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Should I Get New Keys When I Move in to My New House?



Changing locks should be standard procedure for new homeowners before taking up residence.

For most people, moving into a new home is a wonderful and exciting experience. You’ve carefully researched the market for a home that is perfect for your family. You spent the time looking all around, and then made a huge commitment to your future and your lifestyle.
All the little details that are wrapped up in purchasing a house and moving can be overwhelming, so it’s no wonder that the idea of rekeying the locks or getting new locks and new keys is often never considered.
Here are some common reasons I’ve heard why new homeowners don’t get their locks or keys changed:

The previous owner handed over all their keys and we trust them

This is the most common misconception of all. In this day and age, one cannot afford to rely on good faith alone. There are too many times that the previous owner’s keys were placed in the hands of a baby sitter, house cleaner, dog sitter or neighbor, or copies of keys were made without their consent. Even if you trust the previous owner, how can you trust all these other people you’ve never met?

We didn’t change the locks because it’s a brand-new home

It might be a new construction home, but there’s a good chance the new locks on your new home are “master” keyed. This is a common practice for home builders that build many homes at once in subdivisions or developments. The builder has a common key that can access multiple homes on the block, and that same key is often used by subcontractors.

We didn’t change the locks ourselves because new locks were installed before we moved in

Again, this comes down to the issue of trust. Your safety and security are worth the small cost of making sure your new home’s locks are rekeyed with a brand-new key that only you have. This also puts you in total control of access and entry to your home. Just because someone says there are no copies, can you really trust them?

I’m not really worried about someone getting into my home, that’s what insurance is for

Homeowners insurance does not prevent burglaries from happening, nor does it safeguard you and your loved ones from bodily injury or worse if an unwanted person harms you once they’ve entered your home. It’s not worth the risk to think this way.
As you can see, changing the locks on your new home should be an essential part of your move-in process. It does not require much outlay in terms of cost, but it offers a huge amount of peace of mind when it comes to eliminating the risk of having your home’s keys in the wrong hands. Hire a qualified professional locksmith to change your locks or, if you’re handy, replace the locks yourself.
Editor's note: This is an updated version of a story originally published March 19, 2013

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