Should you change the locks when you move house?

You've got the keys. A big bunch of them, half unlabelled, on a ring the previous owner clearly kept adding to for fifteen years. Every one of those keys was copied at some point, and you don't know how many of the copies are still out there. That's the case for changing the locks, and it's a strong one.

The gist

Change every external lock when you move in. You can't know who has a key to a house you've just bought, and the cost of changing the cylinders is small next to that uncertainty. On uPVC and composite doors it's usually just the barrel that changes, not the whole mechanism. Moving day is also the easy moment to upgrade basic cylinders to anti-snap ones.

Why the old keys are a problem

Think about who's had a key to your new house over the years:

• The previous owners and their grown-up children.
• Builders, decorators, plumbers given a key for a job.
• Cleaners, dog walkers, gardeners.
• Neighbours holding a spare.
• Estate agents — some keep copies for viewings and don't always account for them.

None of these people are likely to do anything. But "unlikely" isn't the standard you want for your front door, and the fix is cheap and quick.

Which locks to change

• Every external door. Front, back, side, patio, and the door from an integral garage into the house — that last one gets forgotten and it's a soft route in.
• Ground-floor window locks if they're the only security on an accessible window and you can't account for the keys.
• Not internal doors. Bedroom and bathroom locks are about privacy, not security. Leave them.

Barrel or whole lock?

It depends on the door:

• uPVC and composite doors use a euro cylinder — the barrel the key slides into. That pulls out with one screw and a new one goes in. The multipoint mechanism behind it is untouched. Quick and not expensive.
• Wooden doors usually have a mortice lock set into the edge, and a night latch on the face. Changing these means swapping the whole lock case, which takes longer.
• If a wooden door only has a night latch and no deadlock, moving in is a good time to add a BS 3621 mortice lock — a lot of insurers expect one.

A locksmith can look at your doors and tell you what each one needs. If you're moving anywhere in Bedfordshire, it's a standard job.

Getting everything on one key

You can have all the external cylinders keyed alike, so a single key opens the front, back and side doors. It's genuinely convenient — no more sorting through a bunch on the doorstep in the rain. The trade-off: lose that one key and every door is affected, so you'll want a spare with a neighbour. See locked out of your house for why that spare matters.

Renting: whose job is it?

If you rent, you generally can't change the locks without the landlord's agreement, and you'd normally have to put the originals back and hand over all keys when you leave. But if you've a genuine concern — a former tenant who never returned a key, say — ask the landlord to change them. Citizens Advice has guidance on where you stand. Many landlords will change locks between tenancies anyway; it's worth asking before you move in.

Just moved and want the locks sorted? Call 07362 773424 and we'll get it done.