In a duplex, triplex, row of townhomes or small apartment building, the lock challenge isn't one door, it's dozens of doors used by people who come and go. The solution that works for most Ottawa multi-family owners is a planned key system: each tenant's key opens only their unit plus the shared doors they need, staff and owners carry higher-level keys, and unit cylinders can be changed quickly at turnover without disturbing anyone else's access.

Questions about your building's keys? Call (613) 707-4884.

Think in Layers

Map every door in the building into one of four groups before choosing hardware:

  1. Perimeter: main entrance, rear and side doors, garage and parking access.
  2. Shared spaces: laundry, storage lockers, bike rooms, garbage rooms, amenity rooms.
  3. Units: each suite's entry door.
  4. Service areas: electrical, mechanical, sprinkler and roof access, which tenants should not enter.

Once doors are grouped, it becomes clear who needs which key, and you can avoid the common problem of a single "building key" that opens far more than it should.

Master Key Systems for Rental Buildings

A master key system lets each tenant key open its own unit and the common doors, while the owner or superintendent's master key opens every unit for maintenance. Common keys can be split further, for example so that laundry and lockers use one key while service rooms use a separate key only staff carry. Our master key system guide explains the levels and design choices in more detail.

Two features make a big difference in rental buildings:

  • Restricted keyways: keys that can't be copied at a hardware kiosk, so the owner controls how many exist.
  • Interchangeable or easily rekeyed cores: unit cylinders that can be swapped or rekeyed at turnover in minutes, keeping the rest of the system intact.

Unit Turnover

When a tenant moves out, you rarely know how many copies of their key exist. Rekeying the unit cylinder (rather than replacing the whole lock) is usually the most practical step, and it should happen before the new tenant moves in. If the tenant's key also opened the entrance, decide whether the perimeter keys need changing too; with a restricted keyway and good records, often they don't.

If you rekey a shared entrance, remember that existing tenants need working keys. Ontario's rental housing offences page lists changing the locks to a rental unit or building without giving the tenant a new key as an offence under the Residential Tenancies Act. For the wider rules on locks, entry and consent, see our article on landlord and tenant lock rules in Ontario.

Entrances: Keys, Fobs or Both?

For buildings with frequent turnover, an electronic fob or keypad system at the main entrance can reduce rekeying: a lost fob is cancelled in software instead of changing a lock. Unit doors usually stay mechanical. If you add electronic hardware to an exit or entrance door, the changes must meet the Ontario Building and Fire Codes, so confirm the requirements with the City of Ottawa building official, fire prevention staff or a design professional first.

Lobby Mailboxes

Mailbox compartments in apartment and condo buildings are the building's responsibility, not Canada Post's. Canada Post's help pages state that it does not maintain locks and keys for condo, strata, apartment or business mailboxes and direct residents to the building manager or superintendent (Canada Post: lost community mailbox key). Include mailbox cylinders in your turnover checklist.

Keep Records

  • A key register listing every key issued, to whom, and when it was returned.
  • A secure key cabinet for spare and master keys, never a hook in the office.
  • A sign-out log for contractors, with keys returned the same day.

Next Step

If your building has grown into a patchwork of different keys, a planned system will save time at every turnover. Learn more about our master key systems service, or call (613) 707-4884 to talk through your property.