be rekeyed, but the electronic codes and app access are separate and need to be reset by you. High-security locks with restricted keyways depend on the manufacturer, and we confirm what is possible in person before promising anything.
Should I just copy my keys instead of rekeying?
Copying adds keys; it doesn't take any away. If your goal is to cut off people who may have old copies, you need a rekey. If you only need more copies of a key you trust, key duplication is the right service. Many people do both: rekey first, then copy the new key.
Do you rekey locks for businesses as well as homes?
Yes. We rekey shop doors, offices, storage rooms and back entrances, and we can set up keys so that different staff have access to different areas. Bring up any employee turnover or lost keys when you call, and we'll recommend whether a simple rekey or a larger key system fits better.
More locksmith help in West Hollywood
Lock Rekey near West Hollywood
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.