In short:
- Start by asking how the keys went missing. Keys dropped somewhere anonymous are a smaller risk than a stolen handbag with your ID, your address and the gate remote in it.
- On a cylinder lock, the part that takes the key can usually be swapped on its own, and the new cylinder comes with its own keys. The lock body, handles and door stay as they are.
- A lever mortice lock has its key mechanism sealed inside the lock case. When those keys are compromised, fitting a new lock is often the practical answer.
- Replace the whole lock when it is worn, damaged, the wrong type for the door, or when you want all your doors on one key.
- We don't cut or copy keys. The keys you get come with the new cylinder or lock.
First, work out how exposed you are
"I've lost my keys" covers very different situations. Before you decide what to change, think about what someone who finds the keys can actually do with them. The questions that matter:
- Can the keys be linked to your home? A bunch with a tag showing your unit number, or kept in a wallet with your ID or a utility bill, tells the finder exactly which door they fit.
- Were they lost or taken? Keys that fell out of a pocket at the gym are a different risk from keys taken in a car break-in or a mugging. In the second case, assume someone wanted them.
- What else was on the ring? A gate or garage remote, an access tag for your complex, or the key to a safe changes the picture completely.
- Who else holds keys? If you can't account for every copy (ex-tenants, a builder, a former domestic worker, a family member who moved out), the lost bunch may just be the prompt to sort things out properly.
| What happened | Risk to your home | Sensible response |
|---|---|---|
| Keys lost somewhere, with nothing to identify you or your address | Low | Keep looking for a day or two, check with places you visited, and change the locks if they don't turn up or you'd simply rather be sure |
| Keys lost together with ID, post or anything showing your address | High | Change the outside door locks soon, and in the meantime secure the house as described below |
| Keys stolen (bag snatched, car broken into, house burgled) | High | Report it to SAPS, change the locks on every door those keys opened, and deal with any remotes or tags that were taken |
| You've just moved in, or don't know how many copies exist | Unknown | Treat it like a lost key: change the cylinders or locks on the outside doors |
If the keys were taken in a break-in, our guide to making doors and gates secure after a burglary covers the steps around SAPS and your insurer as well as the locks.
What "rekeying" means, and what it means here
Strictly speaking, rekeying means changing the small pins inside a cylinder so that a different key operates it. The lock hardware stays where it is; only the internal combination changes. It is common in the USA, where many house locks are built around a cylinder that a locksmith takes apart and re-pins.
Re-pinning an old cylinder means the new keys then have to be cut to match it, and Mobile Locksmith Roodepoort doesn't cut or copy keys. So when we talk about rekeying on this site, we mean the practical South African version: changing the part of the lock that takes the key, usually by fitting a new cylinder that is supplied with its own set of keys. The lock body, the bolt, the handles and the door aren't touched. Your old keys stop working the moment the new cylinder goes in.
Where the key mechanism can't be separated from the rest of the lock, "rekeying" isn't really an option and the lock itself is replaced.
Which locks can be changed by swapping one part
Whether you can get away with a new cylinder depends almost entirely on the type of lock. If you're not sure what you have, our guide to deadlocks, nightlatches and mortice locks explains how to tell them apart by looking at the door edge and the key.
| Lock | How to recognise it | What usually changes |
|---|---|---|
| Mortice lock made for a euro cylinder | Flat key with cuts or dimples; a round-and-tail shaped cylinder passes through the door | The cylinder only. It is held by one screw through the faceplate and can be changed without altering the bolt mechanism. |
| Rim nightlatch | Metal box on the inside face of the door, round cylinder on the outside | Often just the rim cylinder, if a matching one is available for that latch |
| Lever mortice lock (lockset or sashlock) | Key with a "flag" at the tip; keyhole shaped like a round hole with a slot | Usually the whole lock case, because the levers are inside it |
| Security gate lock | Lock box welded or bolted to the gate | Depends on the gate. Some take a replaceable cylinder; others need a matching replacement lock. |
| Padlock | On gates, garages, shutters | The padlock itself |
| Car key or remote | Transponder key or remote fob | A different job altogether: see car keys and car locksmith work |
| Safe key | Key-operated safe | Depends on the safe and the lock fitted: see safe repairs |
The euro cylinder is the easiest case. Wikipedia's article on cylinder locks notes that a profile cylinder can be changed without altering the boltwork, which is exactly why lost keys on these doors are usually a modest job. A lever lock is the opposite: the key operates levers hidden in the lock case, so there is no outside part to swap. Whether a particular lever lock can be re-levered depends on its make and condition. On everyday lever locksets, a new lock is usually the quicker and more economical choice.
When replacing the whole lock is the better call
Even when a cylinder swap would solve the key problem, there are good reasons to replace more than the cylinder:
- The lock was already giving trouble. A stiff bolt, a key that has to be jiggled or a handle that droops won't be fixed by a new cylinder. Fixing the lost-key problem and the wear at the same visit makes sense.
- It's a lever lock with only a couple of levers. ASSA ABLOY's South African Union range, for example, includes two-, three- and four-lever locksets. If you're replacing anyway, it's worth asking what a higher-lever or cylinder lock would cost for that door.
- You want one key for several doors. Cylinders can be ordered keyed alike, so the front door, the kitchen door and the security gate can share one key. ASSA ABLOY's locally sold Mzansi CYS00 cylinder, for instance, is offered keyed to differ, keyed alike or as part of a master key system.
- You'd like an anti-snap cylinder. If you're changing a euro cylinder anyway, the upgrade costs little extra effort. See euro cylinders and anti-snap upgrades.
- The door or frame is damaged. If the strike plate is loose or the frame is split, a new lock on a weak frame is wasted money. That needs attention first.
Until the locks are changed: what to do tonight
If you're worried about the keys being used before anything is changed, these steps help. None of them involve tampering with the lock.
- Use every lock you have. If the front door has a security gate with a different key, lock the gate. Use internal bolts and chains on doors that have them.
- Remove what the keys can open. If a remote or access tag was on the ring, speak to whoever manages your gate motor, garage door or complex access about removing it from the system. That's done on the receiver or the access system, not on the lock.
- Don't leave a spare key outside under a mat, pot or meter box for family arriving later. If the lost keys were taken deliberately, someone may be watching the house.
- Tell the people you live with, and anyone who works at the house, so that nobody leaves a door on the latch.
- If you can't secure the house at all (for example, the only working door is the one the lost keys open), call for help rather than waiting. We're open 24/7; see emergency locksmith call-outs.
If you're locked out because the keys are gone, don't force a window or kick the door. That damage usually costs more than the lock change. Our guide to being locked out of your house covers the first steps.
Rented home, complex or shared keys
If you rent, tell your landlord or agent before any lock is changed: the lease will usually say what you may alter, and the landlord may need a key. Under the Rental Housing Act, a landlord may deduct the cost of replacing lost keys from the deposit at the end of the lease, so it's better to agree the plan now. Our guide to lock changes when renting goes through this in more detail.
In a sectional title complex, the lock on your own unit is usually yours to deal with, but common-area keys, gate remotes and access tags are normally controlled by the body corporate or managing agent. Report the loss to them as well.
What to send us, and how the visit works
A few photos make it much easier to tell you what's likely to be needed:
- the door edge, close enough to read any brand or markings on the faceplate
- the outside of the lock where the key goes in
- a spare key, if you still have one, lying flat next to a ruler or coin
- the security gate lock, if that key was on the lost bunch too
Say how many doors and gates the lost keys opened and whether you'd like them all on one key. We come out to you; there's no shop or counter. R250 call-out fee. The technician assesses the job on site and gives you the price before any work starts. Nothing is done until you agree. Before changing locks we ask for proof of ownership or residence, so have something with your name and address handy. Payment is by EFT, cash or card.
When you're ready, book lock replacement in Roodepoort, or contact a mobile locksmith in Roodepoort and send the photos on WhatsApp.
Questions
Can you make me a copy of my key instead of changing the lock?
No. We don't cut or copy keys, and there's no shop or counter. If the old keys might be in someone else's hands, a copy wouldn't help anyway: the lock would still open for them. Changing the cylinder or lock gives you new keys and makes the old ones useless.
Do I have to change every lock in the house?
Only the locks the missing keys opened. Usually that means the outside doors and any security gates, and sometimes a garage or outbuilding. Internal doors rarely need changing unless a key to them was on the same ring.
Will I get enough keys with the new cylinder?
New cylinders come in the packet with a set of keys from the maker. The number varies by product, so ask before the work is done if you need more. Some higher-security cylinders come with a card, and extra keys can then only be ordered through the maker's authorised dealers.
Is a lost key covered by my home insurance?
Some policies include a benefit for replacing locks and keys and some don't, and the conditions vary. Check your policy wording or ask your insurer before the work is done, and keep the invoice. If the keys were stolen, they will almost certainly want a SAPS case number.
Need a locksmith to look at it?
If this hasn't solved the problem, our lock replacement service covers it. We're a mobile locksmith in Roodepoort, so we come to your door.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Rekeying — Rekeying defined as replacing the pins in a cylinder so a different key works, with the lock hardware left in place
- Wikipedia: Euro cylinder (pin tumbler lock types) — A profile cylinder can be changed without altering the boltwork; removal via a set screw
- Wikipedia: Mortise lock — Lever mechanisms inside the mortice lock case; lever versus cylinder mortice locks
- ASSA ABLOY South Africa: UNION locksets — Gower two-, three- and four-lever and euro-profile locksets sold in South Africa, listed as SABS approved
- ASSA ABLOY South Africa: Mzansi CYS00 double euro cylinder — Keyed to differ, keyed alike and master key options; supplied with keys
- Mul-T-Lock: MTL300 Break Secure 3XP Pro — Example of controlled key copying: extra keys only through authorised dealers with a valid card
- Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 (Government Gazette 20726, via PMG) — Section 5(3): deposit may be applied to the reasonable cost of repairing damage and the cost of replacing lost keys