The key to my apartment building is the same as the key to my apartment. My landlady says that the other people in the building can only use their keys to open the door to the building, but not to my apartment. Her exact words were "Locksmiths can key locks so that a key opens the front door and each apt separately." Is this possible? How does it work?
2006-07-20 02:39:55 · 11 answers · asked by Whitney 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
yes,the pins in the lock cylinder move according to the grooves on the keys.the front door may have just three pins so everyones key has the same first three grooves.after thet the pins on the apt doors are set differant than each others.so the rest of the grooves are set at differant depths
2006-07-20 02:47:27 · answer #1 · answered by jitterbugjims 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is possible, but I am no locksmith so I don't know how it works. I know this because I am a Coach at a middle school and my key will open only the front door and the gym door , but other teachers keys open all the doors, or just the front door and thier room.
2006-07-20 09:46:36 · answer #2 · answered by soon2b mommy of 4 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is very possible. I was changing the locks on my house and the one that i bought at the store didn't match what i was taking off the door so i had to go to the hardware store and get the correct door lock. I had already changed the back door and didn't want to have to do it all again so i asked them to get me a lock that would work with my new key and he went and pick a lock off the self. So one key can open several locks and i'm sure it works vice versa as well.
2006-07-20 09:59:24 · answer #3 · answered by babybro35 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I remember this from the dorms at university. Our room keys would open both the front door of the dorm and our individual rooms (but not other rooms).
However, I never tried my key in other people's doors. It might be possible that in some cases the keys are close enough to work on more than one room. I would double check.
2006-07-20 10:11:04 · answer #4 · answered by Wundt 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. One key, a master can open all locks, while yours can open only the door to your apartment or the front door. Very common practice in hotels, apartment buildings, hospitals and other similar buildings.
2006-07-20 09:53:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
lets say it only takes three common teeth on your key.
say the three on the base of the key. to open the main door.
the other three teeth open your apt door the ones at the front of the key.
so she's right that can be done... and it works..
in a larger building you would need a longer key for more teeth is all.
2006-07-20 09:47:01 · answer #6 · answered by BigBadWolf 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have just asked my husband who is a locksmith and he tells me that it is possible that your landlady is correct in what she is saying. However, if you are not sure, either check with other tennants, (or just perhaps try another door and see is your key works)!
Each key should have a slight variation on it, if not then she is not being honest with you.
2006-07-20 09:49:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you had one of your neighbor's keys you'd see they are almost the same, one or two teeth will be different. The front door lock to the whole complex will have two or three "free" teeth so that they can accept more combinations.
2006-07-20 09:45:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Master key.
2006-07-20 09:54:00 · answer #9 · answered by curious 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah-they are called ghost keys.
2006-07-20 09:43:53 · answer #10 · answered by lilly 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋