To plan a lock change that several people depend on, write the access list before choosing any hardware. List each door, each person or role that needs it, who holds keys now, and why the lock is changing. Then pick the method that fits how access is shared: rekeying, new hardware, restricted keys, or keyless entry. Finish with a handover record so the right people get in and old keys stop working.
What do you need to know before any lock work starts?
Start with the doors. The key behind the change often opens more than one lock, such as a back door, a storage room, or a gate. If only the front lock changes, the old key still works everywhere else. Walk the space and note every lock the current key turns.
Then list the people by role as well as by name: owner, manager, staff on each shift, tenants, cleaners. Roles outlast the individuals filling them. Beside each role, note who holds a key today, including copies you are unsure about.
Finally, write down why the lock is changing. The reason decides how far the change must reach. A lost key that cannot be traced, or someone who left on poor terms, means every old key should stop working at every door it opened. A planned upgrade with nobody leaving may only require adding people.
Matching the way access is shared to the method
Group people by the doors they need, not by job title. The shape of each group points to a method.
Many people, one door
A shared entrance suits rekeying. Rekeying means changing the small pins inside the existing cylinder so it takes a new key. The lock body stays on the door, and old keys stop turning it.
One person, many doors
Sometimes a manager needs every door but staff need only some. A master arrangement fits that case: each key opens its own doors, and one higher key opens several. Most of the planning happens on paper, so the access list carries the weight.
Copies you cannot control
If the worry is people cutting their own spares, restricted keys help. The key blank is not sold for general copying, so a new copy needs an authorized request. Restricted keys control future copies. They do nothing about keys already handed out.
Frequent turnover
When people come and go often, each departure means another rekey. Keyless entry or access control can suit that pattern, provided the system gives each person a separate code or credential. Some keyless locks hold only one shared code, which leaves you changing it for everyone whenever one person leaves. With individual entries, one person can be added or removed without touching anyone else's access. If the lock has a key override, decide who will hold that key.
New hardware, rather than rekeying, is the answer when a lock is worn, damaged, or the wrong type for the method you chose. Once the method is settled, agree on timing with the people affected, and tell key holders when their old keys will stop working.
Where people get left without access during the changeover
Access tends to break down at a few predictable points:
- Someone away during the change comes back to a door their key no longer opens.
- A door nobody knew the old key operated is still running on the old key.
- Old keys get collected before the new ones are tested.
- Codes are entered for daytime staff but not for cleaners or after-hours visitors.
Arrange for someone with authority to be present, and give anyone who needs entry during the work a way in. Afterward, try each new key or credential at every door it should open. Then try an old key at every door it should no longer open. Do both checks before the work wraps up, while adjustments are still simple.
What to hand over once the new keys and codes are out
The access list you started with becomes the record. Keep it where a second person can find it, and include:
- Each person or role, the key number or credential issued, and the date.
- The doors each key or credential opens.
- Old keys returned, and any still missing.
- Who can approve a new copy or a new code.
- What triggers the next change, such as a departure, a lost key, or a new door.
Update the record when someone joins or leaves, not only at the next lock change. A current list makes the next change a smaller job.
If you want to talk through your own doors and people before choosing a method, call Upper East Locksmith at (347) 444-9725. Rekeying, lock replacement, restricted keys, keyless entry, and access control are all part of its work, including commercial and storefront doors.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to rekey or replace locks when many people need access?
Rekeying is usually enough when the existing locks work well and the goal is to cut off old keys and issue new ones. Replacing locks makes more sense when the plan calls for a different kind of lock, such as one that takes restricted keys or keyless entry, or when doors with mismatched locks need to share one key.
How do I stop former employees or tenants from using old keys?
Collecting old keys helps, but it does not account for copies. To make an old key useless, change what the lock accepts by rekeying or replacing the cylinder at every door that key opened. On a keyless or access control system that gives each person their own code or credential, deleting that person's entry does the same job without affecting anyone else.
Can one key be made to open several doors after a lock change?
Often, yes. Locks that use the same type of cylinder can usually be set to take one key, which is called keying alike. Locks with different cylinder types may need new cylinders first. One key opening more doors also means a lost key affects more doors, so limit who carries it.
When is keyless entry easier than handing out more keys?
Keyless entry is easier when one lost key would mean rekeying a shared door again, or when access should differ by person. That advantage depends on the lock storing a separate code for each person, because a single shared code can be passed along as easily as a key. A small, stable group may do fine with ordinary keys.