What should I do about locks after a break in?

Neighbors Ask

First, safety and the proper calls

A break in is upsetting, and the instinct is to hurry inside and start fixing things. Please do not. If you come home and find a door open, a window broken or signs that someone has been inside, stay outside, move to a safe spot and call emergency services. You cannot know whether the person has left, and nothing in the house is worth the risk of finding out.

Wait for the responders to clear the building. Once they say it is safe, follow their guidance about what you may touch. They may want to look for marks, take photographs and ask you questions. Try not to clean up, move items or repair the entry point until they tell you it is fine. Evidence can be easy to disturb. Keep a list as you go. Write down what you found, the time you called for help, who responded, what was damaged, and what you did next. Take photographs of doors, frames, windows and any marks before repairs begin. A clear record helps you remember details when you are asked, and it gives a technician a reliable picture of what to fix. Store the list and photographs somewhere safe, with a copy off the premises.

This page is about the locks, and we are not able to give legal, insurance or medical advice. If you feel shaken or unwell, take care of yourself and call someone you trust. The door can be secured with a technician's help soon enough, and your wellbeing comes before every practical task on the list.

Understanding what happened to the door

Once it is safe, look carefully at how the intruder got in. Was a door kicked in, a frame split, a window smashed, a sliding door lifted off its track, or did someone use a key? Each answer points to a different fix. A kicked door usually means a weak frame or strike, while a lifted slider means the door and track need work.

If the door was forced, look at the area around the lock. A split frame, bent strike plate or cracked door edge are common. These repairs matter as much as the lock itself, because a new lock on a damaged frame is only as strong as the wood that holds it. A technician can repair or reinforce the frame and fit a strike that reaches into solid framing.

If there are no signs of force, consider that someone may have had a key. That could be a former tenant, an old contractor, or a lost or copied key. In that case the lock itself may be fine, but its secret is no longer secret. Rekeying is the answer, and we explain it below.

Secure the opening right away

After the responders leave, your first practical job is to close the gap. If a door will not latch, a window is broken or a frame is split, the home is open until it is fixed. Call a locksmith, a glass repair service or a handy neighbor to board up or temporarily secure the opening. Our team works around the clock, and the emergency help any hour page explains how a visit goes.

A temporary fix does not have to be elegant. A sturdy board or sheet fixed across the opening, or a temporary lock set on the door, gets you through the night. What matters is that the opening is closed and that you can leave or sleep without fear that someone can walk in. Replace the temporary measure with a proper repair when you can. Weather and season play a part as well. In the cold months, a broken door or window lets heat out and can lead to burst pipes if the house is left open for long, so closing the opening is urgent for more than security. In the hot valley summers, a house left open can grow hot and attract insects and animals. A prompt temporary repair protects the house in every season.

If you must stay elsewhere for the night, consider what you can take with you and what you can lock away. Remove documents, spare keys and valuables from view. Tell a trusted neighbor you are away so they can keep an eye on the home. Avoid sharing details on public social media, since announcements about empty houses are rarely helpful.

Rekey or replace: how to choose

Rekeying changes the pins inside the cylinder so that the old key no longer works, and a new key does. The lock hardware stays in place. It is usually the simplest answer when keys were taken in the break in or you are unsure who has copies. Our rekey page describes the process.

Replacement is the right choice when the lock itself has been damaged or when you want something stronger. If the lock was forced, drilled or pried, the internal parts may be compromised, even if it looks fine on the outside. A technician can inspect it and tell you honestly. For more on the decision, see whether it is better to rekey or replace.

If your keys were stolen with a wallet, a purse or a bag, treat every lock they open as no longer secure. That includes the front door, the back door, the garage entry and any outbuilding. Also think about a car key on the same ring, which may need attention. Our piece on a lost wallet with house keys covers this scenario.

• Rekey if the locks are in good condition and you simply need old keys to stop working.
• Replace if the lock is damaged, worn, forced or of a type you want to upgrade.
• Replace the strike and reinforce the frame if the door was kicked in.
• Consider a keypad or smart lock if you want to control who has access and when.
• Choose to do both if keys were taken, since stolen keys and a damaged door appear together.

Strengthen the weak points

The most helpful thing you can do after a break in is to fix the weakness that let the intruder in. For a door, that usually means a solid deadbolt, a strike plate fixed with long screws into the framing, and strong hinges. A reinforcing plate around the lock edge can stop a door splitting where the bolt passes through. Our guide on what makes a good strike plate goes through the details.

For a sliding door, the fixes are different. A bar or pin that blocks the track, a secondary lock, and an anti lift device that prevents the panel being raised off its rail all help. See our notes on sliding door security. For windows, check that latches work and consider a secondary lock, particularly on older houses.

Also look at the setting. Overgrown shrubs that hide a door, poor lighting, or a gate that does not close can invite trouble. Trim, light and repair. These are not locks, but they influence whether an intruder feels at ease. A well lit entrance with a clear view from the street is one of the most effective deterrents available.

Check every other way in

Intruders often pick the weakest point, which may not be the front door. After the incident, walk the whole house and test every door and window. Try each latch, look at each frame and see whether the garage entry door, the laundry door and any basement door are as sound as the front. Ask a technician to look with you if you are unsure.

Do not forget the garage door itself. A garage door opener remote left in a car, a release cord that can be reached through a gap, or a door that does not close fully can all be used to get in. If your remote was stolen, consider changing the opener code. The manufacturer's instructions will explain how, and a technician can help.

Outbuildings matter too. A shed or workshop may hold tools that make the next entry easier, such as a ladder or a pry bar. Lock them with a sturdy padlock, and store tools out of sight. Our page on shed and garage padlocks may help you choose.

Keys, codes and who should have them now

A break in is a good moment to reset the access picture. List everyone who has a key or code: family, neighbors, a cleaner, a dog walker, a relative who visits. Decide who truly needs access, and arrange new keys only for them. Collect old keys where possible, and cancel any keypad codes that are no longer needed.

If you use a smart lock or an alarm system, change the codes and passwords. Do not reuse old ones, and avoid obvious choices such as birthdays. If a phone was stolen, remember that it may hold apps that control your lock or alarm, so contact your provider and change credentials. Keep the physical backup keys somewhere safe. If you have an alarm or camera system, check whether it recorded anything and share it with the responders if they ask. Do not confront anyone based on footage. A system that failed to trigger tells you something too, and a technician or the provider can help you understand why. Fix that gap along with the locks, because a lock and an alarm work well as a pair.

If you rent, tell your landlord straight away and ask in writing about repairs and a rekey. Your lease sets out who is responsible, and we cannot say what applies to you. Photographs of the damage and a note of when you reported it protect you. Do not make permanent changes to a rented door without permission.

Hypothetical examples of how the fix differs

Picture a family who return from a weekend away to find the back door frame split beside the deadbolt. Nothing is wrong with the lock itself, which still turns smoothly, but the wood that held the strike has failed. The right fix is a repaired frame, a longer strike with screws that reach the studs, and perhaps a plate around the edge of the door. A new lock alone would have fallen to the same kick.

Now imagine a renter whose purse is stolen from a parked car, with the apartment key inside. There is no damage anywhere, yet the home is exposed. The response is a rekey, arranged with the landlord, along with new keys for the household. The lock hardware stays, the old key becomes useless, and the cost of the whole fix is small compared with the risk it removes.

Finally, imagine a small business owner who finds a side window forced and the door untouched. The fix is at the window: a better latch, a secondary lock and perhaps a bar, plus lighting outside. These pictures are illustrations, not real cases, but they show why the right answer depends on how the intruder got in. Look first, then decide what to change.

Dealing with the aftermath calmly

Many people feel unsettled in their home after a break in, even when everything has been repaired. That is normal. Part of recovering is regaining a sense of control, and fixing the locks is one practical way to do it. Take the steps in order, ask for help and allow yourself time.

Talk to your neighbors. A quiet word may reveal that others noticed something, or may lead to a shared effort such as better lighting on the street. Neighbors who know each other are one of the strongest protections a community has. If you belong to a local group, share what you learned without sharing details that could make you or others more vulnerable.

If you have children or an older relative at home, explain what happened in simple terms and what you are doing to make the house secure. A calm explanation helps. Walk them through the new routine, such as checking the lock at night, so that it feels like a normal part of the day and not a source of fear.

How we can help, and what to prepare

A locksmith can respond to a break in by securing the opening, repairing the frame, changing or rekeying the locks and advising on upgrades. When you call, describe what happened, which doors were affected and whether keys were taken. Mention if the police have finished at the scene, and whether anyone needs to be present for the repair.

Have some information ready: the type of door, whether it opens in or out, and any markings on the lock. Photographs help. Tell the technician about any limits, such as a rental agreement, an association or a need to keep certain parts for the police. You can use the request form to give details.

We serve a wide area of Shasta and Siskiyou counties, including Redding, Anderson and Yreka. If you want to learn more before deciding, read about home lock service. Whatever you choose, aim to leave the house more secure than before, and to feel able to rest in it again.

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