Richmond is one of Metro Vancouver's densest condo markets. From the Canada Line towers lining No. 3 Road to established strata townhome complexes in Seafair and Broadmoor, key control matters here. This is what Richmond strata owners and councils need to know.
Richmond has more strata-titled properties per capita than almost any other BC municipality outside of Vancouver proper. The wave of Canada Line development — from Brighouse south through Aberdeen, Lansdowne, and City Centre — produced thousands of condo units in mid-rise and high-rise buildings where key control is both more complex and more important than in a detached home. Whether you're a strata council member, an owner-occupier, or a property manager overseeing Richmond rentals, understanding rekeying and key control in this environment will save you money and prevent security problems.
These two terms get used interchangeably, but they're different operations with different costs and different use cases.
Rekeying means changing the internal pin configuration of an existing lock cylinder so that the old key no longer works and a new key is cut. The lock hardware — the deadbolt body, the latch, the faceplate — stays in place. This is the right choice when your hardware is in good condition and the goal is simply to control who has a working key. It's also the approach that causes the least disruption in a strata context, since you're not changing the external appearance of the door, which some strata bylaws regulate.
Changing the lock means replacing the entire lock mechanism. This makes sense when the hardware is damaged, worn, or when you want to upgrade to a different grade of lock or a different product line. Lock changes cost more than rekeying and may require strata approval if the new lock changes the door's appearance (e.g. switching from a knob to a lever handle, or adding a second deadbolt).
For most Richmond condo move-outs and ownership changes, rekeying is the appropriate response — cost-effective, non-invasive, and fully effective at security.
This is a point of genuine confusion in Richmond's high-rise market, and it's worth being direct about it. The fobs that open a building's main lobby, parkade entrance, and common areas in towers along No. 3 Road at Brighouse, Aberdeen, and City Centre are programmed into a building access control system — a proprietary database managed by the strata's access control contractor. A locksmith cannot reprogram, deactivate, or issue building fobs. That work goes to the access control company the strata has on contract (often companies like Salto, ASSA ABLOY, or similar).
What a locksmith handles in a condo building context is the suite door itself — the deadbolt, lever, or knob lock on the door of your individual unit. These are standard pin-tumbler locks (or, in newer units, high-security cylinders) and are entirely within a locksmith's scope. So the division is: building lobby fob — strata's access control company; your suite door deadbolt — a licensed locksmith.
Some Richmond condo buildings have moved to a fully integrated access system where the suite door also uses an electronic fob or card reader rather than a keyed deadbolt. If this is the case in your building, all lock work — including suite entry — goes through the access control contractor. When in doubt, call your strata manager to clarify which system controls your door.
For strata complexes — particularly the townhome-style stratas common in Seafair, Broadmoor, and Hamilton — a restricted keyway system is worth understanding. A restricted keyway is a lock cylinder design whose key blanks are only available to authorized locksmiths, not general hardware stores or key-cutting kiosks. This means that even if a departing tenant or owner has a key, they cannot walk into a London Drugs or Home Depot and cut an unauthorized copy.
Restricted keyways don't eliminate the need for rekeying at move-out — a key can still be used before it's rendered inactive — but they significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized duplication during a tenancy. For strata complexes managing multiple units with a shared master key structure, restricted keyways paired with a documented master key system give councils a clear record of who holds what key and what their access level is.
If your Richmond strata is currently operating with an open-keyway system — meaning the keys can be copied anywhere — and you're experiencing key control issues, a conversion to a restricted keyway system is a worthwhile capital expenditure worth bringing to an annual general meeting.
Some larger Richmond strata complexes — particularly multi-building townhome developments and mixed residential/commercial stratas — operate a master key hierarchy. A properly designed master key system assigns each unit its own keyed-alike suite key while a master key opens all units, and a grand master opens across multiple buildings or complexes. When designed correctly, these systems are highly secure and convenient for property managers.
The problem arises when a master key system wasn't properly documented at installation, when keys have been rekeyed ad hoc over the years without updating the system record, or when a master key is lost. At that point, the hierarchy is compromised and the security value of the system collapses. A licensed locksmith with master key system experience can audit an existing system, rekey it to restore integrity, and document the current state.
For Richmond stratas considering a new master key system, or for those with an existing system that has drifted into disrepair, this is a conversation worth having before the next ownership change or tenancy turnover cycle.
A standard residential rekey in Richmond is a straightforward mobile visit. A licensed technician comes to the unit, removes the existing cylinder from the deadbolt (and from any other locks you want keyed alike — front door, back door, garage entry), rearranges the internal pins to a new configuration, and cuts fresh keys to that configuration. For a single lock, the work takes under half an hour at the door. For multiple locks being keyed alike — common in townhomes with several entry points — allow a bit more time.
The new keys are cut on the spot. If you want additional copies, they can typically be cut at the same visit. If you're using a restricted keyway cylinder, the locksmith will carry the authorized blanks. When the job is done, you hold all the working keys; the previous configuration is gone.
If you're a strata council coordinating a building-wide rekey — for example, following a security incident or a high-volume move-out season — book a scheduled visit rather than an emergency call. It saves on after-hours rates and lets the technician bring the right equipment for multiple units in sequence.
For anything related to suite door locks in your Richmond condo or strata townhome — rekeying at a tenancy change, a lost key, a new ownership, or building a proper key control policy — a licensed locksmith is the right call. See our lock change and rekey service page for what's included and how to book.
Further reading and the services most directly related to key control in Richmond strata properties.
Pick-, drill- and bump-resistant cylinders with keys that can’t be copied at the hardware store. Cut, pinned and registered in-shop.
Residential Security Container (RSC) burglary classification: a key-locked security container designed to provide entry…
Car keys are priced by vehicle. Pick what you need and we’ll collect your make, model & year to text you an exact quote.