Apartment keys and locks

Written by Magnus Aller, owner of Amco Locksmiths. WA Police-licensed security installer (licence 30629), 25 years’ experience as a locksmith in Perth, Western Australia. Reviewed September 2026.

Your own front door

The lock into your apartment is yours to deal with. We rekey it when you move in or when keys go missing, repair it when it starts sticking, open it when you are locked out, and fit a keypad lock if you would rather not carry a key. If you are renting, check with the property manager first, because the hardware is still the owner’s.

Anything shared

The lobby door, the basement car park gate, the lift, the bin room and the building intercom are common property. One resident cannot have them changed, and we would not do it if asked — it has to come through the strata company or the building manager. If a shared door genuinely needs work, raise it with them and they can engage somebody properly.

Letterbox banks

A recurring problem in unit blocks. Boxes get jammed, keys get lost between tenancies, and nobody knows who holds what. Letterbox banks in unit blocks are the single exception to our rule on master key systems: we can set one up so the building has a common key for the bank while each box keeps its own key. We do not do master key systems for doors.

Locked out of an apartment

Two things make this different from a house. First, getting to your door may need building access, so somebody has to let us in. Second, we still need photo identification and something showing you live there — a lease, a rates notice, a piece of mail. That applies whether you own the place or rent it.

Keypad locks in apartments

Popular with owners who let short-term, and with anybody tired of carrying a key. Most apartment doors take one, though narrow-stile aluminium doors need particular models. If the building has rules about the appearance of front doors, check them before buying. Every lock we fit keeps a second way in.

Balcony and window locks

Ground and first floor apartments are worth a second look at the balcony slider, which is often the weakest door in the place. We fit locks for sliding doors and windows.

Where to go next

If keys are missing, see lost house keys. Between tenants, rekeying and rental property locks are the relevant pages; extra copies are on duplicate keys.