Don’t Panic and DO THIS if you get locked out in Germany
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
- Watch this video to learn exactly what to do if you're ever locked out of your apartment in Germany. We cover how to find a locksmith, how much they charge, an example conversation, and tips on how to prevent the situation from happening.
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⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:05 - What to Do When You Lock Yourself Out
06:15 - German conversation with Locksmith
07:56 - How to Prevent Locking Yourself Out
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Marry your key. 🗝️💍
I always prioritise my cellphone and Haus key over any other item that I usually carry in my winter jacke, when leaving my place. Doing this since I landed here 🇩🇪 four months ago.
Once you develop that habit you will always prevent yourself from being locked out. Thank you Jen and Yvonne for this reminder video. 🌈 ✌🏾 🕊️
yes, do more conversances like this.
I recently moved in Bremerhaven for studies. Your videos really helped me.
So helpful!
Please keep making videos like this!
Many thanks for this video. My experience is that 80% of cases you are still able to open the 🚪 with plastic bank card or something thin pushed near the tongue of the lock.
Meine Empfehlung: ein Streifen aus einer PET-Flasche geschnitten.
I love the conversation part !! Please keep doing it !
Such a good reminder ey!
Every time i go outside my apartment, i spend 10 seconds before closing the door shut checking whether i have the "right" keys with me or not. 10 seconds of panic xD
Very helpful video. I was ziemlich aware of this topic until it actually happened to me. I quickly searched with my phone about the service and read on forums costs could go as high as 500,-€ to 1.000,-€ (!) depending on how complicated the service was and when it happened, which really put a scare on me. By pure luck the building I live has a Hausmeister, whom I called immediately. He came with a special tool he used to lift the door's internal mechanism up (it wasn't locked, just shut, otherwise it would have been a whole different story). I gave him a 20,-€ bill as a sign of gratitude and trained myself to always have the key in my hand as I cross the door to go outside, locking it behind me. Great video, keep up the amazing work!
When I was working (retired now), I kept a spare key in my desk drawer at work.🗝
A friend of mine got locked out during her first month here… naturally, it happened on a Sunday 😅. The conversation you’re suggesting would have been incredibly helpful, as her German (and mine) wasn’t very good and she was extremely stressed. This happened 7 years ago, but I believe they charged her around 200€ (so, as you said, they might have taken advantage of her) 😂😅
That just happened to me 5 mins ago! Thanks a lot!
We paid 50 , had to wait 2 hours. It was busy Friday evening for him 😅I was very surprised that he opened the door with a plastic card within 10 seconds and didn’t even asked a proof if this apparent is ours 😮
Thanks for sharing - very interesting 😇
Great conversation please keep making conversations like this ❤❤❤
😂😂😂😂😂 Jen, I LOL when you elbowed Yvonne… 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 German said nothing after you say “Thank you” …very typical - I just loved the way you guys did this conversation, you need to make more conversations like this, specially on slang words that you don’t get to see in school 😅
😂😂
Another excellent video! I have this fear, so I'm glad you addressed this 😅
Another important thing: In almost all cases, when just the "snapper" fell into place, the door can be opened within seconds. No drilling or destroying the lock are necessary.
❤Love the conversation. Also, the video of the door piece to keep the door from locking was perfect. My husband has tried to show me the part several times, usually at night when it is dark outside of our apartment. I just couldn’t see it. Won’t he be surprised when I can operate without him. Keep up the good work.
Great video! and yes, it's nice to have conversations like this in future videos!
This happened to me on my first week here, and after that, I consciously close the door with the key inside the keyhole to prevent that ever happening again. In my case, i called a friend and she called a locksmith for me. Now a friend has a second key to be extra safe
you both are amazing ...kudos for the great relevant content and such an engaging video.👍
Very useful information, thank youu
Impressive guys. More power to your channel. Its really a big help.
I'm so glad you explained the "Schnapper", I always roll my eyes when foreign RUclipsrs who explain German apartments/houses claim that you can never ever get into a German house without a key...
By the way, there is (actually common worldwide) also the electric version of a “Schnapper”; This is particularly common with front doors in apartment buildings, which can be opened from the apartment at the push of a button.
I like the conversation part of this video. It’s another way for me of learning the German language. Nice content! ❤❤❤
Thank you for this video ❤
When I come to Germany, I'm wearing my key around my neck like a necklace 😂😂😂
😂😂 good one!
@@simplegermany lol
Thanks for sharing this useul info. Other ways we can try out are the following:
1. keep your spare key in office or with trusted friend
2. You Landlord might have an additional key, you can also ask for help to them.
3. Whenever I go outside to throw trashes, i make sure I have keys with me, or else I put something between door and the wall
4. Keep your keys on the door , so that when you open you will be reminded that you have to take it 😄.
5. Additonally, in my area I already found a locksmith in advance and kept details in my phone 😂. I am worried about this situation too much!!
Great video; this will inevitably happen to you sometime. Another tip is that most apartment buildings will have some sort of accessible utility closet or garbage/laundry room. You can usually find some discreet place to hide a spare key there: taped to the top of the door frame or under a shelf, wedged between cinderblocks, etc. Has saved me hundreds of Euros...
this is actually really smart
Another option is buying a Smart Lock I have been locked out of my house twice and it is a game changer
It costs almost the same as 1 visit from the locksmith and you will be able to open it with your phone or shouting at Alexa through the door (been there done that) and if you put the equivalent of 2 locksmiths you can buy one you can open with your fingerprint or 6 digit code
The whole of video was awesome, the conversation especially was helpful for someone who can only use den-glish :)
Very useful channel. Keep teaching us.👍
Very useful video … thank you so much
great video ....
another tip to prevent you from locking yourself out:
1, open the door
2. lock the open door from inside
3. now, the door can close but not fall into lock
This is such a useful video and a sweet one too
Thanks a lot ❤
I really liked this video!😊❤
Oh my God, you guys.....7:10 Jen covertly tapping Yvonne's shoulder 🥰🥰🥰
Haha.. Funny story, locked myself out 2 weeks ago and I had to get a friend of mine to speak to the locksmith to get him to help. Wish i had this video two weeks ago. Keep making great content 😁😁
I guess smart locks that can also be opened and closed with phone through bluetooth can also be an option. I guess some can be put over a normal key from inside and they can even send notifications to your phone every time the lock is opened. I’d be grateful if you can also share any thoughts about budget-friendly options.
This happened to me on a Sunday a few weeks after I moved to Germany 😭. My neighbours and apartment owners were very helpful but since it was a Sunday it still ended up costing me about 250
Excellent video!
Let me just add some remarks.
1. Don't select a "Schlüsseldienst" with alot of letters "A" in front of their name in the yellow pages; those are usually the scammers who want to make a quick profit out of an emergency situation. Better chose a local locksmith whom you know.
2. If you live in an apartment building and you have a storage area in the basement hide a key to your apartment somewhere over there. The padlock of the storage area can be opened using DIY. If you have a regular door in the basement deposit the door key with one of your neighbors even if they are not very trustworthy.
3. Another option is to exchange the keys with your neighbor in a sealed envelope.
Thanks
Thank you, great information per usual. Loved the sweet end of the video❤
Another way to prepare for an accidental lock out would be this ... In case your cellar is old fashioned with these personal storage areas with a traditional lock you provide, get a number coded lock instead of a key lock and hide a spare key in this cellar in a place difficult to find. I can always find someone to let me inside the building and into the cellar and then I can get the key in seconds. If you want to add an extra layer of security, there are small boxes for keys with a number lock available, if you use that even if someone breaks into your cellar and finds it he has another hurdle to get the key out of this kind of tiny safe. But it is sure easier to take any magnet and hide the key somewhere underneath e.g. a metal board, between the metal and the magnet, where it usually can't be located because of gravity. If you are from down under, remember we do not expect things to be stuck on the ceiling🤣. Joking aside, this trick will largely widen the possibilities for a much safer place almost impossible to find.
I have a simple policy that keeps me from being without my keys ... I ALWAYS have the house and car keys chained in one pocket of my pants, the smartphone exclusively in the other (so display will never scratch) and I religiously never leave the house without checking that, even if I just bring out the trash. But I am a tall man with big pockets, so I know some tiny female friends would not be happy with that solution always having these things tight on you in pockets that don't fit anything. To my rescue - I am not wearing cargo pants, except when alpine hiking🤣.
I am currently clearing out my moms household near Düsseldorf and am visiting from Munich every few weeks, burning through my annual holiday😒. Do you ladies plan a local community meeting these days? I think I remember you saying something in a live stream some time ago? Would love to meet you in person some day.
Smoothly yours
Thanks for sharing! 😊 currently we are not planning any meetups.
The role play was fun 😅
Very important when calling a locksmith: look up his adress, if its really in your town. Local one are easy to identify by this. Because there are also ones working large areas and the advertise agressivly. They may have to drive 50+ km to your location, ofcourse charge for this plus are way more expensive than a real local one. The difference may be several hundred Euros!
What i dont understand - is this not the case with all front doors? I live in Ireland and front doors close...but some older doors have a latch you can put on. But most new front doors can blow closed automatically locking you out. Or we always put gym weights in the corner of the door. We always give a spare key to a family member in case we ever need it
No, it is not. At least not outside of Europe. You often have door handles which allows you to always open the front door and you need to lock it with a key.
Thank you for that information. The "Anfahrt" is the part where the black sheeps trick with(They say, they came from far far away, where no man has gone before....after they have unlocked the door.). So you have to ask, where they came from, or what the "Anfahrt" costs.
You can always try to pick the lock yourself first ;)
Thank you for your videos, that are very helpful,, can you please also consider making a video about car accidents?
We already did :). You can find it here: ruclips.net/video/4pWytMxqlPE/видео.htmlsi=DNDvnAZJPoCUoZJI
Such a beautiful couple, thank you and i wish you all the best from Göttingen
also in Italy there is no handle on the door
Thank you for the video! What if the key is a little curved from long usage. So one night I couldn't get back home and I had to pay for a locksmith. The landlord refused to reimburse that. Does any insurance cover that?
Very unlikely, the key should be replaced.
How do you get spare keys cut? I went to a locksmith shop and they said 'das ist verboten'... normal communal front door to building and apartment door, nothing fancy 🤔
Yes depending on the lock you need a proof that you are allowed to duplicate it. In our old apartment this proof came in form of a credit card type card. This is to avoid thieves being able to duplicate keys.
I have a question, related to another topic. I am looking for flights to Düsseldorft, and Latam airlines offers me as final destiny QDU, which I guess is Dusseldorf Hauptbahnhof.
Is that legitimate or is preferred to arrive at Düsseldorft International Airport?
@geranienbaum thank you very much for answering. I’ve been googling it and found nothing
Hello, I'm a Spanish living in Berlin and I paid 150e for that last 30th December... It was dificult to find a person to talk with in english and we accepted the first price :(
Thanks for sharing!
omg the kiss on the nose was soo sweet
Ah, I once locked myself out with a key in the lock inside - so spare key didn't help. Couldn't communicate to the locksmith, with a colleague called another one, paid 150 euros in cash for a simple movement of a plastic card😭 and ofc I didn't have that much cash, so locksmith guys drove me to the nearest ATM to get it, and told me i should learn German.
🙈
We had one of our keys but left the other in the inside lock, we were unable to use our key to get back in and had to call a locksmith at 8pm on a Saturday costing us over 300 euros with no receipt :(
🙁
On a side note, is it legal to change your locks yourself at any point after you’ve moved in?
One locksmith we talked to he does it every time. One just needs to change it back to the lock that was installed when you moved in. Not sure if it’s fully legal though.
Depends. If you are in a single family house with only one party having access to it, generally yes. But if you are renting you HAVE to inform your landlord about it BEFORE you do it. In some cases even then your landlord might have restricted that in your rent contract. So better check your contract.
However, if you live in an apartment/flat, tragically, the answer is no, as most apartments are in condominiums that have system locks for the front gate/door, back doors, garden entrances, etc. These can be opened with the same key, but your individual apartment door has additional notches on the key that allow only your door to open, not other apartment doors. This is to reduce the number of keys you have to have attached to your key ring/chain. On one hand it's a convenience, on the other a hassle.
Thanks! But most of the locks in Germany are very simple and cheap! Before call anybody, just try this:
Cut off the neck and bottom of the bottle
Cut the remaining plastic to fit and round off the corners
Slide the plastic between the door and the door frame.
Press the trap with the plastic into the door
Open the door
Can the locksmiths also help to make spare keys?
❤
Another important fact as I guess would be to inform the landlord before calling the locksmith :)
Not really. The landlord should not have a key to your apartment.
Where can we throw away plates and broken utensil??
Hey, schön gemacht aber mir fehlt die erste Option überhaupt, habt ihr keine Nachbarn? Die sind immer meine erste Wahl wenn etwas ungewöhnliches passiert. Viele von ihnen haben Erfahrungen mit den Schlössern im Haus und oft ein Tool für das Problem, zb ein Spachtel oder eine alte checkkarte. Das kann auch einen Haufen Geld sparen.
If I lived in Germany, I would only put the rubbish out when I was fully dressed and on my way to work or going shopping.
hm...but one will most likely get locked out of cellphone as well...which means: be nice to your neighbours 😂
Me after having locked myself out 4 times: That's it! Never leaving the house! I won't spend any cash on getting a locksmith nor suffer from the anxiety of making a phone call especially in German(sorry y'all I'm just not quite there yet) 😅
But in all seriousness since I live in a WG I could usually get myself back in thanks to flatmates or neighbors helping. Interesting that the landlord doesn't kept a copy of the key, that would've been completely normal and acceptable where I'm from 🤔 But I can see why.
My door doesn't have that system 😶
One thing how safe in Germany. If we not locked the door then does it safe in Germany?
Generally, Germany is a very safe country. However, burglaries do happen. It is not a country where we leave our front doors unlocked.
@@simplegermany hats off to you you guys always come with great content. love it. For Germany jobs for international professional please make a video and show how we can approach those which provide us visa too
key box with password is the solution
One additional alternative could be a "smart lock". It's a device which you can mount on the inside of the door. it turns the key and you can operate it from your mobile. You might forget your keys, but you will never bring even the trash out without your mobile in your pocket ;-)
If I remember correctly they are about the 100'ish Euros.
Is it legal to make copies of the key?
We asked for the permission from our landlord beforehand.
it's sad that you guys are uploading this video now, I left my keys inside 2 days ago on Saturday, and paid 105 euros just to open the door.
😕
You've started saying Hä. Now you're a German 😂
100%! #integrated 😅