Locked out of your house? What to do (and what not to do)

Being locked out of your own home is stressful in a way that is out of proportion to how common and fixable it actually is. The good news is that there is a fairly reliable order of steps worth working through before you call anyone, and knowing them in advance means you are less likely to do something rash — like forcing a window — in the moment.

Start by checking every point of entry rather than assuming the front door is your only option. Walk the outside of the house and check other external doors, the back door, a side gate, and the garage entry if you have one, since it is common for a secondary door to be unlocked even when the front is not. Check ground-floor windows too, but only to see whether any are unlatched — do not attempt to force or pry one open, which risks injury, damages the frame, and can look alarming to neighbours who do not know it is your own house. If you have a housemate, family member, or a trusted neighbour holding a spare key, a phone call to them is usually the fastest and cheapest way back in, and worth trying before anything else.

If you are renting, your first call is worth directing to your property manager or landlord rather than straight to a locksmith. Many agents keep a spare key on file specifically for situations like this, and depending on your state's tenancy rules, contacting them first may also be the process your lease actually expects of you. Even where a spare key is not immediately available, your property manager can usually authorise entry or point you to the right next step faster than starting from scratch yourself.

What you should actively avoid is trying to force your way in. Throwing something at a window, kicking a door, or attempting to pry a frame open with whatever is on hand causes real damage that is far more expensive to repair than a locksmith call-out, and it is not a safe way to gain entry — glass and splintered frames cause genuine injuries. It can also alarm neighbours who have no way of knowing you are not an intruder, which is its own unwanted complication on top of an already frustrating afternoon.

Once you have ruled out an easier way back in, calling a licensed locksmith is the sensible next step. A professional locksmith carries tools designed specifically for non-destructive entry, and in the large majority of cases can get a standard residential door open without damaging the lock or the door itself — which is a meaningfully better outcome than forced entry, both for your wallet and for the property. Before they start work, ask for a clear price, referencing the typical ranges covered in our separate article on locksmith call-out fees, so you know roughly what to expect rather than being surprised at the end. A genuine locksmith will also often ask you a reasonable question or two to confirm you are entitled to be let into the property — proof of address or ID, for instance — which is a normal precaution rather than something to be offended by.

If you live in an apartment building rather than a standalone house, it's worth adding one extra step before you call a locksmith at all: contact the building manager or concierge if there is one, since they may hold a master key or spare for common entry doors, and some buildings have their own process for a resident locked out after hours. This won't always solve the problem — your own front door still needs its own key — but it can rule out a call-out for the building's common entry if that's part of what's keeping you out. While you wait for help to arrive, staying somewhere safe and visible, such as with a neighbour or in a nearby café, is generally more comfortable than sitting on a doorstep, particularly late at night.

Once you are back inside, it is worth thinking about why you were locked out in the first place. If it happened because a key was lost rather than simply left inside, that is a good moment to consider whether the lock should be rekeyed for peace of mind, which is covered in our article on rekeying versus changing locks. A spare key with a trusted person, rather than hidden outside the property, is generally the most useful thing to set up once the immediate problem is solved.

This article is general guidance rather than advice for every specific situation, and tenancy processes vary by state. Our directory lists licensed Australian locksmiths by area if you need one now.

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