Rekey Service in
Memorial City, Houston, TX

Three Roommates, a Landlord and a Key That Left Town

Rekeys often involve several people who all need to agree. Here's a typical example from a rented townhouse near the mall.

A little after six in the evening, one of three roommates sharing a townhouse off Barryknoll called us. A fourth roommate had moved out the month before, taking a job in Austin. He'd been fine to live with, but he'd never returned his key or his garage remote, and he'd stopped replying to texts. Nobody thought he'd come back. Still, a key to the house was out there, along with a garage remote, and one of the remaining roommates worked nights at the hospital and didn't love the idea.

The dispatcher took it one step at a time. Who owned the townhouse? A landlord who lived in Katy. Did the lease allow rekeying? With the landlord's permission. Could the caller get that permission in writing? She texted the landlord while still on the phone and as long as he got a key. How many doors? Front, back patio and the door from the garage. Did all three use the same key now? Yes, all Kwikset. The dispatcher booked a technician for later that evening when all three roommates would be home.

The technician arrived in uniform and showed his ID to the three of them at the door. He checked the caller's license and lease against the address, and read the landlord's text. Then he rekeyed each lock with his pinning kit at the kitchen table, one cylinder at a time, so the house was never left with a door that wouldn't lock. He keyed all three to a new key and cut four copies on his key-cutting machine in the van.

The garage remote was the other half of the problem. He cleared every remote from the opener's memory, re-paired the three remotes the roommates had, and changed the keypad code to one they chose together.

Each roommate tested her own key on all three doors. The fourth key went into an envelope for the landlord. The night-shift roommate said she'd finally sleep properly in the daytime.

The technician's advice: when anyone moves out, get the key and the remote back on the last day, and if you can't, rekey that week.

Rekeying, Explained

Rekey vs Change Locks

Rekeying keeps your hardware and changes the key. Changing locks replaces the hardware. If your locks work well and you like them, rekey. If they're worn, broken, low-grade or you want a different style, change them. See lock change.

The First Week in a New Place

A rekey after moving is the single most useful thing a new owner or tenant can do. You don't know how many keys the previous owners or tenants handed out: to cleaners, dog walkers, contractors, relatives. Rekey every exterior lock in the first week, and reset garage keypads and remotes at the same time. In the townhome rows around Memorial City, where garages open onto shared alleys, the garage matters as much as the front door.

One Key for Every Door

People ask us to key all locks the same more than anything else. If your front, back and garage doors use different keys, rekeying can put them all on one key, as long as the locks share a keyway. If they don't, we may swap a cylinder.

Lease Endings and New Tenants

A rekey between tenants protects both the landlord and the new tenant. Many owners near Memorial City rent to hospital staff, students and people on short work assignments, so turnovers come often. We can keep your properties on a schedule and come out the day a lease ends.

Roommates and Shared Houses

When a roommate leaves without returning a key, everyone else carries the risk. A rekey with the landlord's permission solves it in an evening.

Don't Forget the Opener

A rekey doesn't touch the garage. Clear old remotes from the opener's memory and change the keypad code at the same time.

Smart Lock Backup Cylinders

Smart locks still have a key cylinder. Rekey it along with the others, and delete old codes and users from the app.

Locks That Can't Be Rekeyed

Some low-grade, worn or damaged locks aren't worth rekeying. We'll tell you honestly and offer replacement options, and we can still key the new locks to match the ones we rekey.

Permission and ID

Owners, or tenants with written landlord approval. We check ID and the lease or deed.

Lost Keys With an Address on Them

A key ring lost with a driver's license, a mail key or anything showing your address should be treated as stolen. Rekey that day if you can. If the ring had a building fob or a gate remote, tell your property manager too, so it can be deactivated.

How We Get to You in Memorial City

A technician drives to you in Memorial City; there is no counter to walk up to and no shop to visit. Most rekeys are planned. Barryknoll and the streets behind the mall are easy to reach in the evening.

Organized Technicians

Our people arrive in uniform and show company ID first. They rekey one lock at a time so your house stays secure, count the keys they cut and hand them to you, and test every key in every lock before leaving. They'll write down which key fits which doors if that helps.

Fast Locksmith 24/7 is licensed and insured, with 5-star reviews from Houston customers on Google.

Rekey Service Around Memorial City

Around Memorial City, rekeys come from new owners of townhomes behind the feeder roads, renters sharing houses near the mall, landlords turning over units between tenants, and families in Spring Branch and the Villages who've lost track of their keys. Hospital and office workers on shifts value knowing exactly who can get in while they're sleeping or away. A rekey service in Memorial City is a quick visit for most homes.

Rekeying is the quiet fix for a loud worry. If a former tenant, a contractor or a roommate might hold a key, the locks can stay on the door while the keys change. Old keys stop working and new ones take over.

Gather the keys you have now, and think about who else might hold one. Past owners, tenants, cleaners and relatives all count.

Make a list of the locks you want rekeyed. Front door, back door, garage entry, patio slider and any gates or padlocks. We can set several to the same key so you carry fewer.

If a lock is worn or damaged, the technician will tell you. Rekeying keeps good hardware, and it is not the answer for every lock.

Label the new keys. A small tag noting which door each opens saves confusion in the first few weeks.

For townhomes and duplexes with shared walls, check whether a neighbor holds a spare. A quick call before the visit avoids a lockout afterward.

Hand out the new keys before the old ones stop working, so nobody ends up locked out.

Rekeying does not make a weak door stronger. If the frame is split or the strike held by short screws, we'll show you and suggest a repair.

Keep a short record of the date, the doors and who received keys. It helps the next time the question comes up.

Rekeying works best when the existing locks are in good shape. If a cylinder turns smoothly and the bolt throws fully, it is a fine candidate.

We also rekey locks in Memorial, Spring Branch and Westchase. For whole-house planning, see our residential locksmith page.

Retire Every Old Key

Call Fast Locksmith 24/7. Tell us how many doors, what brand of locks, and how many keys you need.