High turnover, many keys
Housing is mostly brick apartment buildings and brownstones divided into units, plus university housing. Tenancies are short and keys multiply. A unit lock that's seen ten or fifteen tenants has probably had dozens of copies cut, and nobody knows where most of them went. That's why rekeying here is so common.
Calls from 02115
- Rekeying apartments at the start of a lease
- Lockouts for students and shift workers
- Bike room and storage locker locks
- Landlord lock changes between tenants
Photograph your keys on day one
A tip for renters near the colleges: on move-in day, photograph your locks and keys and note any number stamped on them. If a key goes missing later, your landlord and the locksmith know exactly which cylinder needs attention. It takes thirty seconds.
Bike rooms and lockers
Shared storage rooms are easy targets because so many people have the key. If you manage a building, rekey the bike room when the superintendent or cleaning contractor changes, or switch it to a keypad.
Getting through Longwood
Traffic is heavy at hospital shift changes and on Red Sox game days nearby. Mention any entry codes or call-box numbers.
Near the museums and Symphony
The quieter blocks around Symphony Hall and the museum have older brownstones split into owner-occupied condos. Here the questions are less about turnover and more about strength: heavier deadbolts on unit doors, reinforced strikes, and keeping original front-door hardware working smoothly through the winter when wooden doors swell. A little seasonal adjustment usually beats replacing a handsome old lock.