Locked Out? What to Do Depends on Why

## The situation changes what happens next

Three different things can put you outside your door with no way in. They look the same from the outside — locked out — but the cause determines what needs to happen next, how long it takes, and what it costs.

If your keys are inside the property

The lock works. The key is just on the wrong side of it.

This is the most straightforward situation. A locksmith picks or manipulates the cylinder to open the door, usually without drilling. In London, a daytime lockout of this type starts at £99. Night rate starts at £125.

Before calling, go through these checks quickly:

- Try every other way in. Back door, side gate, ground-floor window that might be on the latch. - Call anyone who has a spare key. A neighbour, family member, friend. Many people give out spare keys and forget. - If you rent, your letting agency may have a spare key or an emergency contact number. - Check your home insurance. Some policies include home emergency cover that pays for the locksmith call-out.

If none of that works, call a locksmith. Ask for the full price before they travel. Have your ID ready — a driving licence or a utility bill with your name and address.

You do not need to change the locks after this. The lock was not compromised.

If the lock is faulty or damaged

A faulty lock is a different job. It needs entry first, then a repair or replacement.

Common faults that cause a lockout:

- The handle has dropped — the UPVC gearbox has failed. The bolts stay extended and the door will not open from outside or inside. - The key turns but the door stays shut — the barrel is turning but not engaging the mechanism. Either the cam has snapped or the bolt has jammed. - The door will not close properly, so the key will not lock — the door has dropped out of alignment and the bolt is hitting the keep. - The key will not turn at all — the cylinder is seized, damaged, or the wrong key is being used.

For each of these, tell the locksmith exactly what is happening when you call. A dropped handle on a UPVC door is a different call-out to a seized mortice lock — different tools, different time, different cost.

Faulty lock jobs typically run from £149 upwards depending on whether the mechanism needs replacing. A snapped UPVC gearbox, for example, requires bypass entry plus a new gearbox fitted. Most jobs are completed in a single visit.

Do not force a faulty lock. Forcing a dropped-handle UPVC door usually damages the keeps and the door frame, which turns a £149 repair into a much larger carpentry job.

If you have lost your keys

Lost keys have two problems: you are locked out now, and your home is potentially insecure until the locks are changed.

Step one is the same as any lockout — get in. A locksmith opens the door. Starting price in London: £99 daytime.

Step two happens immediately after: change the cylinder. The moment you have lost a key, you do not know where it is. If it was lost anywhere near your address — on your street, at your local shop, in your building's hallway — someone may find it and be able to work out where you live.

A new TS007 3-star euro cylinder, fitted, costs £40–£60 in parts plus £109 labour. If you are having a locksmith out to open the door anyway, ask them to replace the cylinder at the same time. One visit covers both.

Most locksmiths carry common cylinder sizes in their van. You will rarely need to wait for a part.

If the lost keys included a fob for a communal entrance or a gym, report those separately to the building management or facility.

The pricing trap — and how to avoid it

Searching "locksmith near me" when you are stressed and locked out is exactly when rogue operators are waiting. The £39 or £49 ads at the top of search results are almost always call-out fees only. The real price appears on arrival, when you have no alternatives.

Which?, the consumer group, found that 84% of rogue locksmith complaints involved misleading pricing. The engineer arrives, quotes £250 on the doorstep, and you either pay or you are still locked out.

The fix is one sentence before you agree to anything: "What is the full price including labour and parts?" A legitimate locksmith gives you a number. If they will not, call someone else.

What a locksmith actually does at the door

They check their ID first and ask to see yours. Then they assess the lock.

For a standard euro cylinder lockout, they pick or manipulate the cylinder. This takes 5–20 minutes. For more complex locks — Banham, Chubb, ERA Fortress — it takes longer and costs more.

If the cylinder needs to be drilled, the engineer tells you before starting and quotes a replacement cylinder at the same time. The drill is the last resort, not the first.

For a faulty mechanism, they diagnose it, quote the repair, and proceed with your agreement.

Areas we cover in London

We respond to lockouts across central London 24 hours a day: Westminster, Mayfair, Kensington, Chelsea, Camden, Islington, Shoreditch, the City of London, Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Hackney, Canary Wharf, and surrounding areas. Average arrival: 29 minutes.

When not to call a locksmith

If your home insurance includes home emergency cover, call your insurer first — the locksmith may be covered at no cost to you.

If you are a tenant and the lock failed through no fault of yours, the cost may fall to your landlord. Contact them or your letting agent before paying out of pocket.