Should I Change the Locks After Buying a New House in Toronto?
In This Article
Yes, you should change or rekey the locks on your new house before you move in. You have no way of knowing how many keys exist for those locks or who has them. Previous owners, real estate agents, contractors, cleaners, and neighbours may all have working copies. A professional residential locksmith can rekey every exterior lock in under an hour, and the cost is far lower than most people expect.
This guide walks through the practical decision: should you rekey or fully replace, which locks need attention, and how smart locks change the calculation for Toronto and GTA homeowners who want keyless access.
Yes, You Should Change The Locks
Here is a detail most buyers do not think about until after closing: your Toronto locksmith can confirm a lock has been rekeyed, but there is no way to verify how many duplicate keys are out there for a lock that has not been rekeyed. According to the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), agents are required to return all known keys at closing, but no one is counting copies made during the listing period.
A typical Toronto resale home has had multiple sets of keys made over the years. Consider everyone who may have had access during the listing period alone: the selling agent, any buyer agents who attended showings, stagers, photographers, home inspectors, and possibly cleaners or repair contractors. If the home was vacant for any period, that exposure grows further.
Did You Know?
Fewer than 40% of Canadian homebuyers change or rekey locks within the first month of possession, according to a 2023 homeowner survey published by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). In older Toronto neighbourhoods where homes change hands more frequently, rekeying on possession day is considered standard practice by most experienced locksmiths.
Rekeying Vs Replacing: Which One Is Right
This is the question most new homeowners get stuck on. The short answer: rekey if the hardware is in decent shape, replace if it is worn or low quality. Here is what sets them apart.
| Rekeying | Replacing The Lock | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Changes the key combination inside the lock cylinder | Installs completely new lock hardware |
| Typical cost (Toronto) | $75 to $150 per door | $150 to $400 per door (hardware and labour) |
| Time on site | 15 to 20 minutes per door | 30 to 60 minutes per door |
| Best when | Hardware is in good condition, you just want new keys | Hardware is worn, outdated, or below Grade 1 |
| Old keys | All previous keys stop working | All previous keys stop working |
Pricing Disclaimer: The cost ranges on this page are estimates based on typical GTA market rates. Actual quotes vary based on the number of doors, lock brand, your home layout, and whether the service is standard hours or an emergency call. Toronto Top Locksmith does not guarantee any specific price. Always request a written quote before authorizing work.
The main reason to choose full replacement over rekeying is lock quality. Many resale homes in Toronto have Grade 2 or Grade 3 deadbolts, which meet the minimum code requirement but offer noticeably less resistance than a Grade 1 lock. If you are upgrading to a Grade 1 deadbolt anyway, replacing makes more sense. The ANSI/BHMA grading system rates residential locks on a scale of Grade 1 (highest, commercial-grade) to Grade 3 (basic residential).
People Often Ask: "Can I Rekey A Lock Myself?"
You can buy rekeying kits at hardware stores, and they work with common brands like Kwikset. The process involves removing the cylinder, replacing the driver pins with a new set matched to your new key, and reassembling. In practice, most homeowners find it fiddly enough that they prefer to have a locksmith do it, especially when rekeying several doors at once. If you are comfortable with small mechanical tasks and your locks are Kwikset SmartKey, that model rekeys in about 30 seconds with a tool included in the packaging.
What To Change And What To Check
Most new homeowners focus on the front door and forget the others. Here is the full scope of what needs attention on possession day.
All Exterior Door Locks
Front door, back door, side entrance, and any door leading to an attached garage. All of them. The back door is often the most overlooked, and it is also the one that sees less foot traffic, meaning an old key can go undetected for a long time.
Garage Door Opener Codes
If the home has an attached garage, reset the opener remotes and the keypad PIN immediately. Factory default codes are documented in product manuals freely available online. If you received a remote control at closing, that remote has its code stored. Reprogramming takes about five minutes and is covered in the opener manual. If you do not have the manual, the manufacturer's name is usually printed on the motor unit.
Patio And Sliding Doors
Sliding patio doors are commonly viewed as weak points. The factory latch does not lock the door from being lifted off its track. Adding a cut-down broomstick or a commercial security bar in the lower track costs almost nothing and adds real resistance. For more permanent protection, a keyed sliding door lock or a secondary foot bolt provides a sturdier solution.
Window Locks On The Ground Floor
Window locks are often original hardware in older Toronto homes and they wear out. Test each one: the latch should close firmly and not wobble. If it does, a keyed window stop or a sash lock from a hardware store is a cheap fix. Ground-floor and basement windows are the entry points that matter most.
Smart Lock Options For New Homeowners
Smart locks change the conversation around key management entirely. Instead of cutting keys for every family member, a keypad or app-controlled lock lets you assign unique access codes that can be deleted when they are no longer needed. This is particularly useful for new homeowners who still have contractors coming and going for the first few months.
What To Look For In A Smart Lock
Not all smart locks are equal. The main things to consider:
- ANSI Grade: Look for Grade 1 or Grade 2. Many budget smart locks are Grade 3 or unrated on the actual deadbolt mechanism, which matters more than the electronic features.
- Backup physical key: Most quality smart locks include a physical key cylinder as a backup for dead batteries. Confirm this before buying.
- Battery life: Expect 6 to 12 months from AA batteries in most models. The lock should alert you when battery is low.
- Z-Wave or Zigbee integration: If you have or plan to add a smart home hub, make sure the lock uses a compatible protocol.
- BHMA testing: Look for BHMA certification, which means the lock was tested for finish, operational cycles, and security.
Pro Tip
If you are buying a smart lock for the first time, start with the front door only. Get comfortable with the app and the code management before adding more entry points. Smart locks on secondary doors are just as useful, but they require the same attention to code hygiene. A temporary contractor code that never gets deleted is just as much of a risk as a physical key left in the wrong hands.
Smart Locks And High-Security Cylinders
Many homeowners ask about high-security locks like Mul-T-Lock when upgrading. These offer patented key control, meaning key copies can only be made at authorized dealers, and the pin-within-pin cylinder design resists picking and bumping significantly better than standard locks. High-security lock installation typically runs $350 to $600 per door including hardware and labour. For Toronto homeowners who want the highest practical level of physical security, this is worth considering on at least the primary entry points. Our Etobicoke locksmith team installs high-security hardware regularly.
What To Expect When You Call A Locksmith
If you have never used a locksmith for anything beyond an emergency call, a planned rekeying visit is a different experience. Here is what the process typically looks like for a new homeowner in Toronto or the GTA.
- Count your exterior doors first. Front, back, side, and any door connecting the house to an attached garage. This gives the locksmith an accurate quote on the first call.
- Provide one working key per lock. The locksmith needs a working key to rekey the cylinder. If you are missing a key for any door, they can pick or decode it first.
- Decide how many key copies you want. The standard is two per lock. Additional copies are cut on site for a small per-key fee.
- Ask about keying alike. If you want one key to open all your exterior locks, tell the locksmith before work begins. This is called keying alike and is standard to request.
- Test every lock before the locksmith leaves. Try each key in each lock from both sides. Confirm the door latches and deadbolts operate smoothly.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not a security assessment. Lock security requirements vary by property. Consult a licensed locksmith for advice specific to your home. Toronto Top Locksmith is not responsible for outcomes from actions taken based on this content.
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Toronto Top Locksmith provides same-day rekeying and lock replacement across Toronto, North York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke. If you just got the keys to your new home, call us and we can have every exterior lock rekeyed the same day.
