A lost or broken mailbox key is one of the few lock problems where calling a locksmith first isn't always the right move. Depending on which kind of mailbox you have, the actual fix might be a $29 request through Canada Post, or it might be exactly the kind of job a locksmith handles every week. Mixing the two up wastes a phone call and, in one case, wastes a service fee.
Two Different Kinds of Mailboxes in Kingston
Most single-family subdivisions in Kingston, including newer streets in Amherstview and Cataraqui, use Canada Post community mailboxes, sometimes called CBUs: the grouped bank of individual locked compartments you see at the end of a block. Canada Post owns those boxes outright and controls every key and lock on them.
Downtown condos, apartment buildings near Queen's University, and commercial plazas are a different situation entirely. Those buildings almost always have their own mail room or lobby-mounted cluster box that the property itself owns, not Canada Post. That distinction is the whole answer to who you call.
If It's a Canada Post Community Mailbox
Canada Post's own policy is specific here. If you still have one working spare key, a locksmith or hardware store can cut a duplicate from it, same as any other key. But if both keys are lost or stolen, only Canada Post can issue replacements, since the locks use a restricted keyway and Canada Post doesn't release key blanks or codes to third parties.
Replacing lost Canada Post community mailbox keys
- Open a request with Canada Post. Once it's submitted, the ticket can't be cancelled.
- Wait for a notice card telling you the keys are ready for pickup.
- Bring government-issued photo ID to the post office named on the notice card.
- Pay $29 plus tax for lost or stolen keys, paid at pickup.
One exception worth knowing: if the key or lock itself is simply worn out or jamming, not lost, Canada Post replaces both the lock and the key at no charge. That's a different request than a lost-key replacement, so it's worth being specific about which situation you're actually in when you contact them.
If It's a Condo, Apartment, or Business Mailbox
This is where a locksmith is the right call. Canada Post is explicit that it does not maintain locks or keys for condo, strata, apartment, or business mailboxes, so a jammed lock, a lost key, or a cluster box that needs rekeying after a tenant moves out falls to the building manager or superintendent, who typically brings in a locksmith to handle it.
This comes up a lot in the buildings near Queen's University, where student turnover means mailbox locks get rekeyed the same way front door locks do between leases. It's the same logic covered in our rekey vs. replace guide, just applied to the mail room instead of the front door.
Quick Way to Tell Which One You Have
Canada Post job
- Freestanding grouped mailbox at the curb or end of a block in a single-family subdivision
- Serves a street of individual houses, not one building
Locksmith job
- Mounted inside a condo, apartment, or commercial building lobby or mail room
- Managed by a building manager, superintendent, or landlord, not Canada Post
What a Locksmith Can Do Either Way
Even on a Canada Post box, a locksmith still has a role: cutting a duplicate from a surviving spare key so you never end up down to zero. That's the same key cutting service used for house and car keys, and it's worth doing the same day you notice you're down to your last mailbox key rather than after it's gone. For condo, apartment, and business mailboxes, a locksmith can repair a stuck lock, cut new keys, or rekey the whole unit after a tenant or unit turnover, priced the same way as other standard lock work in Kingston.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a locksmith open my community mailbox if I've lost both keys?
Not a Canada Post community mailbox. Canada Post owns and controls the locks on those boxes and doesn't share key blanks or codes with locksmiths, so if both keys are gone, Canada Post has to issue new ones. A locksmith can only cut a copy if you still have one working spare key to duplicate.
How much does it cost to replace a lost community mailbox key?
Canada Post charges $29 plus tax to replace lost or stolen community mailbox keys. You open a request, get a notice card when the new keys are ready, then bring government-issued photo ID to the post office listed on the card to pick them up and pay. If the key or lock is simply faulty rather than lost, Canada Post replaces both at no charge.
Who fixes a broken mailbox lock in a condo or apartment building in Kingston?
A locksmith, not Canada Post. Canada Post's own policy states they don't maintain locks or keys for condo, strata, apartment, or business mailboxes, so those go through the building manager or superintendent, who typically calls a locksmith for repair, rekeying, or replacement of the cluster box unit.
Can a Kingston locksmith cut a new community mailbox key from scratch?
Only from an existing spare. Community mailbox locks use restricted keyways that Canada Post controls, so a locksmith can duplicate a key you still physically have, but can't originate a new one without a spare to copy or without going through Canada Post's replacement process.
Condo, Apartment, or Business Mailbox Lock Trouble?
If it's not a Canada Post community mailbox, it's a locksmith job. We repair, rekey, and replace cluster box locks across Kingston, Amherstview, Cataraqui, Barriefield, and Gananoque.
Call (613) 480-5625