When To Replace Locks
Have a look at the information provided and determine if it is a good time for you to buy something new.
- Locks need to be replaced at a home when a tenant leaves. If you are renting out a room at your house, and the person decides to move out, it is a wise idea to change out your locks. Maybe the person who rented from you was a stand-up individual that you trust completely. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that at some point, a person with bad intentions was able to make a copy of their key. It’s all too simple to make key duplicates. If this person ever was around a contractor who snatched their key for just a couple of minutes, or even an ex-partner, there might be a person out there who has access to your home. When someone renting from you leaves, change out the locks.
- Likewise, locks need to be replaced at a commercial property when an employee leaves or is terminated. Whether you trusted that individual or not, the fact is, another person could have ended up with a copy of their key. They would therefore have access to your commercial space. Many companies change locks out automatically as company policy, but if you are up in the air about the decision, just be sure to exhibit careful judgement.
- Locks should be replaced when you take over a property. Think about how many contractors had access to the house you just moved into, before you moved in. There might have been painters coming in, individuals working for cable companies, remodeling professionals, tiling specialists, realtors and more. This isn’t to say that these people can’t be trusted – one of them might have mistakenly held on to a copy of the key, without even realizing it. Suddenly, anyone who sees that key has access to your home or commercial space. While the majority of people very likely would do the right thing and return the key, there are some people out there who would take advantage of having easy access to a property. Don’t become a victim because you didn’t swap out your locks. When you acquire a property, be it an office building, store or home, be sure that the locks are brand new and that no one has had access to your key.
- Replace locks if they seem to be faulty. A lock that has to be fumbled with is one that is probably close to falling apart. Depending on where you might live, locks can fall apart faster because of extreme weather conditions. Do you live somewhere that sees extremely cold temperatures, or year-round hot temperatures? Be on the lookout for problems like rust. If a lock seems to be faulty for no apparent reason, perhaps someone attempted to gain access to your property by manipulating said lock. Of course, this is a very scary thing to think about, but if your locks just seem to stop working for no reason, it could be that someone roughly handled them. Don’t take chances when lock replacements are quite affordable. Contact a local lock and security provider (locksmith) or visit a hardware store where locks are sold. Just make sure to have an expert install it so that everything is functional.
- Locks should be replaced after a break in. For some people, this is a given, but for others, this just seems to be an added expense. Hopefully your insurance covered most items taken from you, but it is understandable that some things just can’t be replaced or hold sentimental value. This is hard enough to deal with – the loss of items which were important to you can be a challenging thing to overcome. During a time like this, however, you also have to think about replacing your locks so that you still feel safe at your property, whether that is an office, shop, warehouse or house. It isn’t just about feeling safe, of course, it is about actually being safe. If a potential burglar sees locks that are visibly broken, they might be more inclined to try to enter your property. Be sure to swap out your damaged locks with new ones after your property was broken into. You will likely be thinking about many other things, but this is very important.
Just be sure to keep your property’s protection at the top of your priority list. Locks serve to keep us and our belongings protected. Make sure you have reliable, strong and functional ones.
