Blecher_onthe_Hudson t1_iybayt6 wrote on November 30, 2022 at 2:59 AM

I find myself saying this a lot, but the 'handymen' around would probably be a lot cheaper for this basic maintenance stuff than an actual locksmith, as with any of the 'DIY grade' maintenance for people who just don't have the skills themselves.

That said, my favorite local locksmiths to visit their stores are NJ Locksmiths & SW Locksmiths, both on Kennedy in N Bergen & Union City respectively. Their customer service is SO much better than Monaco Downtown.

pixel_of_moral_decay t1_iybfj2h wrote on November 30, 2022 at 3:36 AM

Disagree for this job.

Most handymen will just swap with a Home Depot box store lock.

Most condo's are mortice locks and a locksmith can rekey them in a few minutes for a nominal charge. Faster, cheaper, and likely a better quality lock cylinder installed than you'd find in Home Depot.

If the lock was broken, and you secured a replacement that you needed installed, then yes, I'd go with a handyman.

Blecher_onthe_Hudson t1_iybjig6 wrote on November 30, 2022 at 4:10 AM

If rekeying is what the OP wanted, then of course you're right. They didn't really specify with "change the condo entrance door". If it's a new or renovated small building, it could easily be a cylindrical latch instead of mortise.

Ever rekey DIY? It's a fun way to go insane chasing tiny parts! I took the Kwikset SmartKey Kool-aid a while back for my rental doors. So, so easy to rekey, but not very secure. However if a burglar is informed enough on how to force them they'll likely be able to defeat most low end door locks. Most burglars around here aren't very bright and use brute force anyway!

pixel_of_moral_decay t1_iybk2er wrote on November 30, 2022 at 4:15 AM

I heard those are among the least secure locks at one point, so never considered it.

Good locksmith will rekey and leave you with however many new keys you need in no time. Or repair a lock if broken pretty quickly. They’re ultimately simple devices. Just takes skill to deal with the tiny parts and reassemble.

Blecher_onthe_Hudson t1_iyeuzhh wrote on November 30, 2022 at 9:38 PM

Many landlords simply have a drawer full of locksets and swap them out when a tenant leaves. Paying hundreds for a locksmith visit is wasteful.

pixel_of_moral_decay t1_iyf16n9 wrote on November 30, 2022 at 10:20 PM

I’ve heard of some just bringing in old cylinders to be rekeyed then picking them up with new keys. Likely pretty cheap low priority kinda thing. Keep an extra cylinder or two around. It’s only a few screws to replace them. Just don’t misplace or confuse the keys.

Blecher_onthe_Hudson t1_iyf5zlv wrote on November 30, 2022 at 10:55 PM

If you have multiple properties you don't even need to rekey, just move them around. If a key is 'fallow' for a year or 3 it's unlikely a sketchy tenant will then turn up at another location and see if their key works! Of course the best plan is don't rent to sketchy tenants.