Locked out of your apartment – stairwell, door code and security door

Yes, we come to your building now, usually within 20–40 min. On the phone you get a fixed price for the call-out and opening, before we drive.

Apartment lockouts in Stockholm have their own logic. The building, the door and the lock are probably different from what you knew at home. Here is what you need to know.

The door that locks itself

Most flats in Stockholm have a steel security door, a "säkerhetsdörr". It is heavy, it closes on its own, and the lock catches the moment it shuts. There is often no handle on the outside, just a knob or nothing at all. Step out for ten seconds without your keys and you are locked out.

These doors are solid on purpose. That is good for your security and makes the opening a job for a professional. Kicking or levering one only damages the frame, and the lock stays shut.

We open security doors every week. The lock is usually a standard Swedish lock case with a cylinder, and in most cases we open it without damage.

The street door and the door code

Most buildings have a locked street door with a keypad. The code is called a "portkod". Some buildings use a key fob or tag instead ("tagg"), and many switch to fob-only at night.

When you call us, tell us:

• the street address and which entrance, if there are several
• the door code, if you know it
• the floor and the name on your door

If the street door is fob-only and your fob is inside the flat, we need someone to let us in. A neighbour usually helps. Or you wait by the street door and open it for us from the inside when we arrive.

Three steps from the stairwell

1. 1Call us and give the address, entrance, door code and floor.
2. 2Find your proof. ID if you have it. If not, think about what else shows you live there: post in the letterbox, a rental contract in your email, a bank app with your address.
3. 3Wait near the door. Stairwells are cold in winter. If a neighbour invites you in, say yes and keep your phone on.

Check these before we drive

The landlord's on-call line. If you rent, your landlord ("hyresvärd") may have a number for emergencies, posted in the stairwell or in your contract. Some can let you in. If they can't, call us. See renting in Stockholm.

The caretaker. Some buildings have a caretaker ("fastighetsskötare") with daytime hours. At night they are rarely available.

A spare key. Someone in Stockholm who has one? That is the cheapest way in.

At the door

The locksmith checks the door and starts with non-destructive opening. When it opens, we check your ID and that the flat is yours, either before or, if your wallet is inside, just inside the door. Only then do you go in.

If the lock can't be opened cleanly, we explain why and give you a price for drilling and a new cylinder. You decide. Most of the time it doesn't come to that.

Price

Fixed on the phone before we drive. A booked daytime opening is from SEK 1 295. Evenings, nights and weekends are priced on the call. No extra charge for the floor you live on, and none for distance. See prices.

Shared spaces

Locked out of the laundry room, the bike room or your storage unit ("förråd") instead of the flat? In a rental, the landlord usually handles shared spaces. In a BRF, the board does. For your own storage unit, we can open it if you can show it is yours.

Afterwards

If this happens often, hide nothing under the doormat. Leave a spare key with a friend or a neighbour you trust. It costs nothing and saves you the next call.