The situation
Imagine an owner in Erin Mills who has finished the basement as a separate apartment with its own side entrance. The previous tenant has moved out, and a new tenant arrives in a week. The house has a front door, a garage-to-house door, a side entrance to the basement unit, and an interior door between the basement and the main floor.
The plan
The owner wants three things: the tenant should open only the side entrance and their unit; the owner's family should open the front and garage doors and, with notice, the basement; and the old tenant's keys should stop working everywhere. The technician suggests keying the side entrance and the basement unit door to a tenant key, keying the front and garage doors to the owner key, and setting the side entrance so the owner key also works for emergencies with proper notice.
The interior door
The door between the basement and the main house is usually part of the fire separation required for a second unit. It cannot simply be replaced with any door or any lock. The technician checks that the existing door closes and latches properly and recommends a lock that keeps it compliant, locked from the owner's side.
On site
Each cylinder is rekeyed; where two locks are different brands, the odd cylinder is replaced so it can share the key. The tenant receives two keys; the owner keeps the rest. The invoice lists each door and key, which is useful to keep with the lease.
If this is you
See our lock rekeying page and the Mississauga page, or call (416) 240-0593.