Locked out at night: what to do

A lockout at midnight feels like a crisis. In practice it is one of the quickest emergency jobs we do, and in most cases the door is opened without any damage at all. This guide is for the ten minutes between realising you are locked out and deciding what to do about it.

Check the things people forget

Before you call anyone, walk round the property once. Is there a back door or a side door that might be unlocked? Has a housemate or partner left a window on the latch? Is the key in a coat pocket, a gym bag or a car? Does a neighbour, a family member or a letting agent hold a spare? It is surprising how often the answer is yes.

If the door has a keypad, a smart lock or a key safe, check whether the battery has simply died; some smart locks have an emergency power contact on the outside.

What not to do

Do not try to force the door. A kicked uPVC or composite door is a frame repair and a new lock, and it is far more expensive than the callout you were trying to avoid. Do not try to climb in through a window, particularly above ground level; we have had customers end the night in A&E. Do not use a credit card, a wire or anything you saw online. Modern locks do not open that way, and you will damage the door furniture.

If you have a small child or a pet locked inside, or a hob left on, tell us when you call and we will treat it as a priority.

What a locksmith actually does

A properly trained locksmith opens most doors non-destructively. For a uPVC door that has been closed but not locked, which is the most common lockout, we can often bypass the latch in a few minutes with no damage. For a door that has been locked with the key, we pick or bypass the cylinder. Only when the lock is faulty, of very high security, or has been damaged do we drill it, and in that case we replace the cylinder on the spot so you are left with a working, secure door.

On a night door in the older Manchester terraces you will often find a mortice deadlock alongside a night latch. These take a little longer but the approach is the same. We carry replacement cylinders, night latches and mortice locks on the van, so if anything does need replacing, it happens in the same visit.

How we confirm you live there

We will not open a door for someone who cannot show they have a right to be inside. Before we start, we ask for photographic identification with the address on it, or identification plus something that links you to the property, such as a bill, a tenancy agreement on your phone, or a neighbour who can vouch for you. If you have none of that with you, we can still attend, but we will need to see it once you are inside before we leave. A locksmith who does not ask is not one you should be using.

What it costs and how long it takes

An out-of-hours lockout carries a higher rate than a daytime visit, and we say so plainly on the pricing page. What we do not do is add to the figure once we arrive. You are told the callout price before anyone is dispatched, and any replacement parts are quoted before they are fitted. In our priority areas, arrival is typically within the hour, and most entries take under thirty minutes once we are at the door.

After you are back in

If the lockout happened because a key broke or the lock jammed, that lock needs attention and we will tell you. If it happened because a uPVC door slammed shut behind you, it is worth knowing that most uPVC doors can be set so that the latch does not deadlock without the key. We can also fit a key safe, cut spares, or upgrade the cylinder to one that is harder to snap.

For a lockout now, the emergency locksmith page has response times by area, or call the emergency line on 07343 065023. For lock upgrades and spares in daylight, see lock changes and rekeying.