Domakihub Rekey a Door Lock Cylinder — No New Lock Needed
Change who can open your door in under an hour, for a fraction of the cost of a full lock swap.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
When you take possession of a resale property in Greece or reach the end of a rental contract, every previous keyholder — former owners, tenants, cleaners, tradespeople — still has a key that works. The fastest and cheapest fix is rekeying: swapping the small pin tumblers inside the existing cylinder so that all old keys become useless and only a newly cut key operates the lock. The video above walks through the process on a common doorknob cylinder, and the steps below translate that process into practical guidance for homes, holiday rentals, and hotel rooms across Greece.
Rekeying vs. Replacing: What Actually Makes Sense
A new lock set in Greece typically costs €30–€100 or more for a decent EURO-profile cylinder, plus a locksmith's call-out fee. A rekeying kit for most pin-tumbler cylinders costs under €15 and the process takes 20–40 minutes once you have done it once. The hardware — the cylinder body, the cam, the mounting screws — stays exactly where it is. Only the spring-loaded pins that determine which key profile opens the lock are changed.
Rekeying makes the most sense when the existing lock is in good mechanical condition and you simply need to invalidate old keys. If the cylinder is worn, corroded, or a low-security model you want to upgrade, full replacement is the better call. For a holiday rental property with frequent tenant turnover, rekeying between stays (or installing a smart cylinder you can reset digitally) is a significant operating cost saving over time.
What You Need Before You Start
You need the current working key for the cylinder — rekeying without it means disassembling under a different method or calling a locksmith. Beyond that, a basic rekeying kit for your specific lock brand (Cisa, Viro, and Yale profiles are common in Greece) typically includes a follower tool, a plug follower cap, a plug-removal tool, replacement pin sets in multiple depths, and a key gauge. Most kits also include a small pair of tweezers and a pinning tray to keep the tiny parts from scattering.
Take note of the cylinder brand stamped on the face or the packaging before ordering a kit — pin sizes are brand-specific and not interchangeable. If you are unsure of the brand, a photo sent to a local locksmith or hardware store (φανοποιείο / κλειδαράς) will usually get you an answer quickly.
How to Rekey the Cylinder — 5 Steps
- 1
Remove the cylinder from the door
Insert the current working key and turn it to the unlocked position. Depending on the lock type, you will either unscrew a set screw on the side of the knob collar, depress a release tab, or unscrew the interior rose plate to free the cylinder. Keep the key inserted throughout — this aligns the plug (the rotating inner part) so it slides out cleanly.
- 2
Separate the plug from the cylinder housing
Insert the follower tool (a cylindrical rod that comes with the kit) into the back of the cylinder and push the plug forward and out of the housing. The follower must stay pressed against the back face of the plug as it exits, because the driver pins and springs in the housing are under tension — if the follower slips away, those parts scatter everywhere. Slide the plug free while the follower holds the housing pins in place.
- 3
Remove the old key pins from the plug
With the plug out and the old key still inserted, use the plug-removal tool or a thin probe to push each key pin (the lower pin, which sits in the plug itself) out of its chamber into the pinning tray. There are typically five or six chambers. Remove the old key, shake any remaining pins loose, and lay them aside — they are being replaced, so their order does not matter.
- 4
Insert the new key pins using the new key
Insert the new (blank or freshly cut) key into the plug. Consult the depth chart in your kit or use the key gauge to identify which replacement pin depth corresponds to each cut on the new key. Drop the correct pin into each chamber — it should sit flush with or just below the shear line when the new key is inserted. A pin that sticks up will jam the plug; one that sits too low will allow the lock to be picked more easily.
- 5
Reassemble, test, and verify old keys no longer work
Align the plug with the follower still holding the housing pins up, then slowly push the plug back into the cylinder while withdrawing the follower at the same pace — this transfers control of the driver pins back onto the new key pins without them falling. Reinstall the cylinder in the door, tighten any screws or snap the collar back on, and test the new key several times in both directions. Then confirm that every old key fails to turn the plug. Do this before closing the door fully in case a retest is needed.
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FAQ
- Can I rekey a EURO-profile cylinder, which is the most common type in Greek doors?
- Yes, but the process is slightly different from the doorknob cylinder shown in the video above. EURO-profile cylinders (the oval double-sided type used in most Greek apartment and villa doors) are also pin-tumbler locks and can be rekeyed, but they require a brand-matched kit and a follower sized for the EURO plug diameter. Brands such as Cisa, Iseo, and Viro all produce rekeying kits for their own cylinders. The core principle — remove plug, swap key pins, reinstall — is identical.
- Is it legal to rekey a rental property in Greece without telling the tenant?
- If the rental contract has legally ended and the tenant has vacated, rekeying is a standard and legitimate security measure for the landlord. You should never rekey while a tenant is still legally in possession of the property — doing so could constitute illegal lockout (which carries civil liability under Greek tenancy law). Always ensure the tenancy has formally ended and the property has been handed back before changing any access credentials.
- How many keys can I cut from the new code after rekeying?
- As many as your key blank and the cylinder allow. Once the cylinder is rekeyed to a new pin combination, any locksmith or key-cutting kiosk (found in most Greek hardware stores and supermarkets) can duplicate the new key from the physical key itself. There is no digital limit. For holiday rentals, cutting three to five copies — one per key safe, one spare, one master — is a sensible starting point.