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uk Home & property emergencies

What to do if…
an external door will not latch, close, or lock and you cannot secure your home

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Call 999 if a break-in is happening, someone may be trying to enter, or anyone is in immediate danger. Otherwise, arrange an emergency locksmith or contact your landlord’s emergency repair service now, and do not leave the entrance unattended unless staying there feels unsafe.

Do not do these things

  • Do not open the door to confront anyone or investigate suspicious noises or damage.
  • Do not repeatedly slam the door, force the handle, or keep turning a key that is bending or sticking.
  • Do not put your fingers near the hinges, latch, strike plate, or closing edge while testing the door.
  • Do not dismantle, drill, or remove the lock unless you are competent to do so safely.
  • Do not block the door or another exit in a way that could prevent escape during a fire or other emergency.
  • Do not assume the home is secure merely because the door appears closed.
  • Do not leave keys, identification, wallets, bags, or car keys visible near the unsecured entrance.
  • Do not approve additional locksmith work without first asking what it is for and what it is likely to cost.

What to do now

  1. Stay inside and look and listen without opening the door. Call 999 and ask for the police if anyone is in immediate danger or a crime is in progress. If you suspect criminal damage or an attempted break-in but there is no immediate danger, report it through 101 or the police online.

  2. Move children, vulnerable people, and pets away from the entrance. Move keys, identification, medication, wallets, and other easily carried valuables out of sight.

  3. Check for an obvious loose obstruction such as a mat, stone, packaging, or object at the threshold. Remove it only if you can do so safely from inside.

  4. Close the door gently while operating the handle normally, then try the latch or lock once. Stop if significant force is needed or the key, handle, hinges, frame, glass, or lock appears damaged.

  5. Contact an emergency locksmith if the door still will not latch, close, or lock. Describe the door type, what the handle and key are doing, whether the door is misaligned, and whether there is visible damage.

  6. Ask the locksmith for the business name, who will attend, the expected arrival time, the call-out charge, the likely labour and parts costs, whether VAT is included, and whether a temporary secure repair is possible if permanent parts are unavailable.

  7. If you rent, contact your landlord, letting agent, housing association, council landlord, or accommodation provider using its emergency repair route. Report that an external door cannot be secured, record when you reported it, and ask whether they will send a contractor or authorise you to arrange one.

  8. If you own the home, check whether your home insurance, home-emergency cover, bank account, warranty, or maintenance plan provides an emergency repair service. Ask whether approval is needed before work begins.

  9. Ask a trusted adult or nearby neighbour to stay with you while help is arranged if that would make the situation safer. Remain away from the direct line of the doorway and keep a charged phone with you.

  10. If remaining in the property feels unsafe, leave by another safe route if one is available and wait in a secure place. Do not remain in danger solely to protect the property.

  11. Take photographs of the door, lock, frame, hinges, and any damage before repairs begin, provided it is safe. Keep written estimates, invoices, receipts, messages, and the contractor’s details.

What can wait

You do not need to diagnose the exact fault, choose a permanent replacement door, arrange cosmetic repairs, decide who will ultimately pay, complete an insurance claim, make a complaint, or plan wider security upgrades now. Those decisions can wait until the entrance has been made secure.

Important reassurance

You do not need to understand or repair the mechanism yourself. The immediate aim is to keep people safe, prevent unnoticed entry, and arrange a secure temporary or permanent repair.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate first steps when an external door cannot secure a UK home. Later decisions about permanent repairs, tenancy responsibilities, insurance, building management, fire safety, consumer disputes, or criminal damage may require help from the relevant landlord, insurer, police service, locksmith, housing body, or other specialist.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, insurance, fire-safety, security, consumer, or professional repair advice. Follow instructions from the emergency services and from a competent tradesperson who has inspected the door.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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