Should You Rekey the Locks After Moving Into a Brooklyn Apartment?

Rekeying is not the same as replacing a lock. When a locksmith rekeys a lock, they open the lock cylinder and swap out the small internal pins — called the key pins and driver pins — so that the old key no longer works and a new key operates the lock instead. The lock body, the hardware, the strike plate, and the door frame all stay exactly as they are. Only the internal pin configuration changes. So if you're asking how do you rekey a door lock: a technician removes the cylinder, depins it using a plug follower and a rekeying kit matched to that lock brand, replaces the pins to match a new key cut, and reassembles. The whole process on a standard lock takes minutes for an experienced hand.

This matters enormously in Brooklyn apartments, where landlords often install quality hardware — particularly mortise locks — that would be expensive to replace. A mortise lock is a heavy-duty, recessed lock assembly common in pre-war brownstones and apartment buildings throughout neighborhoods like Crown Heights, Carroll Gardens, and Flatbush. The mortise lock body sits inside a cavity cut into the door edge and integrates the latch, deadbolt, and sometimes a chain mechanism into one unit. These locks are built to last decades, which is exactly why rekeying rather than replacing them is almost always the smarter call. Our team at Brooklyn Atlantic 24 Hour Locksmith works with mortise locks every day — we carry the pin kits and tools to rekey them on-site during a single visit.

The honest answer is: most locks, yes — but not all, and a few require special handling. Standard pin-tumbler locks from major hardware brands are straightforward to rekey, and a skilled locksmith can rekey a lock to match an existing key if you want all your doors on one key, which is a popular request for Brooklyn apartments with a front building door, a vestibule lock, and an apartment door. Wafer locks and some tubular locks used on older door knob lock setups can also be rekeyed, though the process differs. Mortise locks with interchangeable cores are particularly clean to rekey because the core pops out as a single unit.

Smart locks are a different conversation. Can you rekey a smart lock? It depends entirely on the make and model. Some smart locks have a physical key override cylinder alongside the electronic mechanism — that cylinder can often be rekeyed just like a conventional lock. Others are keypad-only or app-only and have no physical cylinder at all, meaning there is nothing to rekey in the traditional sense; instead, you reset the access codes, delete stored fingerprints, and revoke any Bluetooth or app permissions tied to the previous user. Can you rekey a Yale smart lock? Many Yale models with a physical key cylinder can be rekeyed by a qualified locksmith, but the process varies by model generation. Can you rekey a smart lock without the original key? On the physical cylinder, that depends on whether the lock can be disassembled without the key — in some cases a locksmith can pick or decode the cylinder to allow rekeying even without the original; in others, replacement is the cleaner path. If you have a smart lock on your new Brooklyn apartment and you're unsure what you have, call us before move-in day and we can assess it on-site.

This is the question almost every new Brooklyn tenant asks, and the answer depends on several real factors — not a single flat number. For rekeying, the variables that shape the final quote include the type of lock (a standard knob lock differs from a mortise lock in labor and parts), the number of locks being rekeyed, whether you want them all keyed alike, and the time of day the work is done — emergency locksmith calls outside regular business hours naturally reflect the around-the-clock availability our team provides. Travel distance within Brooklyn also factors in. For lock replacement, you add the cost of the new hardware itself, which can vary widely based on the grade and brand of lock you choose.

How much do locksmiths charge on average? Rekeying is nearly always the more cost-effective route because you're paying for labor and a small set of pins rather than entirely new hardware. Replacing a mortise lock, in particular, involves sourcing a compatible unit, mortising the door if the dimensions differ, and fitting new trim — that's a substantially larger job. The practical takeaway: if the existing lock is in good working condition, rekeying is almost always the right call on move-in day. At Brooklyn Atlantic 24 Hour Locksmith, we confirm an exact up-front price before any work begins — no surprises when the job is done. Call 718-841-7602 any time and we'll walk you through what the work involves for your specific locks before you commit to anything.

The front door is the obvious starting point, but a thorough move-in security check covers more ground than that. Brooklyn apartments often have multiple entry points: a building entrance with a shared mortise lock or intercom system, a back door or garden-level entrance in brownstones, window gates on ground-floor units, and sometimes a separate storage or basement lock. A professional locksmith walk-through can identify every lock that should be rekeyed or upgraded and spot weaknesses like worn strike plates, loose door frames, or low-grade door knob lock hardware that's past its useful life.

Beyond rekeying, consider whether the deadbolt throw is long enough to resist a kick-in — ANSI Grade 1 deadbolts with a one-inch throw are the standard recommendation for exterior doors. Mortise locks with anti-pick, anti-drill pins offer a meaningful security upgrade over basic builder-grade locks without requiring you to change the entire door prep. If you're in a ground-floor unit on a busy corridor like Atlantic Avenue or a side street in Bushwick where foot traffic is heavy late at night, an emergency locksmith assessment of your door and frame can catch vulnerabilities you'd never notice just looking at the lock face. Our team provides exactly this kind of full-door security review alongside rekeying services — it's one visit, not multiple contractors.

Whether you're a new tenant, a property owner, or a business manager, Brooklyn Atlantic 24 Hour Locksmith covers a wide range of residential, commercial, and automotive needs across every Brooklyn neighborhood. Here is what our experienced, insured team handles: residential lock rekeying (including mortise lock rekeying), residential lock replacement and upgrade, deadbolt installation and reinforcement, door knob lock installation and repair, master key system setup for multi-unit buildings, high-security lock installation, smart lock installation and code reset, mailbox lock replacement, window lock and gate lock service, lockout service for apartments and homes, commercial locksmith services for storefronts and offices, commercial mortise lock installation and rekeying, commercial grade deadbolt installation, push bar and panic hardware installation, access control system support, file cabinet and desk lock service, safe opening and combination changes, padlock replacement and rekeying, garage door lock service, car lockout service, automotive key duplication, transponder key programming, ignition lock cylinder repair and replacement, broken key extraction from locks and ignitions, and emergency locksmith response 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays. How much should an emergency locksmith cost? As with all our services, the quote for any emergency call reflects the lock type, time of day, location in Brooklyn, and parts required — and we give you that number before we start. How much does an emergency locksmith cost near me? Call 718-841-7602 and we'll give you an honest, straight answer for your specific situation with no obligation.