When a relationship ends and one person moves out, the security of the home usually has not caught up. A former partner may still have keys, the garage remote, the keypad code, or access to a smart lock or camera app. Updating all of these is a practical step, but whether and when you can change the locks depends on who owns or rents the home, so the order matters: safety first, then legal advice where the home is shared, then the locks.

Questions about rekeying or codes? Call (613) 707-4884.

If You Feel Unsafe

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The Government of Ontario's violence in the family page lists support services, including the Victim Support Line, the Assaulted Women's Helpline, Fem'aide and 211 Ontario, and explains how local services can help you make a safety plan. Changing locks is not a substitute for that support.

Check Before You Change the Locks

A locksmith can change or rekey a lock in a short visit, but that does not settle who is entitled to live in or enter the home. If the home is jointly owned, was the shared family home, or you are both on a lease, get legal advice before changing locks on a jointly owned or shared home. The Ontario government's guide to dividing property when a marriage or common-law relationship ends notes that a lawyer can help you understand your rights.

If you rent, speak with your landlord before changing a lock; our article on landlord and tenant lock rules in Ontario covers this in more detail. Expect a locksmith to ask for proof that you live at the address before working on the door.

The Access Checklist

Once you are clear to proceed, go through every way into the home, not just the front door:

  • Door keys: front, back, side, garage man door and the door from the garage into the house.
  • Hidden spares: keys under mats or planters, and copies left with neighbours, relatives or a cleaner.
  • Garage door opener: clear the opener's stored remotes and keypad code, following the opener manufacturer's instructions, then re-pair only the remotes you keep.
  • Keypad and smart locks: delete old user codes and remove other people from the lock's app; change the master or admin code.
  • Alarm and cameras: change the alarm code, update the monitoring company's contact list and remove shared users from camera and doorbell apps.
  • Other locks: mailbox, storage locker, shed, safe and vehicle keys or fobs that stay with you.

Rekey or Replace?

In most cases rekeying is enough. The locksmith changes the pins inside your existing cylinders so the old keys no longer turn them, and you receive new keys. It keeps your current hardware and can set every door to work with one key. Replacing the lock makes more sense if the hardware is worn, damaged or low quality, or if you want to add a deadbolt or a keypad lock at the same time. Our guide on when to rekey your home explains the difference in more detail.

Keep Track Afterwards

Write down who now has each key and code. Give spare keys only to people you trust, and change codes again if you are unsure who has seen them. Children who move between two homes may need their own key or code, which you can remove later without changing everything.

Next Step

When you are ready to cut off old keys, our lock rekeying service page explains how the work is done. To ask a question first, call (613) 707-4884.