New Home Lock Checklist: What to Do After You Get the Keys

Why the first week matters

When you take possession of a home, you inherit an unknown number of keys. The sellers, the agents, the inspectors, the appraisers, the previous tenants, the painters and the cleaners may each have held one. Nothing suggests anyone will misuse them, but you cannot confirm it, and that uncertainty is exactly what a move in checklist is meant to remove.

The first week is also when you have the most freedom. The house is probably empty or half packed, your schedule is flexible and the doors are not yet blocked by furniture. Technicians can reach every lock easily, and you can test everything without interrupting daily life. Waiting a few months usually means working around beds, couches and a family routine.

Think of this as a short project with a clear start and finish. You will gather the keys you were given, decide what to change, get the work done, test it and record what you have. By the end, you will know exactly how many keys exist and who holds them. That knowledge alone is worth the effort, and it carries over to every later decision about your home.

Step one: collect and count every key

Begin by gathering everything you received at closing or from the landlord: house keys, mailbox keys, garage remotes, gate fobs, shed keys, window keys, keys for the pool area and any access cards. Lay them out on a table and label each one with masking tape so you know which door it belongs to. This takes ten minutes and saves hours of confusion.

Test each key in its lock. Walk through the house and try every key in every door, including side doors, patio sliders and the garage entry. Note which ones stick, which turn with effort and which do nothing. A key that fails may be a copy that was cut badly, or it may belong to a lock that was replaced. Mark the mystery keys and set them aside, since one of them may open a shed, a storage cage, a utility closet or a neighbor's shared gate that nobody mentioned at closing. Do not throw them away until you have asked the sellers or the association what they belong to, and keep them in a labeled envelope rather than loose in a drawer where they will be mixed with keys you actually use.

Ask the seller, agent or landlord how many copies exist. You may get an honest answer or a vague one. Either way, write down what you were told. If the number is more than you expected, or if no one knows, that is a signal to rekey sooner. For background on that decision, our guide on rekeying versus replacing locks explains how each option works.

Step two: rekey the entry doors

Rekeying is the usual first move for a new home. The technician changes the pins inside each cylinder so a new key fits and every old key stops working. The locks themselves stay, so the doors look the same, and the project is much less disruptive than replacing hardware. All your entry points can be set to the same new key, which is convenient for a family.

Think about which locks to include. Front door, back door, garage entry door, side doors and any patio slider with a keyed lock are the obvious candidates. Do not forget outbuildings, a mailbox and gates if you control them. A mixed approach is fine: some doors on one key, a shed on another. Our page on lock rekeying describes what the visit looks like.

If you live in a condo or an association community, check the rules before you change anything. Some buildings use master key systems or require approval for exterior hardware, and requirements vary. Ask your association or building manager what is allowed. See our guide on condo lock rules and keys for the questions to bring.

• Count every key and fob you were handed and label each one.
• Test each key in each lock and note any that stick or fail.
• Rekey all entry doors so previous keys stop working.
• Include side doors, patio locks, gates, sheds and the mailbox.
• Ask the technician how many new keys you received and make a list.

Step three: inspect the locks and the doors

While the technician is on site, ask them to look at the hardware. A lock that was fine for the sellers may be worn, loose or poorly fitted. Check that the deadbolt throws fully into the strike without scraping, that the latch snaps into place and that the door closes without a shove. Small adjustments now prevent a stuck lock on a stressful evening.

Pay attention to the strike plate and the frame. Short screws that hold only the trim are common in older homes, and longer ones that reach the structural framing add real strength. Our page on door frame and strike plate security explains why it matters. If you find cracks, soft wood or damage, mention it, since a lock cannot work well in a failing frame.

Look at the quality of the lock itself. Is it a sturdy deadbolt, or a flimsy builder set? Are the handles loose? Does the finish look worn? You do not have to replace everything at once, but it is good to know which doors have strong hardware and which have the weakest. To understand what the grades mean, read understanding lock grades.

Step four: garage doors, openers and remotes

The garage is often the most overlooked entry. Previous owners may have programmed several remotes, keypads and phone apps, and each one can still open the door unless you clear them. Find the opener motor and look for a learn button, usually on the back or side. Following the manufacturer's instructions, you can erase the stored remotes and program only the ones you hold.

Check the keypad on the outside as well. Change the code from whatever it was to something new that you choose. Avoid obvious numbers. Look at the manual release cord and make sure you know how to disconnect the door from the opener in a power outage, and how to reconnect it afterward. Also test the safety reversal feature according to the instructions that come with the opener.

Then look at the door between the garage and the house. It is an exterior door in effect and should have a solid deadbolt and a properly fitted strike. If its lock is weak or missing, upgrade it. Our guides on gate and garage entry security and garage side door lock problems go into more detail. A strong front door means less if the garage entry is easy.

If you have a gated driveway or a community gate with its own remotes, ask the previous owner or the association how to transfer or reset them. Gate operators often store codes separately from the house, and a leftover remote in a former owner's car can keep working long after the sale. Management or the gate vendor can tell you how to clear and reissue them, and it is a small step that closes a quiet gap in a lot of newly purchased homes.

Step five: spare keys and who gets them

Once the locks are changed, decide how many keys you want and who should have them. One for each adult in the household is typical. A spare is also wise, but where it lives matters. A magnetic box under the bumper or a key under the doormat is a bad habit, since those are the first places anyone checks. A trusted friend, a family member or a lockbox you control are better options.

Write down every key you have cut and who holds it. A simple note in a private file works. When a key goes missing, you will know right away which door is affected and whether another rekey is needed. If you share keys with a cleaner, a pet sitter or a contractor, consider giving them a copy only for the time they need it and getting it back afterward.

Compare the choices in our guide on spare key strategies, which weighs each option plainly. If you are drawn to keypad or smart locks to avoid handing out physical keys, that is a reasonable path, and the next section explains what to consider before you install one.

Step six: consider upgrades, including smart locks

A new home is a natural time to consider upgrades. Perhaps the front door has a basic knob lock and you want a stronger deadbolt. Perhaps the family would enjoy a keypad on the back door so children do not need keys. Perhaps you want a smart lock that logs entries and lets you give guests temporary codes. These are all reasonable goals.

Take it step by step. Fix the basics first, which means a solid door, a good frame, a proper strike and a fully throwing bolt. Then add convenience. A smart lock on a poorly fitted door will struggle, drain batteries and frustrate you. Read about smart lock installation and smart lock security basics to understand the habits that make it work.

Do not forget windows and sliding doors. Window latches can be weak, and sliding doors often have a simple hook that loosens over time. Adding a secondary lock or bar may be an easy improvement. Our page on security for sliding doors explains what to check. Whatever upgrades you choose, keep a record of what was installed and how to operate it.

Step seven: think about the Miami Dade climate

A home in Miami Dade lives in a demanding environment. Humidity swells wood, salt air near the coast corrodes finishes, and heat bakes exterior hardware. As you inspect your new locks, look for rust streaks, pitted finishes and doors that stick in damp weather. These are clues about how the hardware has aged and how it may behave in the next wet season.

If your home is near the water, consider hardware chosen for coastal conditions. Our guide on salt air and lock corrosion explains which materials and finishes tend to last. You can also start a simple maintenance rhythm so that locks are cleaned and lubricated regularly, rather than waiting for them to stick.

Hurricane season adds its own tasks. Check door alignment, hinge screws and strike plates early in the season. See hurricane season door and lock checks for a calm walk through. A new homeowner who does these checks in the first season is much better prepared than one who learns by surprise.

Step eight: record, test and settle in

Once the work is done, test everything yourself before the technician leaves. Try each new key in each lock, from outside and inside. Throw and retract each bolt, close each door and make sure it latches. Test the garage opener, the keypad and any smart locks with their apps. Ask questions while the technician is still there, because that is the easiest time to correct a small problem. Try the doors the way your family actually will, with arms full of bags, in the dark and in a hurry to get inside, not only slowly in good light with nothing in your hands. A lock that works under real conditions is the only kind worth having.

Make a record. Write down the date, the work performed and the number of keys. Keep receipts and any paperwork in a folder. If you installed smart devices, note the account details in a secure place and make sure at least one other adult in the household can access them. When something changes later, the record will make decisions easier, and it will save you from trying to remember details that have long since blurred together after the busy weeks of moving in.

Finally, build the habits that keep a new home secure. Lock doors at night, keep spare keys in controlled hands, change codes when people leave your life and check your hardware each season. For ongoing care, our lock maintenance calendar gives a steady rhythm. If you want an outside opinion on the whole house, a professional walk through can look at doors, frames and hardware together and give you a plain list of what matters most.

Do not hurry the process or try to finish everything in a single weekend. Many new owners find that the first few weeks reveal small issues, such as a back door that sticks after rain or a gate latch that rattles. Keep a running list on your phone as you notice things, then deal with them in order of importance. Security problems come first, comfort items second, cosmetic items last. That order keeps the budget and the stress under control.

What the visit looks like

If you decide to have a technician handle the work, the process is straightforward. You call and describe the property and what you want done, including how many doors and whether there is a garage or gate. The price is explained before work starts. The technician comes to you, does the rekey or installation, and checks the work with you before the visit closes.

Have your documents ready if needed. A technician may ask you to confirm that you own or rent the home, and in a managed community you may need to share approval from the association or landlord. Keep your old keys on hand if possible, since they help with identifying locks. Be clear about what you want, and ask for a plain explanation of anything you do not understand.

A new home should feel like yours the moment you close the door behind you. Working through this checklist turns that feeling into fact. You will know who has a key, which doors are sturdy, how the garage behaves and what to do when something goes wrong. That is the foundation of a home you can trust, and it takes only a few days of attention.