Decide between rekey and full replacement after a rental tenant turnover

Steps

1. Check whether the property's state has an explicit statutory rekey requirement at tenant turnover; for example, Texas Property Code requires certain security devices to be rekeyed within a set number of days of each tenant turnover, at the landlord's expense.
2. Where no statute mandates it, such as in several states with no explicit rekey-between-tenants law, advise the landlord that rekeying is still widely recommended best practice even though it isn't legally required.
3. Evaluate the hardware condition: if cylinders/locks are in good working order, a rekey is normally the faster, lower-cost option versus full hardware replacement.
4. Recommend full replacement instead of rekey when the hardware is worn, damaged, non-conforming to current code, or when the client wants to upgrade to a keyway or security tier the existing hardware can't support.
5. Document the work performed and, where applicable, the statutory deadline met, in case the landlord needs to show compliance later.