A key changeover list is a short, standing record of every door, every key holder, and the steps you take each time someone joins, changes roles, or leaves. You keep it and reuse it, so nobody relies on memory. Start with an inventory of doors and keys. Then run the same sequence at each departure: collect, compare, judge the risk, and decide whether to rekey. Collected keys alone do not prove no copies exist.
Why a returned key ring proves less than it seems
The changeover list earns its place at a departure, because that is when people assume a handed-back key ring settles the question. A returned key tells you that one key is back. It says nothing about copies made along the way, and most ordinary keys can be copied by anyone holding the original. Keep the list as one document that stays current, and each time someone joins, moves, or leaves, record what changed and the date.
What the inventory needs before anyone leaves
Build the inventory once, on a quiet day, not in the hour after someone gives notice. Walk the space door by door and record these details for each door or area:
- The door or area, named the way your staff already name it
- The key type, plus any number or code stamped on the key's bow, the flat part you hold
- Who holds a key, and the date it was issued
- Whether copies were authorized, and by whom
- Any shared or master key that opens this door along with others
- Any non-key entry, such as a keypad code, access card, fob, or intercom credential
The weak spot in most key inventories is the copy nobody wrote down. A key cut without approval looks like any other key and leaves no trace in your records. An unmarked key is harder still, because you cannot tell by looking at it which door it opens or whether it matches what you issued. A stamped or tagged number that ties back to the list closes part of that gap.
Codes and cards belong on the same sheet. A former employee who still knows the keypad code has the same access as one who kept a key.
Working through a single departure
- Collect every key, card, and fob the person holds, and write down what came back.
- Compare the returned items against the inventory, line by line.
- Judge the risk based on what the person could still open.
- Decide: no further action, rekey the affected locks, or change the hardware.
- Update the inventory and record the date of each change.
Step three is where the decision moves. Several factors push toward rekeying: the person held a master or shared key, you doubt that every copy came back, the key opened many doors rather than one, or the departure ended badly. If someone held a single key to one interior office, returned it, and never had permission to copy it, leaving the lock alone is a reasonable call. If a master key is missing, the risk reaches every door that key opens.
Rekeying changes the small pins inside the cylinder, the part the key slides into, so old keys stop working while the lock stays on the door. Changing the lock replaces the hardware itself. Rekeying fits when the lock works well and you only need old keys shut out. A lock change makes more sense when the hardware is worn or damaged, or when you want a different kind of lock.
For keypads and access cards, the matching step is changing the code or turning off the credential. Keep it in the same sequence so it does not get forgotten.
What about role changes and shared keys?
A simple exit checklist misses people who never leave. Someone who moves from the stockroom to the front office may keep the stockroom key out of habit. Treat an internal move as a small departure: collect what the new role does not need, issue what it does, and update both lines on the list.
Part-time staff, temporary workers, and anyone who shares a key with a coworker need the same list entries as full-time staff. A key that hangs on a hook for whoever opens that day still has holders. A written sign-out sheet with the name, date out, and date back gives that key a history on paper.
Give the fewest keys to the fewest people, and each departure leaves less to account for.
What to have ready if keys or locks need to change
If the decision is to rekey or replace, have the inventory in hand before you call. Pull out the list of affected doors, which keys or credentials are unaccounted for, whether the doors use commercial hardware or residential-style locks, and whether a keypad, intercom, or access control system is part of the entry. Note how many new keys each person needs, so copies are cut once and recorded.
Williamsburg Locksmith and Key Copy offers lock change and rekey, key copy and duplication, commercial locksmith work, and intercom and access control as a mobile service in Williamsburg and elsewhere in Brooklyn, as well as Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. To go over the doors on your list, call (347) 699-9268.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a business review who holds keys, even without turnover?
A key holder review is worth doing on a set schedule even when nobody leaves, such as once or twice a year. Walk the inventory, ask each holder to show the keys they carry, and check them against the list. A review catches keys that drifted between coworkers and codes that were never changed.
Who should be allowed to authorize new key copies?
Authority to approve new key copies works best with one person, or two at most, named on the changeover list. Every copy request goes through that person, who records who received the key and when. When anyone can get a copy made, the inventory stops matching what is actually in people's pockets, and the next departure turns into guesswork.
What should we do if a former employee never returned a key?
A key a former employee never returned should be treated as an open copy. Mark it unaccounted for on the changeover list, note which doors it opens, and check whether it was a master or shared key. If it opens anything that matters, rekeying those locks is the usual answer, since getting one key back does not tell you whether copies exist.
Should keys be numbered or labeled, and how do we do it without exposing which door they open?
Numbering keys helps, as long as the number does not name the door. Stamp or tag each key with a short code and keep the matching door only on the changeover list, held by whoever manages keys. A lost key with a code on it reveals little. A lost key tagged 'back office' tells the finder exactly where to try it.