Perhaps the term travelled along the grapevine of friends and family. Maybe it cropped up whilst you were considering changing the locks on your new home. Whatever the case, the words ‘keyed alike’ are a frequent source of confusion among new homeowners and greenhorn landlords, so you’re not alone.
Luckily, the concept is really easy to grasp. Keyed alike locks are more common than you might think; they merely refer to locks that have been configured to operate by a single key. In this brief guide, I’ll be filling in the gaps in your knowledge, drawing on the two decades of experience I’ve accumulated picking, repairing and replacing locks in and around York. Let’s hop to it.
Skip ahead to:
- What Keyed Alike Means in Practical Terms
- Pros & Cons
- Case Study Scenarios
- Keyed Alike vs Other Locking Systems
- Getting Your Locks Keyed Alike
- Conclusion
What Keyed Alike Means in Practical Terms
Keyed alike means that a locksmith has configured a set of locks so that one key fits each of them. For example, it’s pretty commonplace to see homes that have the front and back doors, which operate by the same key, or offices that have a single key to lock each of the internal doors.
For this to work, a certified locksmith has to rekey each respective lock in the system to a shared pin configuration that matches a single key’s pattern. This involves removing and disassembling the locks, selecting new pins to correspond with the desired key’s bitting (i.e., the cuts), before reinstalling them in the correct location.
Types of Locks that Can Be Keyed Alike
A competent locksmith can key alike the majority of locks on front, back, internal and even garage doors, provided that they meet the British Standard (BS3261) for security.
- Euro Cylinders – These are very common on front and back doors, and also come in thumbturn, double, and half sizes.
- Mortice Locks – Both 3-lever and 5-lever mortice locks (sashlocks and deadlocks) are straightforward to rekey.
- Night Latches – Night latches, AKA traditional rim locks, can often be integrated into keyed alike systems.
- Padlocks – Available in keyed alike sets of the same type of padlock, and sometimes can be integrated in a set with a Euro cylinder if it’s a compatible padlock type.
- Furniture or Cabinet Locks – This includes cam locks, cupboard locks, and other small locks.
The only real limitation is when you try to mix different lock types; for example, Euro cylinders and mortice locks can’t be keyed into the same system because of their different underlying locking mechanisms. The same is true of smart locks and traditional locks.
Pros and Cons of Keyed Alike Locks
Keyed alike locks aren’t for everyone, nor are they suited to every scenario, but in the right context (which is many), they’re a massive upgrade from standard locking systems. Here’s why.
Advantages
- Efficient: Because you only need one key to operate a multitude of locks, that’s tons of time saved rooting around on a key chain or in a bag – ideal for businesses with multiple office cabinets or equipment that needs to be squirrelled away come lock-up.
- Affordable: Irregardless of the number of locks in the system, since you only have one key, it’s much more economical and convenient to cut new copies.
- Convenient: With this streamlined locking system, long gone are the days of cumbersome keychains and rooting around for the right one at the bottom of your bag.
Drawbacks
The downsides of keyed alike systems all pertain to practical security applications. Although rekeying your locks doesn’t pose an immediate security threat to your property, if a copy is lost, the entire system is compromised. It’s also not ideal if you require tiered access levels for different areas, such as in a retail environment.
When one in five households admits to losing a set of house keys, it’s definitely worth consideration, even if the resultant risk of a break-in is relatively low.
I say this as an ex-security professional with two decades of experience; it always boils down to a risk-reward calculation. How does the risk of your home security being jeopardised and the cost of getting those rekeyed locks replaced measure up against the hassle-free nature of having a single key?
Common Scenarios for Keyed Alike Systems (Real Case Studies Included)
There are numerous scenarios where a keyed alike system may come in handy…
- Homeowners: In my experience, homeowners love the practicality of a shared key for the front and back door, especially when lugging shopping back from the supermarket. In fact, I recently rekeyed a home in Acomb for a young family who’d recently moved into a new abode – they said that the time saved would make all the difference on the school run!
- Airbnb Hosts: A streamlined Airbnb lock system is a great idea for convenience and consistency, as your guests only need to look after one key; however, this best done with a smart lock, considering the number of people who, otherwise, would be handling the key.
- Estate Agents & Landlords: No one likes to carry around dead weight, and for landlords and property managers with endless bunches of keys, it couldn’t be more applicable. Here, they uniquely benefit from multi-level access keys, as they can access the appropriate areas for inventory checks and maintenance, without disturbing the tenants.
Keyed Alike vs Other Locking Systems: How it Differs from Master Keying, Standard & Smart Locks
To work out whether keyed alike locks are for you, you first need to understand how they compare to different locking systems.
Master Keyed Systems
Similar to keyed alike systems, but a little more complex, master keying refers to a system wherein one ‘master key’ can open all the locks, while a set of ‘change keys’ that each correlate to individual locks is also in circulation.
This hierarchical system is a great match for workplaces, which require robust access control systems, or HMOs, where a landlord can access each area whilst the tenant’s access remains separate to their individual rooms.
Standard Locks
There’s not a huge amount to say here: standard locks, which are keyed different, are each operable by a separate key. This means that if you lose one, you’ll only need to replace the corresponding lock. That said, how often would you lose a single key? Would it be more likely that you’d misplace the keychain? All good questions you should mull over.
Smart Locks
Electronic locking devices that replace traditional locks, smart locks are favoured for their effortless keyless access via smartphones, keypads, fobs or fingerprints. Of course, they’re not infallible – faults do occasionally occur – but they can be keyed alike within the same electronic system. Do note that you can’t combine the shared key between smart locks and traditional ones.
Getting Your Locks Keyed Alike
Set on getting your locks keyed alike? Here are some final words of wisdom before I wrap up this guide.
Rekeying vs Replacing
You may be wondering how this rekeying business will work on your own locks. To get them all responding to the same key, you have two options:
- Have a locksmith come around and individually repin each of the keys you want in the set
- Replace your existing locks with a set that is already keyed alike.
Option A is best if you’re willing to pay a little more to keep the existing locks in your home, perhaps because they offer premium security, or you don’t want to waste the hardware. Whereas option B is the best route for those already considering upgrading their locks, for instance, in the case of a break-in or upgrading a rental’s security after disreputable tenants leave.
Cost Overview
As I’ve mentioned, one of the major draws of getting your locks keyed alike is how affordable it is, particularly when you go to get additional keys cut.
According to 2024 data from Checkatrade, the average cost of getting a front, back or patio door rekeyed is in the region of £65-£100. Do note that, due to the labour costs, it often works out to be cheaper to order new locks, which have already been keyed alike, rather than modifying your existing hardware.
Another thing to be wary of is that, in the event that one of your keys is lost, you may feel compelled to replace all of your locks for security reasons, particularly if you believe it may have been stolen. As you can imagine, the cost of replacing all of the locks in the set can add up, fast.
Practical Tips
Before you get a local locksmith on the phone, it’s a good idea to solidify which exact locks would benefit from sharing the same key. Ask yourself, what is the most convenient solution that doesn’t compromise on security?
For example, in a workplace with a shared staff break room, you might wish to give employees the same level of access, whilst reserving a separate key for higher-access rooms. The same goes for residential properties: the main door on an HMO might be ideal for keying alike, but individual bedrooms may suit separate keys.
Besides your choice of lock, careful key management should be top-of-mind for homeowners, businesses and landlords alike. Simple measures, including hiding spares in a key safe, properly securing them to your person when you’re out and about (carabiners work a charm here!), or using a GPS key tracker, can prevent them from being unnecessarily lost. Similarly, you should be careful about who you hand the spares to; always share them with people you trust implicitly.
A Parting Word
Now you’re all clued up on what the term keyed alike means and how these kinds of keys work in practice, all that’s left is to decide whether it’s for you.
If it’s convenience, security and affordability you’re after, then they make a great choice. The biggest takeaway, though, is that they need to come with robust key management, so be careful how you store them and who you give the copies to.
Ready to give them a whirl? Then reach out to your local locksmith. At The York Locksmith Company, we’re more than happy to help you navigate your options.
