Situations in Which You Should Consider Replacing Your Locks

When You Lose Your Keys

You’ve looked all over the place, but you can’t find your keys. Someone else being in possession of your keys makes it easy to walk right in your door. It’s doubly important to change your locks if someone else stole your keys, even if you’re not sure if they know where you live. If this happens to you, call a locksmith as soon as possible to have the locks changed to eliminate this vulnerability.

When You Move In to a New Place

When you first move in to your home or apartment, you might be excited to get that set of keys that signified you having your own place. However, you can’t guarantee that there aren’t spare keys floating around out there to your existing locks. Although most tenants and sellers replace the locks before transferring ownership of their properties, this is not always the case. If previous tenants used the same locks as you currently have, there could definitely be spare keys that exist, and you might not know it until a stranger walks through your door one day.

Many apartment landlords are reluctant to let their tenants change the locks, but it’s worth discussing the issue frankly with them. Let them know your concerns and see if a compromise can be made.

When Your Locks Have Seen Better Days

If you’ve had your home for 15 or more years and you’ve never changed the locks, it’s probably time to consider doing so. Every lock gets worn out over time just from the normal use of everyday life. Worn out locks simply aren’t going to be able to do a good job protecting your home. Additionally, older styles of knob locks are more vulnerable to lock-picking and lock-bumping, two methods favored by thieves to defeat the locks.

Signs that your locks are becoming aged include your key sticking in the lock, visible scratches or damage, and difficulty turning the lock mechanism. Instead of jiggling your keys in your locks every time you go to open them, which will only inevitably cause more damage, consider having a locksmith coming in to assess your locks and provide you with solutions for replacing and even upgrading your existing hardware.

If Someone Leaves Your Residence

None of us want to think of our former friends or roommates as being criminals, but you never know who they may have shared keys with. It’s not worth the risk to trust that your locks are still safe. Let your roommate or other party know a specific deadline that they have to be out by and that you are changing the locks. Even if they claim to be giving you any spare keys, it’s best to trust your gut instincts in the situation and decide for yourself whether it’s worth the cost to change the locks.

Another scenario is if you’ve just experienced a bad breakup, are fighting with a friend, or are in the middle of a divorce. If that other party has a copy of your keys, it’s important just to be safe to completely change the locks. This avoids any unpleasant scenarios where they try to claim access to your residence.

As you can see, there are many situations in which it might be appropriate to change your locks. Only you can decide if it’s really necessary, but if you’re worried about the cost or the hassle, be sure to consider the potential cost of a break-in or other issues if you don’t change your locks. If you’re ready to discuss changing your locks, select a quality locksmith company like A1 Elmwood Park Locksmith to perform the job for you. Don’t try to change the locks yourself, as you want to make sure that they are installed expertly, without any issues that would make them vulnerable.