A commercial lease ending is a specific moment where security details are easy to lose in the middle of everything else changing — inventory being moved, fixtures negotiated, final walkthroughs scheduled. This checklist covers what's actually worth addressing on the security side, for both outgoing tenants and landlords preparing a space for its next occupant.
For the Outgoing Tenant
Confirm every key and fob is actually accounted for. This means going beyond the keys you personally remember having — checking with former employees, contractors who may have been issued access, and anyone else who might have received a copy over the course of the lease.
Don't assume your obligation ends at handing back what you have. If you genuinely can't confirm every key or credential that was ever issued during your tenancy, it's worth communicating that clearly to the landlord rather than assuming your own key return covers the full picture.
Remove or transfer any access control credentials tied to your business specifically. If you installed or used a card, fob, or code-based system as part of your own operations, confirm whether those credentials need to be deactivated or if the system itself belongs to the property and simply needs your specific access removed.
Address any smart lock or connected security system separately from physical keys. If you installed a smart lock, camera system, or connected security equipment during your tenancy, physical key return doesn't resolve digital access — accounts need to be transferred or fully deactivated as their own step.
For the Landlord Preparing the Space
Treat rekeying as standard practice between every commercial tenancy, not a judgment call. Regardless of how the outgoing tenant's business relationship went, there's no reliable way to know every key that circulated during their lease. A consistent rekey policy applied to every unit removes that uncertainty entirely.
Assess every entry point, not just the main door. Commercial spaces frequently have secondary entrances, loading access, and storage areas that are easy to overlook when focus stays on the primary storefront or office entrance.
Check whether the outgoing tenant made any hardware changes during their lease. Some tenants install their own locks, access control, or security systems, and these need to be assessed rather than assumed to still function correctly or belong to the property going forward.
Consider whether the departing tenant's business type affects your assessment. A former tenant who handled cash, sensitive records, or valuable inventory may warrant a more thorough security review than a straightforward retail changeover, simply given what was previously stored or handled in the space.
Verify any master key system implications. If the unit is part of a larger building with a master key structure, confirm that rekeying the individual unit doesn't disrupt the broader system, and that master-level access is still appropriately controlled.
For a New Tenant Moving In
Don't assume the space was rekeyed just because it should have been. Confirm with your landlord directly that a rekey has genuinely taken place before your move-in date, rather than assuming standard practice was followed.
Assess whether the existing hardware actually fits your business's needs. A retail space transitioning to a new retail tenant may need little beyond a rekey, while a business with different security requirements — a professional office needing tiered access, a business handling sensitive materials — may need a more substantial hardware review.
Plan your own access structure from the start. Moving into a new commercial space is a natural point to establish a proper keyed system, whether that's keyed alike for a small team or a tiered structure with a master key for a larger operation, rather than defaulting to whatever was already in place.
Why This Checklist Matters More Than It Might Seem
Commercial lease turnover happens often enough that it's tempting to treat the security side as routine and low-priority compared to everything else involved in a lease transition. In practice, this is exactly the kind of gap that quietly accumulates risk over years of a property's history if it's not treated as a genuine, consistent step every time.
If you're managing a commercial lease turnover, our Tenant Turnover Rekey and Commercial Locksmith Services pages cover how we help landlords handle this consistently.
