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Crenshaw Lock

Master Key System in Panorama City · 24/7 mobile

Master Key System in Panorama City, California

Crenshaw Lock Company designs and installs master key and restricted key systems with key control for apartment buildings, retail and medical properties in Panorama City, California. We are fully mobile and available 24/7, so we come to your property. Call (323) 997-8867 to plan a system.

  • Mobile to your Panorama City location
  • Available 24/7
  • Price quoted before we start
Call (323) 997-8867or tap to call — we answer 24/7
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A master key system lets the right people open the right doors with as few keys as possible. A manager might carry one key that opens every unit, a maintenance tech might carry one that opens only utility rooms, and each tenant keeps a key that opens just their own door. Done well, it cuts down the ring of keys on a belt and makes turnover far simpler. Done badly, it creates security holes and confusion about who can open what.

Panorama City is a good example of why planning matters. The area began in 1948 as the San Fernando Valley's first large planned postwar community, built by Fritz B. Burns and Henry J. Kaiser, and it is now dense with apartment and courtyard buildings, busy retail, and medical campuses. Tenants come and go, managers change, and keys get copied and lost. A properly designed system with real key control lets you rekey a single unit or reorganize an entire building without starting over.

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County since 1987, led by owner and lead technician David Shar. We are mobile only, with no storefront to visit. We meet you at the property, walk the doors with you, and build a system around how your building is actually used.

How it works in Panorama City

  1. 1

    Walk the property and list every door

    We come to your building or business and go through each opening: unit doors, laundry and trash rooms, gates, mailrooms, offices, stockrooms and roof or utility access. We note the existing hardware and which doors are worth upgrading before keying.

  2. 2

    Define who needs access to what

    Together we decide on the access levels. Typical tiers are a grand master for ownership or the property manager, sub-masters for maintenance or staff areas, and individual change keys for each tenant or employee. We also talk through who should never have master access.

  3. 3

    Design the keying and choose a key control level

    We lay out the keying plan and pick a keyway. A standard keyway is easy to copy anywhere, while a restricted keyway limits duplication to authorized people. The right level depends on your risk, your turnover and how much control you want.

  4. 4

    Install, pin and rekey the hardware

    We rekey existing locks where the hardware is sound and replace worn or mismatched cylinders and deadbolts where it is not. Every cylinder is pinned to the plan and tested with each key level to confirm it opens only what it should.

  5. 5

    Cut keys, label and document

    We cut and organize the keys by level and give you a clear record of the key schedule. Keeping that record safe is the backbone of key control, and it makes later additions and unit turnovers much easier.

  6. 6

    Plan for turnover and growth

    Tenants move and staff change. We explain how to rekey a single unit without disturbing the rest of the system and how to expand later by adding doors or levels. You can call us anytime, day or night, at (323) 997-8867.

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What affects the price

  • The number of doors and cylinders that need to be keyed or rekeyed.
  • The number of access levels, such as grand master, sub-masters and individual keys, since more levels mean more complex pinning.
  • Standard versus restricted keyway, because restricted systems use patented or controlled keys and require authorization to duplicate.
  • Condition of existing hardware, including whether worn deadbolts, knobs, or storefront locks need replacing rather than rekeying.
  • Types of openings involved, such as apartment unit doors, gates, mailbox banks, glass storefront doors or commercial-grade hardware.
  • The number of keys needed and whether the work is scheduled in advance or requested after hours.

Why Panorama City chooses us

  • Fully mobile and available 24/7, so work happens at your property rather than at a counter.
  • Serving the Los Angeles area since 1987, with long experience in multi-unit buildings and commercial properties.
  • We design the system around how your property is really used instead of applying a one-size plan.
  • We explain the tradeoffs between standard and restricted keyways in plain language so you can decide what level of key control makes sense.
  • We can often combine related work in a single visit, such as unit rekeys, deadbolt upgrades and cluster-mailbox lock replacement.
  • You deal directly with an experienced local team led by owner David Shar.

Master Key System across Panorama City

Panorama City properties tend to have a lot of doors per building. Around the Panorama Mall district, dense apartment and courtyard buildings from the mid-century era and later mean constant turnover, and managers often need several units rekeyed along with mailbox locks and security gates handled in one visit. A master key system turns that into an organized job instead of a pile of separate ones, especially in the 91402 ZIP code where multi-unit housing is so common.

Along the Van Nuys Boulevard corridor and at The Plant, built on the former General Motors Van Nuys plant site, retail tenants have different needs. Storefront doors, back rooms, stockrooms and shared service areas all benefit from clear key levels, and a restricted keyway helps keep copies from circulating among former employees. After an attempted break-in, we can repair and rekey storefront hardware as part of the same plan.

Medical and institutional neighbors such as Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center and Mission Community Hospital show how layered access works in a busy area. Smaller properties can use the same ideas at their own scale. Whether your building sits off Roscoe Boulevard, Woodman Avenue, Nordhoff Street or Van Nuys Boulevard, we can come to you at any hour.

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Other Panorama City locksmith services

See all of our Panorama City services, or our citywide master key system page.

Master Key System in Panorama City — FAQs

What is a master key system?
It is a keying plan in which each lock has its own key, but higher-level keys can open multiple locks. A manager's master key can open every unit, while a tenant's key opens only theirs. Call (323) 997-8867 to talk through a design.
Is a master key system a good fit for an apartment building in Panorama City?
Often yes. With many units and frequent turnover, master keying reduces key clutter and makes unit rekeys simpler. We look at your building first to make sure it fits.
What is a restricted key system?
A restricted system uses a keyway with controlled blanks, so keys can only be duplicated with proper authorization. It adds meaningful key control for properties worried about unauthorized copies.
Can you convert my existing locks to a master key system?
In many cases, yes. If the existing cylinders are in good shape, we can often rekey them to the new plan. Worn or mismatched hardware may need replacement. We assess this when we walk the property.
Can you handle mailbox locks and gates at the same time?
Yes, we can include cluster-mailbox locks, security gates and common-area doors in the planning, and often handle related work in one visit. Call (323) 997-8867 to describe what you have.
How does a master key system affect security?
A well-designed system is secure, but a lost master key is more serious than a lost single key. That is why we recommend limiting who holds master keys, documenting them and considering restricted keyways.
What happens when a tenant moves out?
We can rekey just that unit so old keys no longer work, without changing the rest of the system. The master levels continue to operate as designed.
Do you offer service outside normal business hours?
Yes. We are mobile and available 24/7. For planned projects we can schedule a visit, and for urgent needs such as storefront damage after a break-in you can call (323) 997-8867 any time.
DS

Reviewed by David Shar — Owner & Lead Technician

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County since 1987.

Last updated 2026-10-12.

Call (323) 997-8867 · Open 24/7