Randwick is one of the largest and busiest suburbs in Sydney's east. It is home to the Prince of Wales and Sydney Children's hospitals, sits beside the University of New South Wales, and has Royal Randwick Racecourse along its northern edge. Shopping strips run along Belmore Road and around The Spot, and the light rail now links it to the city. All of that brings people: students, hospital staff, families and a very large rental market.
We work in Randwick regularly from our workshop at 500 Oxford St, Bondi Junction, a short drive away. This guide covers the lock and security issues we see most often here. For a summary of our local services, see our Randwick locksmith page.
Randwick's housing
Share houses
Larger older homes rented to groups of students or young workers, especially in the streets near the university and the hospitals. Many have locks on individual bedroom doors as well as the front and back doors.
Federation and Victorian homes
Brick houses and semis with timber doors, verandahs, French doors and sash windows, many with original or early hardware.
Apartment blocks
Interwar walk-ups and newer apartment buildings housing hospital staff, students and families, with a mix of timber and fire-rated entry doors.
Belmore Road and The Spot
Cafés, restaurants and shops in older buildings, with high-use doors and back entries onto lanes.
Keys in a rental suburb
The defining lock issue in Randwick is key control. When homes change occupants often, keys multiply. A share house that has had a dozen residents over five years may have keys with every one of them, plus agents, cleaners and friends. Nobody knows how many exist.
Rekeying is the simple answer. It changes the inside of each lock so a new key works and every old one stops, while the locks stay on the doors. With the landlord's consent, rekeying the front and back doors when occupants change is quick and affordable. See lock rekeying and our rekeying costs guide.
End-of-year turnover
Around the end of the university year, many Randwick share houses change most or all of their residents. That is the ideal time to rekey: the old group has gone, the new group has not yet been given keys, and the landlord or agent is already arranging the changeover. Booking several properties on the same day keeps the cost per lock down for landlords and agents.
Bedroom door locks
Many share houses have locks on bedroom doors so residents can secure their own space. A few points:
- Bedroom locks should open from inside without a key, for fire safety.
- They usually need the landlord's consent to install or change.
- When a resident leaves, that bedroom lock should be rekeyed for the next person.
- Keying the bedroom lock separately from the front door means each resident has their own room key plus a shared house key.
The rules on changing locks
In NSW, tenants and landlords generally need each other's consent before changing locks, with some exceptions such as certain domestic violence situations. Rekeying counts as changing a lock. Before booking, tenants should get written consent from the landlord or agent; landlords changing locks during a tenancy need the tenant's consent and must give them a key. Our guide to NSW lock change rules explains more, and NSW Fair Trading has official information.
Lockouts
Busy households, shared keys and self-locking doors make lockouts common in Randwick. Before calling, check whether a housemate, neighbour or the agent has a spare. If not, our lockout service runs 7 days, 8:00am – 7:00pm, and we always try non-destructive entry first. We will ask for proof that you live there. See Locked Out? What to Do First.
Shift workers at the hospitals often get home at unusual times. If you are locked out outside our hours, send a quote request and we will contact you when we open.
Older homes
Away from the busiest rental streets, Randwick has many Federation and Victorian homes with original or tired hardware. Common jobs include replacing worn front-door locks, adding deadlocks to back doors, realigning French doors and fitting sash window locks. See lock replacement and our heritage door locks guide.
Hospital and university staff
Many Randwick residents work long or irregular shifts at the hospitals or the university. That brings its own lock habits: leaving early in the dark, coming home tired, and sharing a household with people on different rosters. Self-locking deadlatches are convenient here because the door locks behind you, but they also make lockouts more likely when you step out without keys. A key safe with a code, or a spare key with a housemate who is often home, avoids most problems. If you work nights, remember our hours are 8:00am – 7:00pm, so a lockout at 3am will need to wait until morning or be solved with a spare.
Staff who rent close to the hospitals often move every year or two. Each move is a good moment to ask whether the locks were rekeyed after the last tenant. If nobody knows, ask your agent in writing to arrange it.
Racecourse and event days
On race days at Royal Randwick, and during big events at the nearby stadiums, the streets fill with visitors and parking disappears. Homes close to the racecourse sometimes find people cutting through side passages or sheltering near front doors. Making sure side gates are locked rather than latched, and that front doors latch every time they close, removes most of that risk. If you need us on an event day, tell us when you book so we can allow extra travel time.
Apartments
Randwick's apartment buildings follow the same rules as any strata building: entry doors are often fire-rated, and hardware changes may need building approval. Rekeying an existing approved lock is usually the simplest option. See apartment security.
Belmore Road businesses
Shops and cafés on Belmore Road and around The Spot face heavy foot traffic and early starts. Shopfront locks wear quickly, and back doors onto lanes are often the weaker side. Rekeying after staff changes, servicing sticking shopfront locks and adding deadlocks to back doors are the most common jobs. See commercial locksmith and our commercial locksmith guide.
Parking
Parking near the hospitals, the university and Belmore Road is limited, especially on weekdays and race days. Tell us about any driveway or parking option when you call. We only promise a time we can actually meet.
Typical Randwick jobs
- A share house near the university rekeyed at the end of the year.
- Bedroom door locks rekeyed for new housemates.
- A Federation home near The Spot with its worn front deadlock replaced.
- A shop on Belmore Road with a sticking latch repaired before it failed at close.
- A lockout for a hospital worker during the day.
A plan for landlords and agents
- Keep a key register for every property.
- Rekey between tenancies, especially at end-of-year turnover.
- Record lock brands and models in the property file.
- Respond to tenant lock requests in writing.
- Treat broken external locks as urgent repairs.
A plan for share house tenants
- Get written consent from the landlord before any lock change.
- Agree within the house who pays and how many keys are needed.
- Never hide a key outside.
- Ask for a rekey when someone leaves with a key.
- Save our number, 02 6423 0404, in case of a lockout.
Moving into a Randwick rental
New residents often ask what to do in the first week. A sensible order:
- Ask the agent how many keys were issued and how many you received.
- If no one knows, ask in writing for the locks to be rekeyed.
- Test the front door latch, the back door and any balcony slider.
- Check that bedroom locks open from inside without a key.
- Agree with housemates on a spare-key plan that does not involve a hiding place outside.
Common Randwick questions
Can you rekey a whole share house? Yes, including the front, back and bedroom doors, with the landlord's consent.
Do I need my landlord's permission to change locks? Generally yes in NSW, with some exceptions. Check with your agent and NSW Fair Trading.
Do you work on Belmore Road shops? Yes, we repair, replace and rekey commercial locks there.
Can you help with a lockout near the hospital? Yes, during our opening hours of 8:00am – 7:00pm, 7 days.
Can landlords book several properties at once? Yes. Booking several Randwick properties on the same day lowers the cost per lock.
Call a locksmith who knows Randwick
Call Lizzy Locksmith Bondi Junction on 02 6423 0404, open 7 days, 8:00am – 7:00pm, or send a quote request. We work across Randwick every week.
Neighbouring suburbs
We also work in Queens Park, Waverley and Bondi Junction.
- Randwick
- Suburb guide
- Rentals