Nearly a fifth of Canadians still have a key to their previous home. New research suggests these figures are even higher among residents in the 18 to 34 age category at 23 per cent.

Opinium surveyed 2,000 people on behalf of HomeStars, a national network of community-reviewed home service professionals. The data revealed that even more Canadians fail to change their locks after moving into a new property, suggesting that millions could be unwittingly compromising their home security.

It was found that 44 per cent of residents don’t get their locks changed when they move into a new home, a figure that rises among Canadians in the 35-54 age category to 48 per cent.

Geographically, residents in Manitoba were the least likely to change their locks at 50 per cent. Those in British Columbia were close behind at 47 per cent.

Further research suggests that previous occupants’ friends, co-workers, cleaners, babysitters, or even estate agents may also still have access. According to a study last year, 59 per cent of adults said they’d feel comfortable giving a spare key set to a neighbour.

Burglary remains a big issue in Canada. Police forces received more than 120,000 incidents of breaking and entering in 2024.. According to a 2019 study, only 21 per cent of Canadians said they had taken a measure specifically to protect their household in the past 12 months. A 2014 report also revealed that 15 per cent of homeowners fail to routinely lock their doors and windows.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is to change your locks when you move,” said Colleen McGrory, senior product manager at HomeStars. “Failure to do so can reduce your home’s security in a number of ways. The general advice is that locks should be changed every seven to 10 years, as older or outdated ones are easier to bypass. Many burglars enter through the front door, and a weaker lock will make the chances of a robbery much easier.”