Define what is changing

A staff departure, a new tenant and a missing key need different decisions. Before requesting lock work, identify the event and the doors affected. A returned key can complete one part of a handover; it does not establish that no copies were made or that electronic access has been removed.

Appoint an authorized person to coordinate the change. That person should be able to confirm responsibility for the premises, approve the scope and decide who needs access afterward. A tenant may control a suite entrance while the landlord controls the lobby, shared corridors or loading area.

Build a usable key register

A register should help you answer a specific question: who is meant to be able to open this door? Give doors and issued keys clear reference names. Record the person or role holding each key, the date issued, the access it should provide and its return status.

  • List the external doors and any separately controlled rooms or cabinets.
  • Distinguish individual keys from keys that open several doors.
  • Record missing or unidentified keys without treating them as returned.
  • Keep cards, fobs and electronic user accounts in a separate access list.
  • Note the manager who can authorize changes to shared entrances.

Store the register with restricted access. Do not label a portable key with information that openly identifies the property and door it operates. The register can hold those details without putting them on the key itself.

Choose the scope before changing hardware

If one issued key is unaccounted for, determine which doors it was meant to open. If it was a master key, the scope may be broader than one cylinder. An unknown key hierarchy is a reason to investigate the system, not to guess which locks need attention.

Ask whether the existing cylinders can be rekeyed and how that would affect the remaining keys. Where the current hierarchy no longer fits the business, master-key system planning provides a place to start. Compatibility and the desired access levels need to be established before a new arrangement is specified.

Keep hardware faults on the same work list, but identify them separately. A door that does not latch reliably still needs assessment even if every key has been returned. Storefront door lock repair addresses that kind of operating problem.

Coordinate the handover with actual use

Agree who will be present, how authorized staff will enter during the change and which doors must remain usable. Tell the office about shared entrances, scheduled deliveries or access controlled by another manager. Do not assume that changing a suite lock updates building credentials.

For electronic access, have the system's authorized administrator review the departing person's credentials and permissions. Record the requested change and its completion. A card being handed back is different from its permission being removed from the system. The separate access-control handover checklist covers that administrative side.

Close the record after the work

Check that the agreed keys operate the intended doors and that normal closing and locking still work. Confirm the outcome for superseded keys with the person completing the work. Record any door or cylinder that was outside the scope rather than assuming the entire property has changed.

Issue replacement keys against the updated register. Keep a record of who received each one and who is responsible for future changes. If a missing key's access has not been resolved, keep that item open with a named decision maker.

When contacting Superior, describe the premises, the handover event, the number of doors and what you know about the key system. Do not put master-key codes, working entry codes or employee personal information into a general enquiry. The commercial locksmith page explains the existing service scope; the handover record helps turn that into a specific request.