Mobile Locksmith · Phoenix & the Valley
Locksmith for Property Managers, Landlords and HOAs
We work with property managers, landlords and HOA boards across Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria and Paradise Valley. The usual jobs are turnover rekeys, common-area doors, amenity gate locks and master key systems for a whole property. You reach the owner, who also does the work, and we are an Arizona LLC and insured.
If you are looking for a property manager locksmith in Phoenix, the most useful thing you can send us is a clear work order. Further down is what to put in one, plus a short checklist for when you call.
Turnover rekeys between tenants
Whether you must rekey between tenants, and when, depends on your lease, your insurer and Arizona law. Ask your attorney or property management association. Many landlords rekey between tenants as routine practice, and the rekey itself is work we do.
A rekey changes the pins inside the existing lock so the old keys stop working and a new key works. The hardware stays in place. It is usually the right choice between tenants, and a lock that is worn, damaged or the wrong grade is better replaced. Our rekey locks page explains the difference, and our rekey pricing guide explains how the price is set.
- Send the list. Give us the property, the unit numbers and the date each unit has to be ready. Tell us when you want the work done, and we will plan around it.
- Group by building. Doing several units in one visit means one trip instead of several.
- Keys per unit. Say on the work order how many keys per unit, and whether you want a labeled spare.
- We test every lock. Each lock is tried with the new key before we leave the unit.
- Invoice. Tell us how you need it organized, such as by unit or by work order number, and we will tell you what we can do.
Apartment and condo hardware
Most units have an entry lockset and a deadbolt. They are usually keyed alike, so one key works both, and the whole building is often keyed so a master key opens every unit. Sliding patio doors have their own latch or lock. When a unit turns over, check all three. For a property with frequent turnover, keypad and smart locks let you change the code instead of cutting keys. See smart lock installation.
Mailbox locks
Mailboxes are different, and who owns the box matters. USPS guidance says the builder or property owner is responsible for lock and key service on privately owned cluster box units, while the Post Office handles the compartment locks on units it owns. Either way, the Postal Service controls the Arrow lock. Check with your local postmaster for the rules that apply to your boxes. Call us with a description or photo of the box, and we will tell you plainly whether it is something we do.
Common-area doors
Shared doors take more abuse than unit doors and have more people with keys. The usual list is the leasing office, gym, laundry room, mail and package room, trash enclosure, pool equipment room and clubhouse restrooms.
Amenity, pool and pedestrian gates
Pedestrian gates at pools, parks and community entries take constant use and every kind of weather. A mechanical pushbutton lock is common because it needs no battery or wiring and residents learn the code once. Our Simplex pushbutton lock repair page covers repair and replacement.
Pool gates may be subject to pool-barrier rules about closing and latching on their own. Which rules apply depends on the type of pool and your city or county, so ask the building department. Fixing a lock or latch is not the same as confirming that a gate meets those rules. Gate operators, the motors and wiring behind a vehicle gate, are normally a gate contractor’s work.
Master key systems for the whole property
A master key system lets the right people open the right doors with fewer keys. On a typical property there are three levels: a change key for each unit, a master for each building, and a property master for the manager. Common areas get their own keys. See our master key systems page for the full explanation.
Two things to decide. Some properties use maison keying, where each resident key also opens the main entrance and the laundry room. It saves residents from carrying three keys, and it means every resident key is also a key to the shared doors. And each added level can create key combinations no one planned, which can let a key open a lock it was not cut for. A good design checks for that before the system is built and again each time it grows.
For turnover, ask about interchangeable core locks. Spare cores can be pinned ahead of time, so a turnover becomes a core swap instead of a rekey, and the old cores can be recombined for the next unit. Restricted keyways, offered on many commercial lines, make a key harder to copy: the manufacturer controls the blanks and sells them only through channels it approves, so ordering takes longer. Call and describe your property, and we will tell you plainly whether interchangeable cores or restricted keys are something we supply.
Key control and key logs
A key system is only as good as its records. Keep a log, even if it is a spreadsheet, with these columns.
- Which key, by number or stamp
- Who holds it, with a signature
- The date it went out and the date it came back
- Which doors it opens, and whether it is a master
Keep keys you control in a locked cabinet with numbered hooks. Limit masters to named people. Have contractors sign keys out and in each day. Count the keys at every turnover. A “Do Not Duplicate” stamp does not stop anyone from copying a key, so do not rely on one. If a master key is lost, you need a plan for what to rekey and in what order. Call us and we will talk it through.
Resident lockouts and who has the authority
Anyone opening a door needs to know that the person asking is allowed to ask. For a resident locked out of a unit, the cleanest path is that your office confirms the resident and the unit and sends a work order. Call us and describe how your property handles resident lockouts, and we will tell you plainly whether it is something we do and what we would need from your office.
Lock changes tied to a tenant dispute, an eviction or a court order are a legal matter. The rules depend on your lease and Arizona law, so ask your attorney or property management association before you call a locksmith.
We work Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm.
Vendor onboarding
- One point of contact. You call one number and reach the owner, who does the work. There is no dispatcher and no call center.
- Insurance. We are an Arizona LLC and insured. If your management company needs a certificate, tell us who it should name and we will tell you what we can provide.
- Credentials you can check. BBB A+ rated, ALOA member, and verified by 1-800-Unlocks.
- Your requirements. If your management company has vendor requirements, send them before we schedule. We will say plainly whether we can meet them.
What to put in a work order
A complete work order means one visit instead of two. Include these.
- The property name and address, and the unit number or the door or gate location
- The name and phone number of the person who will meet us on site
- The name and role of the person approving the work, and a work order or PO number
- What you need: a rekey, a lockout, a repair, a replacement, or a quote
- Whether the unit is vacant or occupied, and the date it has to be ready
- The type of lock and the brand, if you know it, and the number of locks per door
- How we get past the gate, the building entry or the lockbox
- Photos of the lock or door, if you have them
When you want a price for more than a few doors, request a quote with the list. For a larger project, we look at the doors first and agree on the price before work starts. Simple jobs, such as a rekey or a lock swap, are priced on the phone.
Maintenance planning
Most locksmith calls at a property are things that failed on a schedule you could have seen coming. A little planning cuts them.
- Walk the common areas twice a year. Check that latches catch, closers close at a safe speed, exit devices release, and gates line up with their latches. Our commercial door hardware checklist gives you a list. Summer heat is hard on gates and exterior closers.
- Replace before it fails. A pushbutton lock with a worn button or a closer that leaks is easier to swap on your schedule than on a Friday afternoon.
- Batch your rekeys. Grouping upcoming move-outs by building saves trips and keeps vacant-ready dates on track.
- Keep spares. A few spare cores or cut keys on hand turn a lost key into a short visit.
- Budget by door. Replace the worst doors first instead of the whole property at once.
You can see everything we do for businesses on our commercial locksmith page.
- The property name and address, and whether you are the manager, owner or board
- What you need: turnover rekeys, a lockout, a gate or door repair, or a master key system
- How many units, doors or gates, and whether they are vacant or occupied
- The date the work has to be done by
- The name and phone number of the person who will meet us on site
- The name and role of the person approving the work, and a work order or PO number
- Any vendor requirements, such as who the certificate of insurance should name
Frequently asked questions
Do you do batch turnover rekeys for several units?
Yes. Send us the property, the unit numbers and the date each unit has to be ready, and we can group the work by building so one visit covers several units. Tell us when you want the work done and we will plan around it. If you need the invoice organized a certain way, such as by unit, tell us and we will say what we can do.
Can you give us a certificate of insurance?
We are an Arizona LLC and insured. Tell us who a certificate should name and what else your management company requires from vendors, and we will tell you what we can provide before we schedule any work. Send the requirements with your first work order.
Can you let a resident back into a unit?
Call and describe how your property handles resident lockouts, and we will tell you plainly whether it is something we do. Anyone opening a door needs to know that the person asking is allowed to ask, so the cleanest path is a call and a work order from your office. We will tell you what we would need from your office before we schedule anything.
Do you service mailbox locks?
Call us with a description or photo of the box, and we will tell you plainly whether it is something we do. Who owns the box matters: USPS guidance puts lock and key service on privately owned cluster boxes with the builder or property owner, and the Postal Service controls its own Arrow lock. Rules differ by mailbox type, so check with your local postmaster.
Who do I talk to when I call?
The owner, who also does the work. There is no dispatcher and no call center, so one person knows your properties and your work orders. We work Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm. For an after-hours lockout, call anyway. If we are free, we will come.
What should I put in a work order?
The property and address, the unit number or door location, who meets us on site, who approves the work, what you need, whether the unit is vacant, the date it has to be ready, the lock type if you know it, and how we get through the gate. Photos help. A work order or PO number goes on the invoice.
Can you repair pool and pedestrian gate locks?
We work on mechanical pushbutton gate locks on pool and pedestrian gates; see our Simplex pushbutton lock repair page. Pool gates may fall under pool-barrier rules about closing and latching on their own, and which rules apply depends on the type of pool and your city or county, so ask the building department. Gate motors and wiring are a gate contractor’s work.
Related commercial services
Talk to the locksmith who does the work.
Call (602) 301-5243, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm. For bigger projects we look at the doors first and agree on the price before any work starts.
When you need a real locksmith in Phoenix, AZ or the surrounding cities you can count on Desert Locksmith every time.
We’ll come to you when you need us!
Our locksmith service is available in the following areas:
Phoenix | Tempe | Paradise Valley | Scottsdale | Glendale | Mesa | Chandler | Peoria