Lock Rekey & Change
When you move into a new apartment on Knickerbocker Avenue, take over a storefront near the Myrtle-Broadway corridor, or just hand off keys after a tenant turnover, one question matters more than most people realize: who else still has a working key to your lock? Past tenants, former roommates, previous owners, old property managers — any of them could have copies floating around Brooklyn. A professional lock rekey or full lock change is the single most reliable way to cut that uncertainty off at the source.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Licensed, bonded & insured
Bushwick NY Locksmith is a mobile locksmith team based in Brooklyn, dispatching trained and insured technicians around the clock to addresses across Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, East New York, Ridgewood, and the surrounding neighborhoods. We come to you — no shop drop-off, no waiting. Whether you need a straightforward door lock rekey on a single apartment unit or a coordinated lock rekey set across an entire multi-family building, we handle it on-site, damage-free where the existing hardware allows, and we confirm your exact price before a single pin is touched.
What we do
Available 24/7
Day, night, weekends and holidays — a real local locksmith answers and rolls a fully-stocked van.
Fast local response
Based in Brooklyn, we reach the Brooklyn area in well under an hour.
Insured & background-checked
Vetted technicians, up-front pricing, and no surprise add-ons when we arrive.
Damage-free entry
We pick and bypass locks the right way, so most lockouts are solved without drilling anything.
What Lock Rekeying Actually Does — and When It's the Right Call
Rekeying a lock means a locksmith disassembles the cylinder and replaces the internal driver and key pins with a new configuration that matches a freshly cut key. The lock body, deadbolt, and door hardware all stay in place — only the pin stack changes. The result is that every previously cut key becomes useless, while you walk away with new keys that work only for you. It costs less than full hardware replacement in most cases because the labor is precise rather than extensive, making it the go-to solution whenever the existing lock is in solid mechanical condition and you simply need to invalidate prior access.
The right moment for a house lock rekey is almost always a transition: a new lease signing, a property sale closing, the end of a roommate arrangement, or any situation where you can no longer account for every key copy that left the building. It's equally smart after a contractor project where workers held keys, or following a breakup or domestic dispute where shared access becomes a safety concern. For landlords managing units across Bushwick or Bed-Stuy, scheduling a rekey between every tenancy isn't just good practice — in New York, it's increasingly expected as a basic duty of care to incoming renters.
Lock Rekey vs. Full Lock Change: How We Help You Decide
A full lock change — swapping out the entire lockset or deadbolt — makes more sense in specific circumstances: the existing hardware is worn, outdated, or was a cheap builder-grade unit that no longer latches cleanly; the door frame has been repaired and the old bolt no longer aligns; you want to upgrade to a higher-security cylinder like a Medeco or a Schlage B-series deadbolt; or you're adding a smart lock with integrated keypad or app access. Smart lock rekey options also exist for certain electronic deadbolts that use re-programmable physical cylinders, though in many cases a smart lock 'rekey' actually means resetting the digital credentials — something our technicians handle on-site for compatible Schlage, Kwikset, and Yale lock systems. If you're unsure which path fits your door, our team will assess the hardware in person and give you a clear recommendation with no pressure.
For commercial properties — restaurants, bodegas, offices, and warehouses in the industrial pockets along Flushing Avenue or the retail strips on Myrtle — a business lock rekey or commercial lock rekey often involves multiple entry points and may need to integrate with a master-key system. We build or modify master-key hierarchies so a property manager or owner holds a grand master while individual tenants or departments only access their designated zones. That kind of layered access control isn't possible with a simple DIY pin swap; it requires precise key-bitting calculations and properly sourced blank stock, which is exactly the work our experienced locksmith technicians carry out on every commercial call.
Our Lock Rekey & Change Services: What's Included
Our mobile locksmith service covers a wide range of rekey and lock-change work for residential, commercial, and multi-unit properties across Brooklyn. Specific services we perform include: residential deadbolt rekeying, residential knobset and lever-handle rekeying, multi-unit apartment lock rekey sets (all units keyed alike or keyed differently per your layout), master-key system creation and modification, master-key system re-pinning after tenant changes, high-security cylinder upgrades (Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Schlage Primus), standard Schlage deadbolt installation and rekey, Kwikset SmartKey rekey (using the SmartKey tool on compatible hardware), Yale lock rekey for compatible Yale cylinders, electronic smart lock credential reset and cylinder rekey, full deadbolt replacement on wood and metal doors, full knobset replacement, mortise lock cylinder replacement and rekey, rim lock and gate lock rekeying (common on Brooklyn brownstone side gates), padlock rekeying for compatible rekeyable padlock models, mailbox lock replacement, intercom-entry lock cylinder replacement, storefront door cylinder rekey, office suite lock rekey, warehouse roll-up door lock cylinder replacement, restricted keyway system setup (keys that cannot be duplicated at a hardware store), duplicate key cutting to the new bitting on-site, emergency after-hours rekey following a break-in or lost-key incident, and full door hardware replacement packages when an upgrade makes more sense than a rekey. If you have a lock type or door configuration not listed here, call (347) 572-7821 — our technicians have handled nearly every residential and commercial lock profile found in Brooklyn's mix of pre-war brownstones, postwar brick walk-ups, and modern mixed-use construction.
Pricing, Response, and What to Expect on the Day
We don't post flat rates on this page because the real cost of a lock rekey service depends on factors that vary from job to job: the type and brand of lock cylinder (a basic Kwikset pin tumbler takes different tooling and time than a Medeco biaxial), the number of units or cylinders being serviced, whether parts like new cylinders or keyway blanks need to be sourced, time of day (overnight and holiday calls carry a different rate than a Tuesday afternoon appointment), and travel distance within our Brooklyn service area. What we do commit to is this: before any work begins, your technician will inspect the hardware, confirm exactly what's needed, and give you a firm up-front price. You approve it, then work starts — no surprise charges at the end.
When you call or text (347) 572-7821, a real person picks up at any hour. We dispatch from within Brooklyn, so arrival times across Bushwick, East Williamsburg, Cypress Hills, and neighboring ZIP codes are generally faster than services staging from outside the borough. Our technicians arrive in a marked mobile unit stocked with pin kits, blank stock, and common cylinder profiles so most rekey jobs wrap up in a single visit. We verify ownership or tenancy before beginning work — a step that protects you as much as it protects the property — and we work carefully to avoid cosmetic damage to door finish or frame. When the job is done, you'll receive all newly cut keys and, on request, a written summary of the work performed.
Frequently asked questions
How is rekeying different from just changing the locks?
Rekeying keeps your existing lock hardware in place and replaces only the small internal pins inside the cylinder so that old keys no longer work. Changing the locks means replacing the entire lockset or deadbolt with new hardware. Rekeying is typically the faster and less expensive option when the lock itself is in good working condition — changing makes more sense when the hardware is worn, you want a security upgrade, or you're switching to a smart lock platform.
How long does a typical lock rekey take on a Brooklyn apartment?
A single residential cylinder — a standard deadbolt or knobset — usually takes a trained locksmith 15 to 30 minutes on-site, including disassembly, re-pinning, reassembly, and cutting new keys. Multi-unit jobs or master-key builds take longer depending on the number of cylinders involved. We'll give you a time estimate when you call so you can plan accordingly.
Can you rekey my locks so that one key opens all the doors?
Yes. Keying multiple locks alike — where a single key operates every deadbolt and entry door in your home or unit — is one of the most common requests we handle. We re-pin each cylinder to match the same key bitting. For landlords or building managers, we can also set up a master-key system where individual tenant keys work only on their own unit while a master key operates all units.
Do I need to be present, or can my property manager let you in?
Someone with documented authority over the property does need to be present or reachable to verify ownership or tenancy before we begin — this is a standard verification step that protects property owners and tenants alike. That can be the homeowner, a leaseholder, or an authorized property manager. We'll confirm what documentation works when you call to schedule.
What factors affect the price of a lock rekey service?
Several things determine your final quote: the type and brand of lock cylinder (standard pin tumbler vs. high-security or smart lock), how many cylinders or units are involved, whether any parts like new cylinders or restricted keyway blanks need to be supplied, time of day (after-hours and holiday rates differ from standard hours), and your location within our Brooklyn service area. We always confirm an exact up-front price before any work begins — you'll know the full cost before you commit.
Do you rekey smart locks and electronic deadbolts?
Yes. For smart locks with a physical key cylinder — common on Schlage, Kwikset, and Yale lock models — we can rekey the cylinder just like a traditional lock. For fully electronic locks without a physical cylinder, a 'rekey' means resetting the digital access codes and credentials, which we also handle on-site. We'll assess your specific hardware and explain the right approach when we arrive.
Locked out or need a lock fixed? We are on the way.
We answer 24/7 — talk to a real local locksmith now.
(347) 572-7821