Lock Change for Westwood homes
Westwood lock work is dominated by UCLA student rental turnover. Landlords with student tenants typically do a lock change or rekey every twelve months on the lease boundary — sometimes more often for sublets and roommate changes mid-lease. The economics push every Westwood landlord toward Kwikset SmartKey across all units: rekey takes about a minute with the included tool, no locksmith bill on every turnover, and the hardware is cheap enough to swap entirely if a key is lost. Most Westwood multi-unit properties have already standardized on SmartKey.
Westwood also has a meaningful population of pre-war apartment buildings with master-key systems, similar to Mid-Wilshire. Tenants in these buildings cannot rekey on their own — coordination with the building manager is required, and the manager's preferred locksmith handles the work to keep the master pin pattern intact. Owner-occupied condos and single-family homes follow standard rekey-on-move-in patterns. Smart-lock installs are less common here than in tech-heavy neighborhoods because the renter base turns over too often to invest in hardware.
About lock change
Lock change is the umbrella term for three different jobs that often get confused: rekeying an existing lock so old keys no longer work, swapping the entire lock hardware for a new mechanical deadbolt or knob, and converting a traditional lock to a smart lock with keypad or app entry. Each costs different money, takes different time, and protects you in slightly different ways. The right answer depends on whether the existing hardware is in good condition, whether you want backward compatibility with old keys, and whether the door has been kicked, drilled, or worn out from years of use across the Los Angeles rental market.
Read the full Lock Change guide →Pricing in Westwood
$80–280 typical range for Westwood jobs.
Rekey runs $80 to $180 in Los Angeles for the first lock and $15 to $40 per additional cylinder rekeyed in the same visit. Kwikset SmartKey rekeys sit at the lower end because the work is faster and no pinning kit is needed. Schlage and other non-SmartKey rekeys sit at the upper end because the cylinder has to be removed, the pins have to be cut, and a licensed locksmith is doing the work. If a rekey quote comes in under $60 for a single Schlage cylinder, ask what is included — service-call fees and key fees often get added on arrival.
Westwood lock change FAQ
I'm a Westwood landlord with student tenants — should I switch to Kwikset SmartKey?+
Yes if you have more than two units and turnover happens at least once a year per unit. SmartKey rekey takes about a minute per cylinder with the included tool; you save the locksmith fee on every tenant change. Hardware costs $40 to $70 per lock and recoups itself by the second turnover.
I'm a UCLA student renting a Westwood apartment — can I rekey my own lock?+
Check your lease first. Most pre-war Westwood buildings have a master-key system and prohibit unauthorized lock changes. If your building does not have a master system and your lease allows it, rekey is fine. For owner-occupied condos and houses, you can rekey freely. When in doubt, ask the building manager in writing.
How fast can a handyman rekey a Westwood apartment between tenants?+
Kwikset SmartKey: about a minute per cylinder, plus drive time. Schlage or non-SmartKey Kwikset: ten to twenty minutes per cylinder for a licensed locksmith with a pinning kit. A typical two-bedroom apartment with two exterior cylinders is a thirty-minute appointment for SmartKey, an hour for non-SmartKey.
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