Apartment Re-Key Service
Moving into a new apartment in FL New York — whether it's a pre-war walk-up off Eighth Avenue or a newer build closer to Penn Station — comes with one security question that most tenants and landlords overlook until it's too late: who else still has a key to your door? Previous tenants, former property managers, contractors, ex-partners — anyone who was ever handed a copy is still a potential access point. A same-day lock rekey service eliminates that uncertainty without replacing the hardware entirely, saving time, disrupting less, and restoring your peace of mind before the first night in your new place.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week · Licensed, bonded & insured
“7th Ave Locksmith is a fully mobile, 24/7 operation serving FL New York and the surrounding area. Our trained and insured technicians come directly to your building — no towing, no drop-off, no waiting at a shop counter. Whether your apartment has a standard door knob lock, a high-security deadbolt, or a classic mortise lock that's been in place since the building was constructed decades ago, we carry the pins, springs, and cylinders to re-key it on the spot. We verify ownership before touching any hardware, confirm an exact up-front price before any work begins, and get the job done efficiently so your day stays on track.
What we do
Available 24/7
Day, night, weekends and holidays — a real local locksmith answers and rolls a fully-stocked van.
Fast local response
Based in FL New York, we reach the FL New York area in well under an hour.
Insured & background-checked
Vetted technicians, up-front pricing, and no surprise add-ons when we arrive.
Damage-free entry
We pick and bypass locks the right way, so most lockouts are solved without drilling anything.
Why an Apartment Re-Key Service Matters More Than You Think
Key control is one of the most underestimated parts of apartment security in a dense urban neighborhood like FL New York. In a typical multi-unit building, a single apartment may have gone through several tenants, multiple maintenance visits, and a handful of emergency access events — all before you sign your lease. Standard key duplication is inexpensive and widely available, which means any copy made over the years is still out there. Re-keying changes the internal pin configuration of your existing cylinder so that every previously cut key becomes useless, and only the newly cut keys — the ones in your hands — will operate the lock. It is a straightforward, damage-free process that typically takes less than thirty minutes per cylinder when performed by a skilled technician.
Landlords benefit from this service just as much as new tenants. Between tenancy turnovers, a quick apartment re-key service eliminates liability exposure and demonstrates a genuine duty of care to incoming residents. Property managers overseeing multiple units in the same building can schedule our mobile team to work through several apartments in a single visit, keeping disruption to a minimum for residents on other floors. If you manage a building on one of the side streets off Seventh Avenue or in the dense residential corridors near Madison Square Garden, coordinating a block of re-keys with one phone call is far more practical than sourcing hardware piecemeal.
Mortise Lock Re-Keying: The Standard in New York Apartment Buildings
The mortise lock is the workhorse of New York City apartment security. Unlike a simple cylindrical deadbolt that installs through a bored hole, a mortise lock is recessed into a pocket — or mortise — cut into the door edge, housing the latch, deadbolt, and sometimes an auxiliary function all in one steel case. You'll find them on iron-doored units, pre-war apartment entrances, and renovated brownstones throughout FL New York, and they require a different approach than a standard door knob lock or a modern tubular deadbolt. Our technicians are experienced specifically with mortise lock cylinder extraction, re-pinning, and reinstallation. We carry replacement cylinders compatible with the most common mortise housings found in New York apartment stock, so we are rarely caught without the right part.
Because the mortise lock cylinder sits inside a larger, more complex body, improper removal can damage the cam mechanism, the tailpiece, or the door face plate — damage that turns a simple re-key into an expensive hardware replacement. Our approach is damage-free where the lock condition allows: we extract the cylinder carefully, re-pin or swap it at the bench on-site, and reinstall it with the correct tension. If a cylinder is worn beyond serviceable condition — a common finding in older building stock — we'll explain the situation clearly and quote a cylinder replacement before proceeding. Nothing moves forward without your explicit approval.
What Our Mobile Apartment Re-Key Service Covers
Because we arrive fully stocked, a single visit from our mobile team can address nearly every cylinder scenario in a typical FL New York apartment. Here is a specific breakdown of what we handle on-site, same day: • Re-keying single-cylinder deadbolts (Schlage, Kwikset, and comparable brands) • Re-keying double-cylinder deadbolts where both sides require a key • Mortise lock cylinder extraction and re-pinning • Door knob lock re-keying on interior and exterior doors • Re-keying apartment entry doors with multi-point locking systems • Master key system setup for landlords managing multiple units • High-security restricted keyway cylinder re-keying • Mailbox lock re-keying or replacement • Storage unit padlock re-keying • Common area and laundry room lock coordination with property management • Re-keying after a lost key or stolen key set • Re-keying following domestic or roommate access disputes • Lock re-keying as part of an emergency locksmith response after a break-in • Cylinder swap for worn or damaged cores that cannot be re-pinned • Re-keying sliding door pin-tumbler locks and patio door cylinders • Rim lock and surface-mounted deadbolt re-keying common in older FL New York units • Keypad lock cylinder bypass and traditional cylinder re-key on smart lock setups • Re-keying after a building key loss or master key compromise • Rekeyable lock installation where the existing cylinder is beyond repair • Duplicate key cutting to match the new pin configuration • Lock re-keying paired with a full security assessment of your entry points • Re-keying service for sublease and Airbnb turnovers • Re-keying coordination with building superintendent at prearranged times • Medeco and Mul-T-Lock cylinder re-keying (high-security residential) • Re-keying commercial-grade cylinders installed in residential doors by previous tenants If your situation does not appear on this list, call (646) 349-7149 — our team handles edge cases every day and will tell you honestly whether a re-key or a full replacement is the right call.
Emergency Locksmith and Commercial Locksmith Situations We Handle in FL New York
Re-keying is planned security — but not every call we receive is planned. If you arrive at a new apartment and discover the key you were handed does not work, or you are locked out of house and realize no spare key exists because the previous tenant took theirs, our emergency locksmith response is available around the clock. We operate 24/7 without exception, including overnight, weekends, and holidays. A trained technician will arrive at your FL New York address, verify that you are the authorized occupant, and resolve the situation — whether that means entry assistance, cylinder replacement, or an emergency re-key on the spot.
On the commercial side, building owners and property management companies in FL New York often need more than a single-unit solution. Our commercial locksmith capabilities extend to master key hierarchies, restricted keyway systems that prevent unauthorized duplication, and access control integration for buildings where electronic and mechanical systems need to work together. If you manage a mixed-use building where the ground floor is retail and the upper floors are residential, we can address the security continuity between both without requiring separate vendors. A single call to (646) 349-7149 connects you with a technician qualified to assess the full picture.
Pricing Factors and What to Expect When You Call
We do not quote a single flat rate for every re-key, because the variables genuinely differ from job to job. The factors that determine your final price include the type of lock being re-keyed (a standard door knob lock cylinder is simpler than a mortise lock with a worn cam), the number of cylinders being addressed in the same visit, the time of day the call comes in, travel distance to your FL New York location, and whether any parts — replacement cylinders, new keys, or upgraded pins — are required to complete the job correctly. What we commit to without exception is this: before any tool touches your lock, we confirm the exact price with you. No hidden fees surface after the work is done. If the scope changes — for example, if we discover the cylinder is too worn to re-pin and needs replacement — we stop, explain it, and wait for your go-ahead before continuing.
Frequently asked questions
How is re-keying different from replacing my locks entirely?+
Re-keying changes the internal pin configuration inside your existing cylinder so that old keys no longer work and new ones do. The hardware — the lock body, the mortise case, the strike plate — stays exactly as it is. Lock replacement involves removing and swapping out the physical hardware. Re-keying is the right choice when your cylinder is in good working condition and you simply need to invalidate old keys. It is faster, generates less material waste, and requires no patching or refinishing of your door. Full replacement makes sense when the cylinder is damaged, worn, or when you want to upgrade to a higher-security option.
Can you re-key the mortise lock in my pre-war FL New York apartment?+
Yes, and it is one of the more common requests we handle in this area. Older New York apartment buildings are full of mortise locks, and our technicians carry the tools and replacement cylinders suited to the mortise housings commonly found in pre-war and mid-century construction. We extract the cylinder carefully, re-pin or replace it as needed, and reinstall it without damaging the door face, the cam, or the lock body. If the cylinder is a non-standard size or an uncommon profile, we will source the correct part and confirm the timeline with you before proceeding.
I just moved in and the landlord gave me only one key. Can you cut additional copies at the same time?+
Absolutely. After the re-key is complete, we can cut as many duplicate keys as you need to match the new pin configuration right there on-site. This is especially useful for households where multiple people need independent access, or for property managers who want to retain a building-level master key while providing tenant keys that cannot open other units. Just let us know how many copies you need when you call, and we will bring the right key blanks for your lock type.
What happens if I am locked out and have no spare key — will you still re-key the lock?+
If you are locked out of your apartment with no spare key available, our first step is to gain lawful entry by verifying that you are the authorized occupant — typically through a lease agreement, ID matching the address, or coordination with your building superintendent. Once entry is confirmed and completed, we can re-key the cylinder immediately during the same visit so you leave with new working keys and the confidence that no other key from the previous configuration will open your door. We recommend calling us at (646) 349-7149 any time of day or night — we operate 24/7 and can typically reach most FL New York addresses quickly.
How long does an apartment re-key service typically take?+
For a single cylinder in good condition — a standard deadbolt or door knob lock — the process usually takes between twenty and forty minutes from arrival. A mortise lock cylinder takes a bit longer due to the extraction and reinstallation process, but most single-door jobs are completed within an hour. If you have multiple cylinders — entry door, secondary deadbolt, mailbox — we work through them in sequence during the same visit. Multi-unit re-keys for property managers are scoped and estimated by cylinder count before we begin so you can plan the day around the work.
Do I need to be present for the re-key, or can my building super let you in?+
Our policy is to verify authorization before beginning any work, and in practice that usually means speaking directly with the property owner or tenant of record. If your building superintendent is the point of contact and can confirm authorization on your behalf — and you are reachable by phone to provide verbal confirmation — we can often work with that arrangement for scheduled re-keys. For emergency situations or cases where the authorization chain is unclear, we will ask for documentation before proceeding. This protects you as much as it protects us, and it is part of how we maintain the trust of residents and property managers across FL New York.