Just about everyone has experienced the scare of locking themselves out of their apartment. Whether your keys are just inside on the counter, left in a restroom, or lost in between the couch cushions, there are several actions you can take to get into your apartment and prevent the situation from ever happening again.
What do I do if I get locked out of my apartment?
Before you panic, take a breath and assess your options. Check your surroundings to make sure you’re in a safe location. If you’re not, get to one. This is especially important if you’ve locked yourself out after dark or in the summer when there’s a danger of heatstroke. Now you can start figuring a way to get back inside.
Find Another Way In
The fastest and likely cheapest response to getting locked out of your apartment is finding an alternative way inside. Double-check if you might have you given your spare key to anyone—a cleaner, pet sitter, or even a neighbor. Did you or someone you live with hide a spare key nearby? If you’re on the first floor, you can also (safely) check to see if you’ve left a window or back door open. If you live above the first floor, you might be able to check the fire escape.
Contact the Landlord or Leasing Office
If you realize that you’re locked out of your apartment during regular business hours, you should be able to contact your landlord or leasing office for assistance. This can be done over the phone, or by walking to your on-property management office. Landlords tend to keep a spare key in case of emergencies. They can either loan it to you or let you into your apartment. Most complexes also have an emergency maintenance number for those times you are unable to reach the leasing office or you’re locked out after hours. Keep the maintenance number in your contacts for situations like these.
Keep in mind that access to a spare key or assistance from emergency maintenance may come with a fee. Depending on the terms of your lease, the fee for this service could be anywhere from $25 to $100. If that sounds steep to you, you might want to give your spare key to a friend while you’re thinking about it.
Contact a Locksmith
If you’re unable to reach someone with the property, get ahold of your landlord, or find an alternative way in, the next step is to call a locksmith. A professional locksmith is trained and equipped with the right tools to unlock your apartment, with no key necessary and hopefully no damage. If a locksmith is unable to let you in without harming the door or changing the apartment door locks, contact your landlord before making permanent changes that might violate your lease agreement.
How Can I Avoid Locking Myself Out Again?
If you’ve survived your first encounter with the window, locksmith, et cetera, and want to prevent another, you have a couple of options to guarantee you have a plan B the next time you’re separated from your keys.
Leaving a key with a friend is your first line of defense. This will not only give you a plan of action but also peace of mind, and having a friend can be particularly helpful in a moment of panic. Another option is to keep your spare key somewhere secret and secure on your property or in your car, such as in the glove box. For your safety, avoid leaving an apartment key in obvious spots such as under the mat or over the doorframe. Try using a Hide-a-Key or lockbox outside of your apartment and memorize the code so you can reach the spare key anytime.
If a spare key isn’t feasible, some apartments may offer smart locks. These provide keyless entry, rendering losing your keys a non-issue. Changing the apartment door locks may be something worth bringing up with your landlord. There are also now a number of devices designed to track your keys, so you can locate them — and know when you’re forgetting them— at any moment.
Locking yourself out of your apartment is never fun, but it doesn’t have to be too stressful either. Pass off your spare key to a friend and keep the phone numbers of your leasing office with you in case of an emergency. If you end up locking yourself out again, you know how to handle it.
Looking for a new place? Search thousands of apartments for rent on Zumper and remember to have a spare key handy once you find your perfect place.
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