Procedure for Changing Locks After Domestic Crisis

A domestic crisis can make a renter feel unsafe in their own home, especially when another person has keys or may try to enter. In Newfoundland and Labrador, tenants should act quickly but carefully when changing rental locks after domestic violence or another safety emergency. The lease, Residential Tenancies Act, landlord’s responsibilities, and any protection order may all affect what you can do. This guide explains when to contact police, how to request a lock change, what evidence to keep, and how to seek help if the landlord refuses or delays. It also covers practical steps for protecting access to your rental unit while preserving your tenancy rights and avoiding actions that could create a dispute.

When changing the locks may be necessary

Consider an urgent lock or access-security request if a former partner, household member, or other person has a key, knows the access code, has damaged the lock, or is threatening to enter. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 and move to a safer location before dealing with the tenancy issue. A peace bond, no-contact condition, protection order, or another court or police direction may also affect who can lawfully enter the home.

As a tenant, you usually remain responsible for the rental unit and should not permanently change or damage the landlord’s hardware without permission. Contact the landlord or property manager in writing as soon as it is safe. Explain that the request concerns a safety risk, identify the lock or access device involved, and ask for an urgent replacement or rekeying. Review Health and Safety Issues Every Tenant Should Know When Renting for related habitability and safety concerns.

Step-by-step procedure for a lock change

1. Call 911 for immediate danger, or contact the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary or the RCMP for a non-emergency safety report and ask how to document the incident.
2. Record the date, threats, attempted entry, damage, witnesses, police occurrence number, and any messages, photographs, or videos that can safely be preserved.
3. Send the landlord a written request for an urgent rekey, replacement lock, changed entry code, or other reasonable access control, and explain why the current access creates a safety risk.
4. Ask who will perform the work, whether every former key or code will be disabled, and how the new keys or codes will be delivered to you.
5. Provide only the safety information needed to explain the request, and ask that sensitive details be handled privately.
6. Keep copies of your request, the response, receipts, photographs of the lock, and any agreement about responsibility for the cost.

Who normally pays and who should arrange the work

The landlord generally controls the building’s locks and is responsible for maintaining the rental property and complying with safety obligations. A tenant should not hire a locksmith or install a new deadbolt and then assume reimbursement without first obtaining written permission, except where an immediate emergency leaves no reasonable alternative. Ask the landlord to confirm the approved locksmith, the expected response time, and whether the landlord will pay.

If the landlord agrees that a tenant may arrange the work, obtain written instructions about the type of lock, duplicate keys, building access, and return of the original hardware. A landlord may need a copy of the new key for lawful maintenance access, but that does not mean an unsafe former occupant should receive one. The parties should also clarify whether any court or police order limits access.

For broader information about each party’s duties, see Obligations of Landlords and Tenants: Rights, Responsibilities, and Best Practices. A lock problem caused by damage or a failed mechanism may also be an urgent repair issue, as explained in Emergency Situations and Repairs: Tenant Rights and Responsibilities.

What to do if the landlord refuses or does not respond

Send a second written message stating that the risk remains, when you first requested help, and what immediate remedy you are seeking. Keep the message factual and avoid sharing a copy of a protection order with anyone who does not need it. Contact the Residential Tenancies Division for information about an application or dispute process, and ask whether the facts support an urgent request.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Residential Tenancies Act governs residential rental agreements and the Director’s dispute process.^[1] The Director may be able to address repair, access, possession, or tenancy issues, but the tenancy process is not a substitute for police protection or emergency safety planning. Do not stop paying rent or abandon the unit without advice about the consequences.

If the crisis means you must leave, ask the Residential Tenancies Division and a victim-support service about ending the tenancy, removing your name, recovering belongings, or protecting your new address. Do not assume that changing the lock by itself ends the rental agreement or prevents a person with a legal right of access from entering.

Forms and evidence to consider

• Application to the Director, Form 1: Use this Residential Tenancies Division application when you need the Director to decide a residential-tenancy dispute, such as a serious unresolved maintenance or access problem; describe the lock issue, attach your written request, and explain the remedy sought.
• Notice of Hearing, Form 2: This is generally issued in the tenancy process rather than created by the tenant; keep it and attend the stated appointment if the Division serves one in response to an application.
• Notice to Quit, Form 4: This is normally a landlord’s notice ending a tenancy, not a tenant’s lock-change request; if you receive one after reporting a safety concern, preserve it and obtain prompt advice about deadlines and validity.
• Safety and incident records: There may be no single tenancy form for changing a lock after a domestic crisis, so keep police occurrence details, protection-order information, messages, photographs, receipts, and landlord communications with your application.

Protecting privacy after the lock is changed

• Change shared entry codes, garage remotes, mailbox access, and smart-lock passwords if they may be known by the unsafe person.
• Ask the landlord not to disclose your new contact information, unit access details, or forwarding address except where legally required.
• Tell a trusted support worker, police officer, or victim-services provider about any attempted entry after the change.
• Photograph the completed work and keep the locksmith invoice, written authorization, and names of everyone who received a key.

FAQ

Can a tenant in Newfoundland and Labrador change the locks without asking the landlord?

A tenant should normally obtain written permission before changing or replacing the landlord’s lock, but an immediate safety emergency may require urgent action; contact police and the Residential Tenancies Division promptly and keep evidence explaining why.

Who pays for changing a rental lock after domestic violence?

Responsibility depends on the lease, the cause of the problem, any agreement, and the circumstances of the emergency, so obtain written confirmation before authorizing paid work whenever it is safe to do so.

Can a landlord give a former partner a new key?

A landlord should not knowingly provide access contrary to a court or police order, and the parties should discuss who is legally entitled to occupy or enter the unit; seek immediate police help if there is a safety threat.

Does changing the lock end the tenancy?

No, changing a lock does not automatically terminate a rental agreement, remove rent obligations, or replace the formal process for ending a tenancy.

How-To

1. Move to safety and call 911 if there is immediate danger.
2. Save incident details, messages, photographs, police information, and any protection order.
3. Ask the landlord in writing for an urgent rekey, replacement lock, or changed access code.
4. Confirm authorization, the approved locksmith, new keys, and responsibility for the cost.
5. Contact the Residential Tenancies Division if the landlord refuses or the dispute remains unresolved.

Help and Support / Resources

• Newfoundland and Labrador Residential Tenancies Division for tenancy information, forms, and dispute-process guidance.
• Newfoundland and Labrador legislation for the current Residential Tenancies Act and related laws.
• Violence Prevention Initiative for provincial violence-prevention information and support resources.
• Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Justice and Public Safety for official public-safety and justice information.

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1. [1] Newfoundland and Labrador legislation, including the Residential Tenancies Act
2. [2] Newfoundland and Labrador Residential Tenancies Division

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