Being locked out of your home is something almost everybody will experience in their lives. Of course, you wouldn’t want to experience the unfortunate occurrence regularly and while the situation can be a little embarrassing, frustrating, and stressful, you can take these measures to handle the situation.
Check Every Possible Entrance
If you’ve searched through your handbag, pockets, and vehicle and still haven’t located your keys, the initial step involves checking all possible entrances on the property to ensure there’s no way to get in.
Check all windows and doors just in case one is open or unlocked. If the garage is joined to the home, examine the garage doors to establish whether you can access the home through the garage. In the event that your house has a cellar with access to your home’s interior, check there for accessibility as well.
Go to a Safe Place
Depending on your residential area, waiting at the doorstep may or may not be safe. In addition, the weather might not allow it depending on the time of year. Request a neighbor if you can wait inside their home for a locksmith.
Alternatively, you could head to a business nearby to wait in safety. Just ensure that you select somewhere that’s close to your place. This way, you can return fast once the locksmith arrives. The last thing you want is to leave the locksmith waiting for a long time, so get back as fast as possible.
Contact Your Landlord
If you lack a roommate or if you know that he or she won’t be home by the time you need to access your place, it may be necessary to contact your building manager or landlord. These people will typically have a spare key, in case they need to access the apartment for an emergency or maintenance.
Bear in mind that if you approach your building manager or landlord, you might incur a fee, usually between $25 and $100 depending on your residential area.
Remain Calm
When locked out of your home, the most significant thing you can do is remain calm. Although it might be tempting to get stressed, this won’t actually help the situation. In fact, you’ll only feel worse. Take a couple of breaths to help you remain rational and calm, so you can handle the situation effectively.
Contact a Locksmith
If all fails, contact a locksmith, so you can get back into your home. Remember, this should be your final measure for various reasons. To begin with, if the locksmith changes the lock, the landlord may charge you a fee. This implies that you’ll pay for both.
Another reason is that if the locksmith damages the doorjamb or door, you’ll incur a charge for this as well even if it comes out of your security deposit.
On average, a locksmith will take approximately 10-30 minutes to open the lock depending on its type. You might discover that the locksmith can even copy a new set of keys to substitute the lost ones, rekey the current locks, or substitute the locks entirely.
Final Thoughts
Almost everybody has locked himself or herself out of his or her house. Unfortunately, this can cause considerable frustration and inconvenience, especially if it’s late at night when you’re looking forward to getting home and relaxing. If you’re wondering how to access your home, check out these tips.
For more information on what you can do if you’ve been locked out, contact us at Apartment Agents or leave a comment.