In short:
- Key control means knowing, at any moment, every key, remote and code that opens your property and who holds it.
- A written key register costs almost nothing and does a lot of the work.
- Patented key systems with an ownership card limit who can have copies made. Ordinary keys can be copied by anyone holding one.
- For short-lets, Airbnb advises a unique access code for each booking guest. Codes are easier to cancel than keys are to collect.
- Never change locks to keep a tenant out. Lockouts are unlawful and go to the Rental Housing Tribunal or the courts.
Why keys drift when occupants change
A family home has a few keys and a few people. A rental is different. Over a few years, keys pass through tenants, their partners, domestic workers, garden services, letting agents, plumbers, cleaners and, for short-lets, a stream of guests. Each hand-over is a chance for a key to be copied, lost or simply not returned.
The aim isn't to treat everyone as a suspect. It's to be able to answer one question honestly: "Who can open this door today?" If you can't, you don't really know whether the property is secure, and neither does the person living there.
Start with a key register
A key register is a simple record kept by you or your agent. It can be a notebook or a spreadsheet. What matters is that it's kept up to date every time something changes hands.
| Item | Opens | Held by | Date issued | Date returned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key no. 1 | Front door, security gate | Tenant | Key stamp or number if any | ||
| Key no. 2 | Front door, security gate | Tenant | |||
| Key no. 3 | Front door | Letting agent | For inspections, by notice | ||
| Gate remote | Driveway gate | Tenant | Remote serial number | ||
| Keypad code | Back door | Cleaner | Delete when the arrangement ends |
- Number every key, even with a paint dot or a tag, so you can tell them apart.
- Get a signature, or a WhatsApp acknowledgement, whenever a key changes hands.
- Count keys at the move-in and move-out inspections, alongside the meter readings.
- Don't label keys with the address. A tag that says "Unit 4, back door" helps whoever finds a lost bunch.
- Keep spare keys locked away, not on a hook by the door.
Restricted and patented key systems
An ordinary key can be copied by anyone who holds it, which is why a register can only tell you who should have keys. Patented key systems narrow that gap. ASSA ABLOY describes its CY110 patented cylinder as coming with a patented key card, with copies made only by authorised locksmiths who have the correct tools, on presentation of the owner's unique PIN code and security card. It also notes that a patent runs for up to 20 years.
For a landlord, the practical effect is that a tenant can't simply have extra keys made at a hardware counter; copies go through an authorised channel, and the card stays with you. Keep the card and PIN somewhere separate from the keys.
We don't cut or duplicate keys and have no shop or counter. If you need extra keys for a patented system, go through that system's authorised channel with your card. Our part is fitting, repairing and replacing locks and cylinders on site.
If you own several units or a property with outbuildings, a master-key arrangement may help: each door has its own key, and one master key opens several. Union's commercial locks in South Africa list master-keyed and grand-master-keyed options. The trade-off is that a lost master key affects every door it opens, so it needs even tighter control than the rest.
Short-lets: codes instead of keys
Airbnb lists the usual self check-in options as a key lockbox, a smart lock, a keypad, or access through building staff who are available 24/7. Each has a different key-control picture:
- Lockbox: holds a physical key. The key leaves with each guest and comes back, but you can't tell whether it was copied in between. Change the lockbox code for every booking.
- Keypad or smart lock: no physical key changes hands. Airbnb's hosting advice is to give each booking guest a unique access code, whichever method you use. Delete the code when the stay ends.
- Building staff: keys stay with the building, but you're relying on the building's own procedures.
For a short-let, a keypad or smart lock is usually the cleanest way to keep track of access, but it brings its own questions about batteries, backup keys and the data the lock collects. Our guide to smart and keypad door locks covers those. In a sectional title building, check the conduct rules before fitting one to a front door that faces a shared corridor, as explained in upgrading an apartment front-door lock.
When to change a cylinder or a code
| What happened | Sensible response |
|---|---|
| Tenant moved out and returned every key on the register | Consider a cylinder change anyway if keys could have been copied; it's a small cost against an unknown copy |
| Tenant moved out and a key is missing | Change the cylinder or lock before the next tenant moves in |
| Short-let guest checked out | Delete their code; change the lockbox code |
| Cleaner, agent or contractor no longer working for you | Collect keys and remotes; delete their codes |
| Master key lost | Treat every door it opens as compromised |
| Break-in or attempted break-in | Have locks and frames checked, and change anything damaged |
On most euro-cylinder locks, changing the cylinder rather than the whole lock is enough, and quicker. On lever mortice locks, the lock body itself usually needs replacing.
The line you never cross
Don't change the locks to keep a tenant out, even if rent is unpaid. Changing locks without the tenant's consent is an unlawful deprivation of the tenant's possession, and self-help eviction is prohibited under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act (PIE). The tenant can go to court urgently to get back in, and the Rental Housing Tribunal deals with "unlawful eviction or lockout" as its own type of complaint, free of charge.
The lawful route runs through notice, the lease and, if needed, eviction proceedings, and that's a matter for your attorney. When we're asked to open or change a lock, we ask for proof of ownership or residence first. A lock change between tenancies, with the property empty, is a normal job; a lock change aimed at an occupant is not something to ask a locksmith for.
Booking a lock change on a rental
When you contact us, it helps to say:
- which doors and gates need attention, with a photo of each lock
- whether the property is empty, and who will let the technician in
- whether you hold a key card for a patented system
- for a unit in a complex, how the technician gets past the gate or guardhouse
Our residential locksmith service covers rental houses, cottages and flats, and lock replacement covers cylinder and lock changes between tenants. As a fully mobile locksmith in Johannesburg we come to the property, 24/7. There's an R250 call-out, the technician quotes on site before any work starts, and payment is by EFT, cash or card.
Questions
Can you make extra keys for my tenants?
No. We don't cut or duplicate keys. For a patented system, extra keys go through the system's authorised channel with your key card. We can fit and replace locks and cylinders on site.
Should I change the locks between every tenant?
It's sensible whenever you can't be sure who has keys, for example if a key is missing or the old keys could have been copied. On many doors, a cylinder change is enough.
My tenant hasn't paid rent. Can I change the locks?
No. That's an unlawful lockout. Speak to an attorney about the lawful eviction process. The tenant can complain to the Rental Housing Tribunal or apply to court to get back in.
Need a locksmith to look at it?
If this hasn't solved the problem, our residential locksmith service covers it. We're a mobile locksmith in Johannesburg, so we come to your door.
Sources and further reading
- ASSA ABLOY: How important is key copy protection to you? Understanding patent protection — patented cylinder with key card; copies by authorised locksmiths on presentation of PIN and card; patents up to 20 years
- ASSA ABLOY South Africa: Union sash locks (commercial) — keying options including master-keyed and grand-master-keyed
- Airbnb Help Centre: What is self check-in? — lockbox, smart lock, keypad and building-staff check-in options
- Airbnb: The dos and don'ts of providing self check-in — give each booking guest a unique access code
- Cape Coastal Homes: Can a landlord change a terrible tenant's locks when he is at work? — changing locks without consent is unlawful; PIE Act; urgent court order; Rental Housing Tribunal
- Evictions.org.za: The Rental Housing Tribunal — unlawful eviction or lockout complaints; free process