First, check the obvious
- Try every external door and any window you can safely reach — including a laundry or garage door.
- Check whether a housemate, partner, agent or building manager holds a spare.
- If you are in an apartment, ask the building manager before assuming you need a locksmith.
- If a key is snapped in the lock, do not push the remaining piece further in.
Do not force it
Credit cards, screwdrivers and kicking a door are how a lockout becomes a door replacement. A deadlatch that could have been opened in minutes can be destroyed in seconds, and damage to the frame is far more expensive than the lock.
Questions to ask on the phone
- What is the callout fee, and is it charged even if you cannot get in?
- What is the expected total, and what would change it?
- Will you attempt entry without damage first?
- What identification will I need to show?
- Will I get an itemised invoice?
Warning signs
Be cautious of a quote that is dramatically lower than everyone else's, an operator who will not name a business address, or anyone who arrives and immediately reaches for a drill. A competent locksmith explains what they are about to do and why.
After you are back inside
Sort the spare key problem the same week. A key with a trusted neighbour or family member costs nothing; a second lockout costs another callout.
General information only. Requirements for rental properties, owners corporations and building compliance change — confirm current rules with the relevant Victorian authority for your situation.