What should I do after I have lost or had my house front-doors keys stolen ?

stephenliverpool1

Hi all,

What should I do ?

Should I tell my home insurance ? Will they help and insist that I get my locks changed ?

When should I tell the police ? I was going to wait for a couple of days to see if someone hands the keys in.

Anyone please advise.

Thanks

System

stephenliverpool1 wrote: »

I was going to wait for a couple of days to see if someone hands the keys in.

Where? Unless you can remember some likely places where you might have dropped them, and contact those places to check, then what use will some unlabelled keys be to anyone?

The risks can only be a) you dropped them outside your house, and someone picked them up and is waiting for you to go out,
or b) you dropped them somewhere else and they were picked up by someone who followed you to see where you lived.

If they were stolen then the thief would need a way of identifying where you live.

mattk_180

I'd change the locks ASAP. It makes a theft claim a lot more difficult if someone just lets themselves in with your keys to rob you.

tripled

What locks/doors do you have? Changing them is usually a fairly easy DIY job with replacement locks available in DIY stores and locksmiths. Failing that you can arrange for a locksmith or handyman to do it for you.

agrinnall

What does your policy say about lost/stolen keys, I can't read it from here? Some will pay to have the locks replaced.

forgotmyname

I would just get the locks changed. Unless its an expensive job with some obscure locks i would pay rather than claim.

Hedgehog99

It is worth checking at the police station - I have handed keys in there before in the hope that the owner might go there too.

Was there anything with your name and/or address with the keys? If you have an unusual surname and a presence on social media, a dishonest finder/thief could find out your address, in which case get the locks changed.

If you literally just lost the keys on their own and with no chance of being identified, do you know roughly where you lost them? Got a friend with a metal detector?

If you have a mortice lock, you could just get a new set of levers & keys (or even rearrange them if not worn, & get new keys cut to match) - cheaper than replacing the whole lock.

stephenliverpool1

Thanks for the replies.

The keys are for a mortice lock. They do not show my name/address.

I went back to the places that I visited today without any luck as the keys had not been returned. I will wait 2 days before going to police.

If they have not been returned, I will pay for a locksmith to replace my front door lock.

forgotmyname

All you need is a couple of screwdrivers and a new lock. Change it yourself in a few minutes.