Guest locked out with key on inside lock

[Rachel1842]

Some advise please from fellow hosts.

My front door locks when you close it. In the printed guide that is on the table at entry I make it clear that you may get locked out. I do have a spare key that they can easily contact me to access in that emergency.

However my current guest has shut the door with the key left in the lock on the inside so the spare will not work. I'm unsure what to do and where the bulk of the responsibility sits. It's his error and I have provided a spare key. It never crossed my mind that the key would be left in the inside lock to need to troubleshoot ahead of time. Should I leave him to arrange a locksmith? Will I need to pay some of that cost? 

NOTE: I've today updated my listing guidebook and access instructions to make it clearer (though I don't have much faith that many guests read this info)

Help!

[Till-and-Jutta0]

Not sure about the situation in your country - but in our country there are locks with an emergency function, to prevent exactly this situation.

[Rachel1842]

@Till-and-Jutta0 I've not heard of this before, I'll look into it thanks.

[Helen427]

Hello @Rachel1842  and welcome to ABB CC

Do you have another door that can be used to access the property?

Locksmiths can and do charge like a bull so be mindful of which route you go down.

I speak as someone who locked myself out in recent times.

To be honest, it's actually quite a distressing situation to find oneself in.

Keep open lines of communication and minimize any potential expenses for the pair of you.

Are you close by that you can sort it out without involving a Locksmith?

[Rachel1842]

Hey @Helen427 thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately front door is the only reasonable access to the property and there is no way of opening the door since the guest left the key in the lock on the inside. I thought I had covered all bases by leaving an easily accessible spare key. 

I will arrange a spare back door key but that will rely on my neighbours helping as the garden will only be accessible via their properties, so this is only an option if they are home.

I'm in England btw, worth a mention as I know this is an awesome global community.

Wondering what other hosts would do in this situation with regards to who is libel for footing the cost of a locksmith?

[John5097]

@Rachel1842 In this situation I think the host is responsible for footing the bill for the locksmith and having a new lock installed that doesn't have a key on the inside. You could check your local codes but this would defiantly fail a fire safety inspection. What if there is a fire and guest can't find the key in a room full of smoke? 

 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Rachel1842 definitely change the lock to a more sensible one. 

[Rachel1842]

@Mike-And-Jane0 @John5097 thanks so much for your thoughts. It's a standard issue front door (UK) that does not need to be locked from the inside. I've recently refurbished the apartment and it passed all and any safety regulations.

As I mentioned, the door locks when you close it so while you can pull the handle and open from the inside, you cannot do so from the outside - there is no need to double lock it. 

It's an interesting angle though and I will certainly update my guest guidebook to make it clearer how to use the front door!

[Colleen253]

@Rachel1842 With only a few reviews under your belt, a bad one will do harm. Do what you can to get this fixed quickly and with as little friction as possible. Stop delaying and fussing about laying blame and figuring out who will pay.

Chalk this up to a learning experience and look at getting a lock system that will not enable situations like this going forward. Otherwise, I think you will find yourself continually dealing with this issue, no matter how clear you make your house guide or how many signs you post. Two years of hosting has taught me that I need to assume that every person who walks through the door cannot read, and has zero common sense.

[Rachel1842]

@Colleen253 thanks for your reply. I meant to update earlier that I was able to resolve the situation very quickly with no fuss or delay but I left this thread open to understand what other hosts would do in a similar instance.

I'm not currently in a position to be able to replace the door but I will certainly look into it if that is the only viable option. I'm learning very quickly that guests won't read!

[Colleen253]

@Rachel1842 Gotcha. If you are going to keep the lock system for now, you might want to make specific mention of it in direct communication with guests. Do you note the potential for issues in your check in information as well? The more places you note it, the better. 

[Rachel1842]

@Colleen253 I have now updated the listing guidebook etc with more info and will absolutely include it in the direct comms too moving forwards. As well as a sign on the door - Why not eh! My new approach is the more signs the merrier!

[Colleen253]

@Rachel1842 

Some people struggle with reading and following instructions. And I’m not talking language barriers here, as I’ve hosted few international guests. I used to offer use of the wood burning fireplace, and I had very short, simple instructions for it. It’s no longer an amenity 😉

Every seemingly silly sign I have in my place is there due to some surprising thing a guest has done. I’m sure the guest filled with common sense must see them and think I’m an overbearing nut job. Oh, well. There are some subtle hints around the place of what I have to deal with sometimes. Like the battery operated flameless candles that have been LIT at one time or another. Every single one of them. 

[John5097]

@Rachel1842 @Colleen253 

I agree with Colleen. 

This is what I would do. 

1) Replace the lock. 

2) If you would need to replace the entire door, then I'd at least put something over the key hole on the inside.It could even be one of those small adhesive felt pads you can put on chair legs. Just leave it in the locked position. Then if guest lock themselves out that's on them, and you could have another backup lock box beside the other door with a code, so they could call you and you just give them that code and they are back inside. 

Having guest being locked out because they left the key in the lock on the inside, where they would need to wait on a locksmith would not be an option at all. What if a child gets locked inside or something?  

[John5097]

Didn't give many specifics about the lock, only its the worst conceivable situation for host and guest, so would find another option. Such as adding a deadbolt with thubturn on the inside, and just using that to lock and unlock. This description is too vague, as I pictured this as a double keyed deadbolt. If its a new renovation a lock is nothing to change out.