A locksmith in the middle of the night – what happens when you call at 3 am

Yes, we come in the middle of the night, every night of the year. A locksmith is usually at your door within 20–40 min, and the price is fixed on the phone before we drive.

Here is exactly what happens when you call us at three in the morning.

What happens, minute by minute

1. 1A person answers. Not voicemail, not a menu. A real person, at night too. English is fine.
2. 2We ask four things. Where are you? What happened? What kind of door? Is anyone at risk?
3. 3You get the price. One fixed amount for the call-out and the opening. Night prices are given on the phone, so ask; we tell you straight away.
4. 4You say yes. Then a locksmith heads out. Usually 20–40 min.
5. 5The locksmith arrives. We look at the door and start with non-destructive opening.
6. 6ID check. We check that you live there. If your ID is inside, we check it just inside the door.
7. 7You pay and go to bed. Card or Swish, a receipt, done.

The opening itself is often quick. The longest part of the night is usually the wait for the van, and that is within 20–40 min for most calls.

Where to wait

Stockholm nights are cold for much of the year. If you are in a stairwell, stay there; it is warmer than the street. If you are outside a house, sit in a car, a neighbour's hallway or a late-night shop nearby. Keep your phone on. We call the number you called from if we can't find you.

If your battery is low, tell us on the first call. We give you the essentials quickly, then you can save power.

Night price, honestly

We don't publish night prices on this site. That is on purpose: we would rather tell you one fixed number for your actual job than show a range that might not fit. You hear it before we drive. If it is too high for you, you say no and it costs nothing.

For comparison, a booked daytime opening during office hours is from SEK 1 295. A night call costs more than that. How much, you hear on the phone. No extra charge for distance anywhere in the region. Read more on our prices page.

Common night calls

• Coming home late, keys gone. Lost on the way, left at a friend's, in a coat at the bar. See lost keys.
• The bin run at midnight. The apartment door closed behind you. See apartment lockouts.
• The smart lock died. Battery flat, app not responding. See smart locks.
• A break-in discovered on the way home. Police first, then us. See after a break-in.
• The key snapped. Leave it in the lock and call.

Before you call at night

Two things are worth a quick try, even at 3 am:

• Your landlord's on-call line. Many landlords in Stockholm have a 24-hour number for tenants. If they can let you in, that is often the cheapest way. If nobody answers or they can't help, call us.
• A spare key. A friend or neighbour who is awake, or who won't mind being woken.

If neither works, don't wait until morning in the stairwell. Call.

Why we check ID at night too

At night, a locked-out person in a stairwell is the most common sight in our work. So is a person who wants into a flat that isn't theirs. We can't tell the difference by looking. That is why the ID check is the same at 3 am as at 3 pm. It protects you too. Read more on the ID check.