Locked Out of Your Holiday Home? What to Do
You've driven down for the weekend and the key isn't where it's meant to be. Here's what to do, and how to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Holiday homes on the Mornington Peninsula get a lot of use in summer and very little in winter. Keys get passed between family, friends and guests, spares get moved, and sooner or later someone arrives to find a locked door.
If you're locked out now
- Check with whoever was there last. The key may have gone home in someone's pocket.
- Check every door and window, but don't climb or force anything.
- Call a locksmith. Tell them the address, that it's a holiday home, and whether there's a gate or key safe.
- Have proof you own or are staying at the house ready, such as a rates notice, ID with the address or a booking confirmation.
How to stop it happening again
- Install a key safe with a code you can change. No more keys under pot plants.
- Consider a smart lock with separate codes for family and guests.
- Rekey if you've lost track of who has keys.
- Check your locks before summer. Salt air corrodes locks near the water, and a lock that sticks in spring can seize by January.
- Keep a list of who has keys and update it every season.
Short-stay rentals
If you rent your Peninsula house to guests, change key safe or smart lock codes between stays, and keep a backup way in that doesn't rely on a guest returning a key.
Frequently asked questions
Your questions, answered
Can a locksmith open my holiday home if I'm not the owner?
You'll need to show you have permission to be there, such as a booking confirmation, or the owner may need to confirm it.
What's the best lock for a holiday rental?
A quality smart lock with a mechanical key backup, or a key safe, makes it easy to give each guest their own access and change it afterwards.
Need a locksmith on the Peninsula?
Homes, cars and businesses. Call any time and tell us what has happened.