Locked out of the business? We come to your door

What this covers

A business lockout keeps you out of your own premises: a store, an office, a workshop or a warehouse. The keys may be inside, lost, or with someone who is not there, or the lock may refuse the key it has always taken. We come to the business to open the door, and before any work begins we ask for proof that you are entitled to open it.

How we approach it

Tell us the address, which door you need opened, and what kind of door and lock it is: a glass storefront door, a steel rear door, a door with a push bar, or a keypad. A photo ID together with a lease or other paperwork in the business name is the proof we ask for. If you lease the space, the landlord or property manager may hold a key and may need to be told.

Where it stops

A business lockout covers opening the door. If keys are lost, think about which doors they opened and who could have them, because that may be the moment to rekey. If you find signs of a break-in, such as pry marks or a broken window, do not go inside; step away and call the police.

Make sure two people who live nearby can each open the building. A business that depends on one key holder is one missed alarm clock away from a lockout with staff and customers waiting outside. A second key holder, or a keypad on the staff door, is a small change that avoids a lot of disruption.

Check the other entrances before anything else. A rear door, a loading door or a door from a shared lobby may use a different key or be unlocked. Notice too whether the key to the main door sits on a ring that leaves with one person every night, and change that habit once the door is open again.