Lost Your House Keys: Should You Change the Locks?

Lost Your House Keys: Should You Change the Locks?

You have patted every pocket, emptied your bag, retraced your steps, and checked the car twice. Your house keys are gone. Now you are standing there wondering: do I actually need to change the locks, or will they turn up behind a sofa cushion in three days?

It is a fair question. Changing locks costs money and feels like an overreaction if the keys just fell out of your pocket at home. But there are situations where not changing your locks is a genuine security risk — and where your insurance could be affected. Let me walk you through how to think about it.

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The Risk Assessment: Where Did You Lose Them?

Not all lost keys are equal. The risk depends almost entirely on **where** they were lost and **what else was with them**.

Low risk — keys probably dropped at home or in your car:

If you last used your keys to get into the house and now cannot find them, they are probably inside the property. Check coat pockets, down the side of the sofa, in the washing machine (I hear this more often than you would think), or in a different bag. If you are fairly sure the keys are somewhere in the house, the risk is minimal. They will turn up.

Medium risk — dropped somewhere in public:

If your keys fell out of your pocket on the street, at the shops, or at a restaurant, the risk is moderate. A stranger has your keys, but they have no idea which door they belong to. Without your address, the keys are useless. However, if your keyring has anything identifying on it — a luggage tag with your address, a gym membership fob, a car key with a trackable signal — the risk goes up significantly.

High risk — lost or stolen in a bag with your address:

If your keys were in a bag that was lost or stolen, and that bag contained anything with your address on it — a letter, a driving licence, a bank statement, a prescription, a utility bill — then someone now has your keys and your address. **Change the locks immediately.** This is not an overreaction. This is exactly the scenario that leads to burglaries.

Highest risk — keys lost with address visible (e.g., stolen handbag, lost wallet with keys):

If a handbag or rucksack was snatched or stolen and it contained both keys and identification, treat this as an emergency. The thief has your keys and knows where you live. Call me on **07735 336175** and I will come out to [change your locks](/services/lock-change) as soon as possible. If it is night-time and you feel unsafe, call 101 and report the theft — the police may do a drive-by check on your property.

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The Insurance Angle Most People Miss

Here is something most people do not realise: if you **know** your keys are lost and you do **not** change the locks, your home insurance may reject a future claim.

Most home insurance policies have a clause requiring you to take "reasonable precautions" to secure your property. If you report keys lost or stolen, and then your home is burgled three weeks later using a key (no signs of forced entry), your insurer is likely to argue that you knew the keys were missing and failed to act. They may reduce or reject your claim entirely.

This is not hypothetical. It happens. If there is any reasonable chance your lost keys could be used to enter your home, changing the locks is not just good security — it is protecting your insurance cover.

Keep the locksmith receipt. If you have reported the key loss to the police (which I recommend for stolen keys), keep the crime reference number too. These documents prove you took reasonable steps to secure the property.

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What Should You Change?

At minimum: the front door.

This is the most likely target if someone does have your keys. Change the lock or cylinder so the old keys no longer work.

Ideally: all external doors.

If your lost keyring had keys for the front door, back door, and side door, change all of them. There is no point changing the front door if the back door key was on the same ring.

Consider: any communal or shared doors.

If you live in a flat and your lost keys included a communal entrance key, contact your landlord or management company. They may need to change the communal lock or issue new keys to all residents.

Garage and outbuilding locks:

If you had keys to a garage, shed, or outbuilding on the same ring, these should be changed too. Garages often contain tools that could be used to force entry to the main house, and many garages have an internal door into the property.

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What It Costs

Lock changes depend on the type of lock and door:

I carry the most common locks and cylinders in my van, so I can usually do the job the same day you call. I cover all areas across Coventry — check the [areas page](/areas/) for your location. Full pricing details are on the [prices page](/prices).

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Alternatives to a Full Lock Change

If cost is a concern, there are some alternatives worth considering:

Keysafe (key safe / combination lock box): A keysafe is a small metal box mounted on an outside wall (usually near the back door, out of sight). It holds a spare key and opens with a combination code. They cost £30-50 and are useful for emergencies, but they are not a substitute for changing locks if keys have been stolen with your address. They are better as a "never get locked out again" solution.

Rekeying: Some lock types can be rekeyed — meaning I change the internal pins so that old keys no longer work and you get new keys, without replacing the entire lock. This is cheaper than a full replacement but is not available for all lock types. Euro cylinders are generally replaced rather than rekeyed (it is quicker and often cheaper), but some mortice locks can be rekeyed.

Temporary measures: If you cannot get the locks changed immediately, consider these short-term steps:

These are temporary measures only. If there is a real risk that someone has your keys and address, get the locks changed as soon as possible.

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What to Do Right Now

For more on how emergency call-outs work, see my guide on [how emergency locksmith call-outs work](/blog/how-emergency-locksmith-callouts-work). And if you are currently locked out because of lost keys, see the [emergency lockout page](/services/emergency-lockout) — I can get you in and change the locks in a single visit.