How to Never Be Locked in Your Apartment Again
I am one of those who often cannot get into a rented apartment. I have left my keys in the apartment more times than I can count. I lost them several times while I was away from home. I once accidentally spilled superglue on my keys, disfiguring them and making them no longer fit in my locks. As a result, I have a layered system that ensures I never again spend hundreds of dollars for a locksmith to break into my damn house. Here’s how it works.
Keep your keys everywhere
The key (pun intended) to never being locked is to keep spare keys hidden in various places. Most people are familiar with the old key-under-the-mat setup, but this can be dangerous as would-be crackers and intruders can and will easily check in there. Plus, in urban areas, not everyone has a rug under which you can stick a key. Safes can be risky too, as you have to attach them to property outside that doesn’t belong to you; sticking one on city or private property may result in the owner simply getting rid of it.
Here are a few places to hide your keys:
- Place the spare key with a trusted local company . This is only good if you really trust the owners and employees of the business, but if there is a deli or laundry on your block that makes you feel at home, consider asking the owner if they keep a copy of your key. counter. Bonus points if you find a 24 hour business.
- Put the spare key to work . This option is great for those who work in a building with 24/7 staff or a janitor, but can be useful at any time if you can enter the premises in some way that also doesn’t require your keys.
- Give trusted friends a spare key . Your friends may not like meeting you at your apartment at 1:00 am, but they will probably like it more than the idea of you sleeping outside. It’s also useful when you’re out of town and need someone to go check on something at your place.
- Keep a spare key in every wallet and bag you have . It speaks for itself, but when you switch between bags you always forget something . Don’t let it be your keys.
- Find a place in the hallway of your house to hide the key . Do you have a photo frame or a mirror in your hallway? Could you stick the key in there without anyone noticing? This only works if you have a plan to get through the first door into your building, but I highly recommend just turning on the bell until the neighbor lets you in. Desperate times call for desperate behavior.
Finally, keep your keys on a hook by your apartment door and make it a habit to put them there every time you get home and remember to take them every time you leave.
Plan when you’re going somewhere you might lose the key
If you go to a club, your bag may be lost or stolen. Keep a spare key on a simple key chain and attach it somewhere to your body, such as the bottom of your skirt. It’s better to have two keys than none when you get home after a long night.
When I go for a run (which is rare, but it does happen), I attach the key to my hair tie. A large set of keys can easily slip right out of your pocket or fanny pack, and coming home sweaty and tired to find you can’t get inside the shower is a special kind of hell.
If you’re going on vacation, put a copy of your keys in every bag you pack. You may lose one or two pieces of luggage, but you must not lose your keys.
Key Storage Security Issues
There are a few downsides to hiding your keys everywhere in the places you frequent in your city. And that’s what other people know about. It cannot be overstated that you must trust your friends and anyone who knows where your keys are. But your precautions can go further.
Take a small camera and set it up in your apartment. You can get pretty affordable and set it up to alert you any time there’s movement in your house, so at least you know if – god forbid – anyone ever walks in there. while you are away. When you are at home, lock the door from the inside.
Never store personally identifiable information on a keychain. If you lose your keys or spare parts, you don’t want some stranger picking them up to be able to figure out who you are or where you live and then use the keys to break in.
These tips come from ADP , which also recommends using electronic locks, which will completely eliminate the need for keys, but if you’re renting your place, you’ll need to get your landlord’s approval. In any case, remember the phone number of the landlord in case of an emergency. They also have a copy of your key, and if all else fails, they can come to your rescue, at least during business hours.