Chapter 01Records · Tool and printable record
Keys, codes and remotes log
Add up the sets you need: one for each person who carries keys, one for each set you lend out, and the spares you keep at home. For each lock, subtract the keys you have. That gives the copies to cut. If you just moved in, change the locks and reset the garage opener first, then cut copies from the new keys. The log has a column for who has each key and one for where each code is kept. It never asks for the code.
Source: Hayward Police, Home Security Tips, checked October 11, 2026; Chamberlain Group support, How To Erase Remote Control And Keypad Access, checked October 11, 2026.
Keys, codes and remotes log
Result 4 full sets: cut 9 copies
- Full sets
- 2 carried + 1 lent out + 1 spare = 4
- Garage remotes
- 1 more remote for 2 drivers (you have 1)
Copies to cut
- Front door cut 2 copies (you have 2)
- Back or side door cut 3 copies (you have 1)
- Garage entry door cut 2 copies (you have 2)
- Mailbox cut 2 copies (you have 2)
Just moved in: change these
- Front door have the lock changed or rekeyed, then cut copies from the new keys
- Back or side door have the lock changed or rekeyed, then cut copies from the new keys
- Garage entry door have the lock changed or rekeyed, then cut copies from the new keys
- Mailbox have the lock changed or rekeyed, then cut copies from the new keys
- Garage door opener erase every remote and keypad from the opener, then program the 3 ones you keep
Home: ____________________ · Log started: __________
| Item | How many | Who has one | Code kept where (not the code) | Last changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front door | 4 | |||
| Back or side door | 4 | |||
| Garage entry door | 4 | |||
| Mailbox | 4 | |||
| Garage remotes | 2 | |||
| Garage keypad PIN | code | |||
Write who holds each key by first name or initials. Never write a code on this sheet; write where it is kept, such as "password manager" or "opener manual".
How to use this, in plain words
Type how many people carry keys, how many sets you lend out (a neighbor, a sitter, family) and how many spares you keep in the house.
Gather every key you have and sort them by the lock they open. Try each one in its lock. Type the count for each lock, and leave a lock blank if the home does not have it.
Type the drivers who use the garage and the remotes you have, and tick a keypad, smart lock or alarm panel if the home has one.
Tick "We just moved in" if you did. The tool adds a change list: locks, the garage opener and each code.
Print the log. Fill in who has each key, where each code is kept and the date you last changed it.
Before you start
- Note 01
Test every key in its lock first
Keys left by a seller or a past tenant often include one that fits nothing. Count only the keys that open the lock.
- Note 02
Change locks before cutting copies
If the locks are about to be changed or rekeyed, wait. Copies of the old keys go in the trash the day the new ones arrive.
- Note 03
Copy from the original
Take a key the lock came with to the key counter, not a copy of a copy.
- Note 04
Codes stay off paper
The log has a column for where each code is kept, such as a password manager or the opener manual. Leave the code itself out.
How it works
- Full sets = people who carry keys + sets lent out + spare sets kept at home.
- Copies to cut for a lock = full sets minus the keys you have for it, never below zero. Total copies = the sum over every lock.
- Garage remotes to get = drivers who use the garage minus the remotes you have, never below zero.
- Just moved in: the police department in Hayward, California, says to have the locks changed whenever you move, so every lock goes on the change list.
- Garage opener: erase every remote and keypad, then program back the ones you keep. Chamberlain lists moving into a new house as a reason to erase, and says to reprogram each remote and keypad afterward.
Source: Hayward Police, Home Security Tips, checked October 11, 2026; Chamberlain Group support, How To Erase Remote Control And Keypad Access, checked October 11, 2026.
Worked example
Two adults just moved into a house with a front door, a back door, a garage entry door and a mailbox. They want one set at a neighbor's and one spare in a kitchen drawer. The seller left 2 front keys, 1 back key, 2 garage entry keys, 2 mailbox keys, 1 garage remote and an outside keypad. Both adults drive.
- Full sets: 2 people carry keys + 1 set at the neighbor's + 1 spare in the drawer = 4 sets.
- Front door: 4 sets - 2 keys you have = 2 copies. Back door: 4 - 1 = 3.
- Garage entry door: 4 - 2 = 2. Mailbox: 4 - 2 = 2.
- Copies to cut: 2 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 9. If the locks are changed first, cut them from the new keys.
- Garage remotes: 2 drivers - 1 remote = 1 more to get.
- Just moved in: change or rekey 4 locks, erase the opener, then program 3 devices again (2 remotes and the keypad). The log has 6 rows.
If the answer surprises you
More copies than you expected
Every lock needs a key in every set. Four sets across four locks is 16 keys, so even a small gap per lock adds up.
A lock shows nothing to cut
You already have at least as many keys as sets. Extra keys show in the copies list; keep them with the spares or hand them back to the landlord.
The opener list counts more devices than remotes
Erasing the opener also clears the outside keypad, so the keypad goes back on the list with the remotes.
What to record
The printed log has one row per lock, one for the garage remotes and one per code, with these columns. Print it from the tool, or print a blank sheet.
- Item (lock, remote or code)
- How many keys or remotes
- Who has one (first name or initials)
- Code kept where (never the code itself)
- Last changed (date)
Variants
If you rent
The landlord owns the locks. Ask before you change or add one, and write down how many keys you were given on move-in day, because those are the keys you hand back.
One key for every door
If one key opens the front and back doors, fill in only one of them. The tool counts a key per lock you list, so a shared key listed twice doubles the copies.
Garage opener from another brand
The erase steps on this page are Chamberlain's own, for its Chamberlain and LiftMaster openers. Other brands use different buttons, so look up the steps in your opener's manual.
Source: Chamberlain Group support, How To Erase Remote Control And Keypad Access, checked October 11, 2026.
Limitations
- Planning estimate; check the manufacturer's manual for your opener, keypad or smart lock before you erase or change anything.
- The tool counts keys and lists what to change. It does not choose locks, judge how secure a home is, or say who may change a lock in a rental. Ask the landlord, a locksmith or the lock's maker.
- Never write a code, a PIN or a password on the printed log. Write where it is kept.
Tips and tricks
- Tip 01
Tag keys with a color, not the address
A colored cap or tag per lock tells you which key is which. A tag with your address tells a stranger the same thing.
- Tip 02
Keep the log with your home records
File it in the binder with the appliance log and the home inventory, and update the date column each time a lock, remote or code changes.
- Tip 03
Ask for keys back by name
When a sitter or a contractor is done, the "Who has one" column tells you exactly which key to ask for.
- Tip 04
Count the keys you were handed
Renters: write the number of keys, fobs and remotes on the move-in sheet the day you get them. Those are the ones you return.
What we would do
Do the count tonight, the copies after the locks
Gather every key in the house, test each one and type the counts. If you just moved in, book the lock change and erase the garage opener first. Then cut the copies the tool lists from the new keys, and fill in the "Who has one" column as you hand them out.
Questions
How many copies of a house key should I have?
One per person who carries keys, one per set you lend out, and the spares you keep at home. Two adults with a set at a neighbor's and one spare need four of each key. The tool works it out per lock.
Should I change the locks when I move into a house?
The Hayward police department in California says to have the locks changed whenever you move to a new home. The tool puts every lock on a change list when you tick "We just moved in". Who does the work, and how, is up to you and a locksmith.
Source: Hayward Police, Home Security Tips, checked October 11, 2026.
How do I erase old garage remotes after moving in?
On Chamberlain and LiftMaster openers, press and hold the LEARN button on the opener until its light goes out, about 6 seconds. That erases every remote and keypad. Then program back each one you keep. Other brands differ, so check the opener's manual.
Source: Chamberlain Group support, How To Erase Remote Control And Keypad Access, checked October 11, 2026.
Where should I keep the spare key?
Inside, with someone you trust, or in the drawer the log names. Hayward police say never to leave a house key under a doormat, in a flowerpot or on the ledge of the door.
Source: Hayward Police, Home Security Tips, checked October 11, 2026.
Does the tool save my answers?
No. The counts are rebuilt from the form each time, and nothing leaves your browser. Print the log, or save it as a PDF from the print dialog.
Part of a system
This page is one part of a bigger job. The system page puts the parts in order.
Guides that go deeper
Practical noteWhat to change on move-in day: locks, garage opener and codesNew house, old keys. Here's the order to work in on move-in week: count what you got, change the locks, clear the garage opener, reset codes, then cut copies.Read the guide
Practical noteWho has a key to your house? Tracking sitters, neighbors and contractorsSpare keys drift: a neighbor, the dog sitter, a contractor who never gave it back. Keep one list of who has which key, when it went out and when it came back.Read the guide
ProblemNo size printed on my air filter: how to find itThe print on the frame is gone or the slot is empty. Measure the opening, round to the nearest inch, and know when you need a custom size.Read the guide
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Sources
- Home Security Tips, City of Hayward Police Department (California). Checked October 11, 2026.
- How To Erase Remote Control And Keypad Access, The Chamberlain Group (Chamberlain and LiftMaster garage door openers). Checked October 11, 2026.
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