In short:
- Nobody can be sure how many copies of a rental's keys exist after a tenancy. Changing the outside cylinders or locks between tenants is the simplest way to start the new lease clean.
- The right time is after the outgoing tenant has moved out and handed the property back, and before the new tenant gets keys.
- Locks must never be changed to keep out a tenant who still lives there. That counts as an illegal eviction, and illegal lockouts are an unfair practice the Rental Housing Tribunal deals with.
- Agree in writing who may change locks during the lease, who pays, and who holds a key. This page is a plain summary, not legal advice.
Why locks are worth changing between tenants
Even careful tenants lose track of keys. Over a lease of a year or two, copies get made for a partner, a child, a gardener, a dog walker or a friend who kept an eye on the place over Easter. When the tenant hands back "all the keys", they're handing back the ones they remember.
For the landlord, a lock change protects the next tenant and the property. For the incoming tenant, it's peace of mind: you know the only keys that open your front door are the ones you were given. It's also a good moment to deal with locks that have become stiff or unreliable during the last lease, and to make sure the security gate and outside doors actually lock properly.
A full lock change isn't always needed. On doors with euro-profile cylinder locks, only the cylinder has to change, and the old keys stop working. Lever mortice locks are different, because the key mechanism is inside the lock case. Our guide on when to rekey and when to replace explains how the lock type decides this.
What the law says, in plain terms
Residential leases in South Africa are governed by the Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999, as amended. A further Rental Housing Amendment Act 35 of 2014 was signed into law, but as of November 2026 the government's own record of it still says its commencement is "to be proclaimed in a Government Gazette", so it is not yet in force. Check the current position before relying on any of this, and speak to an attorney or the Rental Housing Tribunal about your own situation.
The points that touch on keys and locks:
- Privacy and inspection. The Act gives the tenant a right to privacy during the lease. The landlord may inspect only in a reasonable manner and after reasonable notice. Keeping a key is not the same as having the right to use it whenever you like.
- Lost keys and the deposit. The Act's deposit rules let the landlord apply the deposit to amounts the tenant owes, including the reasonable cost of repairing damage and the cost of replacing lost keys. The receipts for those costs must be available for the tenant to inspect.
- Joint inspections. Landlord and tenant inspect together before the tenant moves in and again in the days before the lease ends. That's the natural moment to count and hand back keys, remotes and access cards.
- Returning access devices. Government guidance published in October 2026 says tenants must return keys, security cards and other access devices provided by the landlord when the tenancy ends.
- Unfair practices and the Tribunal. Gauteng has its own Unfair Practices Regulations, and the Gauteng Rental Housing Tribunal applies them alongside the Act. Government guidance lists illegal lockouts and forced entry into a rented property among the unfair practices the Tribunal can deal with, and says there is no fee for either party.
The one rule: never use a lock change to shut a tenant out
A landlord may not change the locks to keep out a tenant who still lives in the property, whether the rent is in arrears, the lease has expired or there is a dispute. A tenant's guide published by SERI and Wits University's CUBES explains that changing the locks while the tenant is out is an illegal eviction, along with intimidating a tenant to leave and cutting off services without a court order, and that a landlord who does this can be found guilty of an offence under the Rental Housing Act. Only a court can order an eviction.
If you're a landlord with a tenant who won't pay or won't leave, the routes are the Rental Housing Tribunal and the courts, usually with an attorney's help. If you're a tenant who has been locked out, the same guide says you can go to court to get back into your home, and you can approach the Tribunal.
In practice, this is why a locksmith asks questions before changing locks on a rented home. We ask for proof of ownership or residence before opening a door or changing a lock. If the job is a lock change between tenants, it helps to be able to show that the property has been vacated and handed back.
Hand-over checklist for landlords and agents
- Do the outgoing inspection with the tenant and list every key, remote, access card and tag handed back, against what was issued at the start of the lease.
- Note anything missing in writing. If keys are missing, keep the locksmith's invoice: the Act ties deductions for lost keys to receipts the tenant can inspect.
- Change the locks once the property is vacant and handed back, and before the new tenant moves in, not on the morning of the move.
- Decide what to change. Usually the outside doors and security gates, plus any padlocks on the garage, outside room or meter box. Internal doors rarely need it.
- Deal with remotes and access tags separately. Gate motors, garage doors and complex access systems are reprogrammed on the motor or the access system, normally by the installer or the body corporate's managing agent. That isn't a lock change.
- Test every lock and gate with the new keys, and label spares before they go into the key safe or agency file.
- Do the ingoing inspection with the new tenant, record the number of keys handed over, and get it signed.
For tenants: moving in, during the lease and moving out
Moving in. It's reasonable to ask whether the outside locks were changed after the last tenant. If they weren't, ask the landlord or agent to arrange it, or ask for written permission to arrange it yourself and to settle who pays.
During the lease. Read your lease before changing any lock. Many leases say the tenant may not alter the property without consent, or must give the landlord a key. Even where the lease is silent, changing a lock without telling the landlord sours the relationship and can become a deposit dispute. Get consent in writing, keep the original cylinder or lock if the lease says it must be refitted, and keep the invoice.
Lost keys. Tell the landlord or agent quickly. If the keys can be linked to the address, a lock change is sensible for everyone. Agree beforehand who's paying, because the cost of replacing lost keys can be deducted from the deposit.
Moving out. Hand back every key, remote and access card you were given, and ask for a written record of what was returned. If you changed a lock with the landlord's consent, hand over all the keys to the new lock as well.
What usually needs changing in a rental
| Lock point | Usual approach between tenants |
|---|---|
| Front and back doors with euro cylinder locks | Change the cylinders; consider ordering them keyed alike so one key does both |
| Doors with lever mortice locks | Replace the lock, or upgrade to a cylinder lock if the door suits it |
| Security gates | Change the gate lock or its cylinder, depending on the gate |
| Sliding doors | Check the hook lock and any extra locking device; replace if worn or if keys are missing |
| Garage, outside room, meter box padlocks | Replace the padlocks |
| Gate and garage remotes, complex access tags | Reprogrammed by the installer or access system manager, not by changing a lock |
If a sliding door or security gate was already giving trouble, fix it before the new tenant arrives: see why a sliding door won't lock and security gate locks that stick.
Booking a lock change on a rented property
We come out to the property; there's no shop to visit. Tell us how many doors, gates and padlocks are involved, and send photos of the locks if you can. If the landlord or agent won't be there, arrange for someone who can show proof of ownership or residence to meet the technician. 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. Payment is by EFT, cash or card, and you'll get an invoice to keep for the deposit records.
For tenant hand-overs and other home lock work, see our residential locksmith service and lock replacement, or start at our Roodepoort mobile locksmith page.
Questions
Can my landlord change the locks if I'm behind on rent?
No. A landlord who changes the locks to keep a tenant out is evicting them without a court order, which the Rental Housing Act treats as an offence. Arrears are dealt with through the Rental Housing Tribunal or the courts. If it happens to you, contact the Tribunal or an attorney straight away.
Can I change the locks on my rental without telling the landlord?
Check your lease first. Most leases require consent for alterations, and many require the landlord to hold a key for inspections and emergencies, which the landlord may only use after reasonable notice. Ask in writing, agree who pays, and keep the old lock or cylinder in case it has to go back at the end of the lease.
Who pays for a lock change between tenants?
The lease should say. If keys were lost during the tenancy, the Act allows the cost of replacing lost keys to come out of the deposit, supported by receipts. A routine change between tenants is something landlord and agent should agree on in advance, so the cost doesn't become an argument later.
Need a locksmith to look at it?
If this hasn't solved the problem, our residential locksmith service covers it. We're a mobile locksmith in Roodepoort, so we come to your door.
Sources and further reading
- Rental Housing Act 50 of 1999 (Government Gazette 20726, via PMG) — Section 4: tenant's right to privacy, inspection only after reasonable notice. Section 5(3): joint inspections; deposit applied to repair costs and the cost of replacing lost keys, with receipts available
- South African Government: Rental Housing Amendment Act 35 of 2014 — Commencement status shown as "to be proclaimed in a Government Gazette" (checked November 2026)
- SAnews: Know your rental rights — what tenants and landlords need to know (6 October 2026) — Rental Housing Tribunal free for both parties; illegal lockouts and forced entry as unfair practices; tenants return keys, security cards and access devices
- SERI and CUBES (Wits University): A Tenant's Guide to Rental Housing — Gauteng Unfair Practices Regulations and Rental Housing Tribunal; changing locks while the tenant is out is an illegal eviction and an offence under section 16 (law as at 30 September 2013)