What to do if you get locked out of your home

Getting locked out of your home can be very frustrating, but it is something that a lot of us have experienced. It might not be as bad depending on what time or day of the week it happens, at night it can be a quite scary experience.

If you have never left your keys in the house and locked yourself out, then you might be a bit confused about what to do when it does eventually happen. It’s important that you know the different steps to getting reentry into your property, as it could potentially save you a lot of time and money.

So here at WhatCost, we have revealed five things that you can do if you get locked out of your home. Then, to stop it from happening again in the future, a few tips on preventing yourself from getting locked out.

The first thing you should do if you unfortunately find yourself locked out of your home is call other household members. As they will most likely have a key of their own which they can come back to the property to open the door with. However, some people do live alone or may have family who are out of the area, so it isn’t an option for everyone.

If you rent your home then your next step should be to contact your landlord. They might charge a call-out fee but this would be considerably cheaper than calling a locksmith or forcing your way in. Your landlord will also appreciate you not damaging the property or changing the locks.

If you own your home, or your landlord is out of town, you have to now move on to another option. Walk around your home and look for any open or unlocked windows and doors. You might have to do a bit of climbing, but you could push yourself through an open window which would save you a lot of hassle and money. Don’t put yourself in danger, if the window is too high just pay the money required for a locksmith or break-in. Being locked out is not worth injuring or potentially getting yourself killed.

Locksmiths can normally get into homes in a matter of minutes, use your smartphone or ask a neighbour for a professional’s number. This is an expensive option and can cost even more if you’re calling at unsociable hours like during the night or at weekends. The locksmith could also take a while, so it wouldn’t be ideal if it's cold or raining outside.

If you’re desperate to gain access to your home as quickly as possible, then breaking in is your best option. The back would be the best way as if strangers see you smashing things to gain entry, then they might ring the police. This is not only a waste of their time, it will also waste yours trying to explain yourself to them. 

Some locks might allow you to break in using a card or bobby pins, however others are more resilient. Another option is removing a window pane, this can be done by asking for a flathead screwdriver from a neighbour. You then remove the window beading around the panel, then once it has been removed pry open the glass from the bottom.

An easy way to avoid being locked out of your home for too long is to give a spare key to family members, close friends and trusted neighbours. This means if it does happen you have plenty of people to call for help.

Another way is to hide a spare in your garden, but make sure it isn’t somewhere obvious like under a mat or plant pot, as these are areas thieves will check first. Hide the key somewhere safe and secure, but easily findable for yourself if you do get locked out.

Certain locks mean that once a door closes then it automatically locks shut. You could install a new lock which requires you to use your key to lock it from the outside. This will prevent you from leaving your keys inside your home, but won’t help if you lose your keys when you’re out. So it is best to pick from two of these methods.

‘’Being locked out of your home can be a frustrating and scary experience, especially if it’s late at night and nobody else is around. Hopefully, these five tips will help you if you ever need to gain reentry into your home.

Once you’re back inside your property, put things in place to ensure it never happens again. Being locked out several times can add up financially, due to the call out of locksmiths and tradesmen having to fix the damage where you’ve forced your way in.’’