What to Do When You Get Locked Out of Your House

You left your keys inside.
You are locked out of your house.
What to do now?

A lockout can happen at any time.
These are ways to get you back inside.

If you get locked out of your home, here’s what to do.

1. Don’t Panic, Stay Calm
2. Call for Help
3. Look for unlocked door or window
4. Pet Doors
5. Call a Professional Locksmith

Don’t Panic, Stay Calm

When you realise you are locked out, you might start to panic and stress out. This is a normal reaction but staying calm and rational is important and will help you deal better with the situation. Slow down and take a few deep breaths. Remember that there is always a way to get back in.

Call for Help

The fastest option if you live with a loved one, family member, or roommate, is to call them and ask if they can come home and help you get into your house or apartment.

If you are renting your place, call your landlord or rental office for help.
They should have spare keys to your house and might help you unlock the door.

If you are living in an apartment complex, drop by your building office to ask for help to access your unit.
This could be free but there are apartment complexes that will charge lockout fees if their staff helps you get back inside.

Look for unlocked door or window

Check to see if you forgot to close or lock your windows or back door.
This works in your favour because you now have a way to get into your house when you’re locked out of the front door.

However do not break the windows and locks to get into the house, as this can become an expensive exercise.

By the way, you should never leave your doors and windows unlocked when you’re not home.
This is not safe and makes it easier for home invaders to break into your house.

Pet Doors

Try to stick your head or phone through the pet door to get a better view of the interior lock and fit your arm or tools up to open the nearby door or window.

Unfortunately, if you can access your home this way, this is also an opportunity for potential burglars.
You might want to close this pet access permanently and make a new doggie door in a wall not reachable to doors and windows.
A locksmith could advise you about your home security too.

Call a Professional Locksmith

When you’ve tried all of the steps above and it’s not working, the best option is to call your residential locksmith.
An emergency locksmith that offers lockout services is often available on call 24/7, even on holidays or bad weather.
The locksmith will drive out to your home and help you get back inside your house or apartment quickly.

If you’re in the Perth area and you’ve locked yourself out of your home, you can give us a call at 0477 724 100

Top Tips to Prevent a House Lockout

How can you avoid a home lockout situation?
There are several steps that you can take to prevent this scenario.

Give a Spare Key to Someone Else

Our first tip is to consider making copies of your house key and giving your spare key to someone that you trust that lives nearby. This could be your family member, friend, or neighbour. Should you get locked out in the future, you can easily call them to gain access to your home. That way you will save the cost of having to call a locksmith. Never put your spare key in common places like under your door or doormat because someone might find it and break into your property.

Install a Keyless Lock

Next, if you want to prevent lockouts completely, install a keyless lock on your door. Many keyless door locks unlock with a smartphone app, door code access, or fingerprint recognition. Certain smart locks can unlock remotely too. These smart locks and digital locks are available at hardware or home improvement stores and locksmiths. Since the lock installation can be difficult, you could hire a professional locksmith to install it for you.

Make It a Habit to Check for Your Keys

This method is a bit unreliable, but make it a habit to check for your keys before you leave the house. You could also place your keys together with your purse or wallet somewhere safe near the front door, or keep your keys inside your purse or wallet. Then every time before you step out of the house, say out loud and check all the essential things including your door keys that you need to bring before you exit the door.

Use a Phone Case With Key Holder

You may end up forgetting your house or car keys, but it’s unlikely that you will leave home without your mobile device. There are phone covers that can carry your keys or key holders that can be attached to your phone cover. Then you will always have your keys with you outside.