Home Rekeying Service
Moving into a new home in Scarborough, Etobicoke, North York, or anywhere across the Toronto area means inheriting a lock history you know nothing about. Previous tenants, old landlords, contractors, dog-walkers — any number of people could still have a working copy of your key. Rekeying every lock in the house to a single new key is the fastest and most practical way to take back control of who can open your door, and it is far less involved than a full lock replacement in most cases.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Licensed, bonded & insured
Lost a key set on the Scarborough Town Centre bus route? Had a break-in attempt on your Danforth-area semi-detached? Or simply want a fresh start after a messy roommate situation? Our mobile rekeying technicians come directly to your address, work on your existing hardware wherever possible, and leave you with one master key that operates every lock in the home — no damage, no drama, no waiting around at a shop.
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 Toronto, we reach the Toronto 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 Our Home Rekeying Service Actually Involves
Rekeying is the process of dismantling the lock cylinder and replacing the internal pin tumblers — the small spring-loaded pins that determine which key profile will operate the lock. When those pins are reset to a new combination, every previously cut key becomes useless, while your single new key works perfectly. No new lock hardware needs to be purchased in most cases, which keeps the process clean and efficient. Our technicians carry a wide inventory of pin kits and key blanks in their mobile units, so the work is completed on-site without a return visit.
We rekey all common residential lock types found across Toronto homes: door knob locks, deadbolts, lever-handle locks, and mortise locks. Mortise lock rekeying is a specialty worth highlighting — these older-style pocket locks are common in Toronto's pre-war duplexes, Edwardian semi-detacheds in the Annex, and converted multi-unit buildings throughout the east end. A mortise lock has a more complex body than a cylindrical lock, and the cylinder removal and re-pinning process requires specific tools and experience. Our trained technicians handle mortise lock rekeying regularly and treat every job with the same methodical care regardless of lock age or condition.
Home Rekeying Service After Moving In: Why It Cannot Wait
Ontario's rental market moves quickly, and key handovers between tenants are rarely airtight. When you move into a resale home or rental in Toronto — whether it's a Lawrence Park detached, a Leslieville Victorian row house, or a Scarborough bungalow — you have no reliable way to know how many copies of the original key exist. Real estate agents, stagers, cleaners, and prior owners' family members may each have had a copy cut at some point. The solution is not to assume the best — it is to reset the situation entirely with a professional rekeying appointment on or before your first night in the property.
Beyond the security argument, rekeying at move-in is also practical convenience. Rather than juggling separate keys for the front deadbolt, the side door knob lock, the back door, and possibly a basement entry, we pin every cylinder in the home to respond to a single new key cut. You hand your partner one key, keep a spare in a secure location, and the whole system works as a coordinated unit. Call us at (631) 380-4138 — we answer 24/7 — and we can schedule your move-in rekeying appointment any time of day or night, including same-day service.
Lost Keys, Lockouts, and Emergency Locksmith Situations We Handle
A lost key is more than an inconvenience — it is an active security gap. If keys have gone missing in a public place, on transit, or following a theft, the risk is real and time-sensitive. Our emergency locksmith response covers exactly these situations: a mobile technician reaches your address, verifies ownership of the property through standard checks, and rekeys every affected lock so the lost key is permanently deactivated. There is no need to replace the entire lock hardware unless the lock itself has been damaged, which keeps the process straightforward.
We also respond to door knob lock and deadbolt lockouts across the Toronto area around the clock. If you are locked out and cannot locate a spare key or access another entry point, call (631) 380-4138 for immediate dispatch. Our technicians use non-destructive entry methods wherever possible — meaning your door, frame, and lock hardware stay intact. Once inside, we can rekey the lock on the spot if you want to make the visit do double duty. The same trained, insured team that handles emergency calls also carries rekeying equipment, so there is no need to book a separate follow-up appointment.
Factors That Shape Your Rekeying Quote — and How We Price Transparently
We do not publish flat rates because every job involves variables that affect the final cost, and quoting a number without knowing those variables would be misleading. The factors our technicians consider include: the number and type of locks being rekeyed (a door knob lock rekeys differently from a mortise lock or a high-security deadbolt), the specific pin configuration required, the time of day your call comes in (overnight and holiday emergency locksmith dispatch involves different logistics), your location within the Toronto service area and how that affects technician travel, and whether any parts such as new cylinders or specialty key blanks are needed because your existing hardware cannot be re-pinned. We confirm an exact up-front price before any work begins — you approve the number, then we proceed. There are no surprises on the invoice.
If your locks are older and the cylinders have worn beyond reliable re-pinning, or if you want to upgrade to a higher-security option — Schlage or Kwikset deadbolts with anti-pick, anti-bump pin stacks, for example — we can discuss a full lock replacement as well. Some Toronto homeowners in neighborhoods like Wexford or Clairlea, where older hardware is common, find that replacement and rekeying to a master key combination is the better long-term investment. We will give you an honest assessment and a clear price for each option so you can decide without pressure.
Our Full Range of Residential and Related Services
Scarborough Locksmiths is a mobile operation — we come to you across the entire Toronto area, not just the Scarborough postal codes. Beyond home rekeying, our trained and insured technicians provide: mortise lock installation and repair, deadbolt installation, door knob lock replacement, lever-handle lock installation, high-security lock upgrades, master key system setup for multi-unit properties, key duplication on-site, smart lock installation and troubleshooting, sliding door lock repair, patio door security bar installation, window lock installation, garage side-door rekeying, storage unit lock replacement, mailbox lock rekeying, padlock rekeying, broken key extraction from cylinders, door frame and strike plate reinforcement, lock lubrication and maintenance service, peephole installation, chain lock and door guard installation, keypad and electronic lock programming, emergency lockout response, post-break-in lock assessment and replacement, commercial locksmith services for small business owners in the area, apartment and condo unit rekeying, and after-hours emergency locksmith dispatch. Whether the job is a single door knob lock on a Scarborough townhouse or a full commercial locksmith overhaul for a Kennedy Road retail unit, we carry the tools and parts to handle it from our fully stocked mobile units.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to rekey all the locks in a typical Toronto home?
Most single-family homes with three to five lock cylinders — a front deadbolt, front door knob lock, back door, and side entry — take between 45 minutes and 90 minutes from the time our technician arrives. Homes with more entry points, older mortise lock hardware, or locks that need lubrication before they can be serviced may take a bit longer. We give you a realistic time estimate when you call, and our mobile units carry everything needed to complete the job in one visit.
Is rekeying a mortise lock more complicated than rekeying a standard deadbolt?
Yes, it involves more steps. A mortise lock is a pocket-style lock body that sits inside a routed cavity in the door edge — common in older Toronto homes and apartments. Removing and re-pinning the cylinder inside a mortise lock requires specific tools and familiarity with the mechanism. Our technicians have hands-on experience with mortise locks of various ages and manufacturers, including the older cylindrical formats found in pre-1960s Toronto housing stock. The job is done carefully and without damage to the door or lock body wherever the hardware is in serviceable condition.
What do I need to show to prove I own or rent the property before you rekey my locks?
We ask for reasonable ownership or occupancy verification before beginning any rekeying work — this is a standard and responsible practice. Acceptable documents typically include a government-issued photo ID matching the address, a utility bill, a lease agreement, a property deed, or a move-in confirmation from a real estate agent. If you are in an emergency locksmith situation and do not have documents on hand, our technician will discuss the situation with you directly. We never rekey a lock without confirming the requester has a legitimate claim to the property.
Can you rekey my locks to match a key I already use — like my building mailbox key?
In some cases, yes, depending on the keyway and manufacturer. If your mailbox key and your entry lock use the same keyway profile, a skilled technician can re-pin the entry lock to match that key. However, many mailbox locks use restricted or proprietary keyways that cannot be duplicated or matched in the field. When you call (631) 380-4138, describe the locks you have and our team can tell you whether a match is feasible before we even arrive. We will never tell you it is possible and then reverse course on-site.
How is the cost of a home rekeying job determined?
Several factors go into the final quote: the number of locks being rekeyed, the lock types involved (a door knob lock, a deadbolt, and a mortise lock each have different labor requirements), whether any replacement parts or cylinders are needed, the time of day the service is requested, and travel distance within the Toronto service area. Emergency locksmith calls outside regular hours involve different logistics that are reflected in the quote. What we commit to is giving you the exact price up front — before any tools come out — so you decide whether to proceed with full information.
Do you rekey locks in apartment units and condos, or only detached houses?
We rekey locks in all residential settings across Toronto: detached houses, semi-detacheds, townhouses, basement apartments, condo units, and multi-unit rental properties. For landlords managing several units, we can also set up a master key system so a single key operates common areas while individual tenants have unique keys for their own units. If you manage a building along Sheppard, Kingston Road, or anywhere else in the Toronto area, call us at (631) 380-4138 and we can discuss a service plan that works for your property.
Locked out or need a lock fixed? We are on the way.
We answer 24/7 — talk to a real local locksmith now.
(631) 380-4138