How much does it cost to change all the locks on a rental property?

For a typical Coventry rental with a uPVC front door and back door, changing both cylinders to anti-snap specification costs between £100 and £150 fitted. For an HMO with individual room locks plus external doors, budget £49 per room lock plus £59-69 per external door. I offer discounted rates for landlords with multiple properties — call 07735 336175 for a quote.

Should I change locks if the previous tenant returned all their keys?

Yes, I still recommend it. Even if a tenant returns every key you gave them, you have no way of knowing whether they had additional copies cut. Keys can be copied at any high street key-cutting service for a few pounds, and many tenants do this for partners, family, or friends without telling the landlord. The £59 cost of a new cylinder is a small price for peace of mind.

What type of lock should I fit in a rental property?

For uPVC and composite doors, fit an anti-snap euro cylinder that meets TS007 1-star as a minimum (3-star with handle for full insurance compliance). For wooden doors, a BS3621 5-lever mortice deadlock. For HMO room doors, a BS8621 lock that allows keyless egress from inside. I always recommend anti-snap cylinders because standard cylinders can be snapped in seconds — see our lock upgrade service at /services/lock-upgrade for details.

Do Landlords Have to Change Locks Between Tenants? The Legal Position

There is no legal requirement to change locks between tenants — but there are very good reasons why you should. Here is the full picture for UK landlords.

Should Landlords Change Locks Between Tenants? (Yes — Here Is Why)

There is no law in England that forces landlords to change locks between tenancies. But as a locksmith who works with dozens of Coventry landlords and letting agents, I can tell you this: **not changing the locks is one of the biggest security risks you can take as a landlord**.

I am Ross, a local locksmith covering Coventry and the surrounding areas. I see the consequences of not changing locks more often than you would think — and they are entirely avoidable.

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The Problem: Who Has Keys to Your Property?

When a tenant hands back their keys at the end of a tenancy, you get back the keys you know about. But what about:

**The spare key they had cut** at Timpson in the city centre

**The key they gave their partner** who used to stay over

**The key their parents had** "just in case"

**The key their friend had** for feeding the cat

**The key left with the cleaner** or dog walker

I have attended multiple jobs in Coventry where a previous tenant — or someone who had a previous tenant's key — has let themselves into a property after the new tenants moved in. In one case in Stoke, a student returned to a house three months after their tenancy ended because they had a spare key and thought they had left something behind. The new tenants were understandably terrified.

This is not a hypothetical risk. It happens.

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The Legal Position

No Legal Requirement — But Strong Practical Reasons

English law does not require landlords to change locks between tenancies. However:

**You have a duty of care** to your tenants under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 — providing a home where unknown people have keys could arguably breach this

**Your landlord insurance** may have security requirements — some policies require you to ensure only authorised people have access to the property

**If a break-in occurs** using a previous tenant's key and you did not change the locks, you could face difficult questions from your insurer and potentially from your tenant

What Best Practice Looks Like

The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and most professional letting agent bodies recommend changing locks between every tenancy. It is included in many letting agents' standard checkout procedures.

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What Needs Changing?

Not every lock in the property needs replacing. Here is what I recommend:

Must Change

**Front door cylinder** (on uPVC or composite doors) — this is the most important one. A new anti-snap cylinder with 3 keys costs from £59 fitted

**Back door cylinder** if it uses a separate key

**Any other external door** that a tenant would have had keys to

Should Change (HMOs and Shared Houses)

**Individual bedroom door locks** — each room that had a different tenant should get a new lock

**Communal entrance door** if it is on a separate key from individual rooms

Usually No Need to Change

**Window locks** — these are rarely keyed differently and tenants do not typically take window lock keys

**Internal doors** (except in HMOs) — standard internal doors in a single-let property do not usually have locks

**Garage or shed locks** — unless the tenant had a key to these too

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The Cost: Less Than You Think

I know landlords are watching every penny, especially with increasing regulations and costs. But lock changes between tenancies are genuinely cheap relative to the risk:

Lock TypeTypical Cost (Fitted)

|---|---|

uPVC/composite door cylinder (standard)From £59

uPVC/composite door cylinder (anti-snap, TS007 rated)From £69

Mortice deadlock cylinder changeFrom £69

Full mortice deadlock replacement (BS3621)From £79

HMO room lock changeFrom £49 per room

For a typical Coventry rental property with a uPVC front door and a uPVC back door, you are looking at **£100-150 for both doors with quality anti-snap cylinders**. That is less than one week's rent on most Coventry properties.

For full transparent pricing, see our [prices page](/prices).

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The Coventry Student Rental Cycle

Coventry has a massive student rental market, and the cycle is very predictable:

**Late June / July** — current tenants move out

**Early September** — new tenants move in

**The gap** — properties are cleaned, inspected, and prepared

This July-to-September window is the perfect time to change locks. I work with several Coventry letting agents who book all their lock changes in one batch during this period. If you manage multiple student lets, call me on 07735 336175 to arrange a bulk booking — I offer discounted rates for multiple properties done in one visit.

A Common Problem I See

Some student lets have the same locks that were fitted when the property was first converted into an HMO — sometimes 5 or even 10 years ago. That means there could be dozens of copies of keys floating around from previous tenants. If you have not changed the locks in years, now is the time.

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What Letting Agents Should Be Doing

If you use a letting agent to manage your Coventry rental property, check whether lock changes are part of their checkout process. Many include it in their standard service, but some do not.

Questions to Ask Your Agent

Do you change locks between every tenancy?

What type of locks do you fit? (You want anti-snap cylinders at minimum — see our guide on [lock upgrades](/services/lock-upgrade))

Is the cost included in your management fee or charged separately?

Do you keep records of key numbers for each lock fitted?

If your agent is not changing locks between tenancies, raise it with them. If they push back on cost, remind them that the liability sits with you as the property owner if something goes wrong.

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The Insurance Angle

Some landlord insurance policies include requirements about key security. Common clauses include:

"All keys must be accounted for at the end of each tenancy"

"Locks should be changed if there is any doubt about key security"

"External door locks must meet BS3621 or equivalent standard"

If you cannot guarantee that every copy of every key has been returned — and realistically, you never can — then changing the locks is the safest approach for maintaining your insurance coverage.

For more on how lock standards affect insurance claims, read our detailed guide on [insurance payouts and lock standards](/blog/insurance-payout-lock-standards).

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My Recommendation

After years of doing lock changes for Coventry landlords, here is what I recommend as a minimum:

**Change front and back door cylinders between every tenancy** — use anti-snap cylinders (TS007 or Sold Secure rated) for both security and insurance compliance

**Change HMO room locks** whenever a tenant in that room changes

**Keep a record** of what lock was fitted, when, and the key number — useful if a tenant loses their key later

**Upgrade while you are at it** — if the existing locks are standard euro cylinders with no anti-snap protection, spend the extra £10 per door and fit proper anti-snap cylinders. Your tenants and your insurer will thank you

I cover all Coventry areas for landlord lock changes — from city centre flats to suburban houses in Tile Hill, Canley, Eastern Green, and everywhere in between. Check our [coverage areas](/areas) or call me directly on 07735 336175.

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Bulk Booking for Landlords and Agents

If you manage multiple rental properties in Coventry, I offer:

**Discounted rates** for 3 or more properties in one booking

**Priority scheduling** during the July-September student turnover

**Invoicing** — I can invoice your management company or landlord directly

**Key records** — I provide a written record of every lock fitted, with key numbers, for your property file

Whether you have 2 properties or 20, call me on 07735 336175 and I will give you an honest quote. No call-out fee, no hidden charges — just straightforward locksmith work at fair prices.

For information on your legal obligations around locks and tenancies, see our guide on [whether landlords can change locks on tenants](/blog/can-landlord-change-locks).