--- title: "Gaining Entry Locksmith London | Agents & Evictions | The Bow Locks" description: "Specialist gaining entry service across London for letting agents, property managers, evictions and bailiffs. 24/7, typical 30-minute response, DBS-checked locksmiths." lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.thebowlocks.co.uk/#organization", "name": "The Bow Locks", "legalName": "The Bow Locks", "url": "https://www.thebowlocks.co.uk/", "telephone": [ "07546 247 247", "020 7247 1111" ], "email": "thebowlocks@outlook.com", "description": "Family-run London locksmiths for homes and business premises. 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Lock changes and any parts are quoted separately and clearly, and all payment types are accepted." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What proof of authority do you need?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Enough to establish lawful entitlement to enter — a management agreement, instruction from the agent or landlord, court or enforcement documentation, or ID matching the property. We confirm this before attending." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will the door be damaged?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "In the great majority of cases, no. We open non-destructively wherever the lock allows, and where it does not we use a controlled cylinder replacement rather than forcing the door." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can you attend at a fixed time for an eviction?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. We work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and routinely attend booked enforcement slots, including early morning appointments alongside bailiffs and agents." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you change the locks after entry?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Where instructed, yes, on the same visit — so previous keys stop working before anyone leaves site. New locks carry our 3-year warranty." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are your locksmiths vetted?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "All are City & Guilds qualified and DBS-checked. It is a requirement of the contracted work we do for major London letting agents and property maintenance companies." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How quickly can you attend an unplanned access problem?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Typically around 30 minutes across London for unplanned jobs, and to the agreed time for booked attendances." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you work across whole property portfolios?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Portfolio work is our specialism — we are the only locksmith company in London contracted to major letting agents and property maintenance firms, covering access, lock changes and repairs across managed stock." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you cover commercial units as well as residential?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes — offices, shops and commercial premises, including shopfront and communal door hardware. We do not work on vehicles; all of our time goes into premises." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.thebowlocks.co.uk" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Services", "item": "https://www.thebowlocks.co.uk/services" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gaining entry", "item": "https://www.thebowlocks.co.uk/services/gaining-entry" } ] } ] --- 24 hours a day, 365 days a year [thebowlocks@outlook.com](mailto:thebowlocks@outlook.com)[020 7247 1111](tel:+442072471111)[07546 247 247](tel:+447546247247) [![The Bow Locks locksmith logo](/__l5e/assets-v1/604321ce-f8ce-4664-8cc3-379a605564f3/bow-locks-logo-2.png)](/) [Home](/)[About](/about) [Services](/services) [Areas](/service-areas) [Our Work](/our-work)[Contact](/contact)[07546 247 247](tel:+447546247247)[020 7247 1111](tel:+442072471111) [Request Estimate](/contact) 1. [Home](/) 2. [Services](/services) 3. Gaining entry ![Locksmith picking a lock during non-destructive gaining entry work in London](/__l5e/assets-v1/5261cd6b-a258-46f4-bfff-880b3a143d8b/gaining-entry-picking-during-02.jpg) Gaining entry # Gaining Entry In London For Agents, Managers And Evictions — Done Cleanly. A specialist entry service built around documented authority, non-destructive methods and a door left properly secure. It is the work major letting agents and property maintenance companies keep us on contract for, and it is what we do every day. [Call 07546 247 247](tel:+447546247247)[Request an estimate](/contact) 25 years in London · DBS-checked & City & Guilds qualified · 24/7, 365 days 25 years Serving London 30 mins Typical response 24/7 · 365 Always available 3 years Warranty on work & locks From £48 Priced before we travel Overview ## What a professional gaining entry service means Gaining entry is opening a property you are legally entitled to enter but cannot access — a managed unit where keys were never returned, a flat where a tenant is unreachable, a repossession, a court-ordered eviction, a welfare concern, or a commercial unit at the end of a lease. The lock is not usually the difficult part. The professionalism around it is. It is a core specialism at The Bow Locks. Chris Evans, who owns the business, was trained by the renowned ex-locksmith and safe cracker Terry Staddon and leads a team of four with particular expertise in gaining entry, evictions and safes. We are the only locksmith company in London contracted to major letting agents and property maintenance companies, which is work that only continues if every attendance is clean, documented and secure afterwards. In practice that means confirming authority before anything is touched, opening non-destructively wherever the lock allows, and leaving the property lockable with a defined set of keys handed to the person entitled to hold them. Attending in a way that is calm and unremarkable matters too — these jobs happen in occupied buildings with neighbours watching. ### Who this is for - Letting agents and property managers needing access to a managed unit - Landlords following a lawful process at the end of a tenancy - Bailiffs, enforcement agents and court-ordered evictions - Executors, solicitors and family members dealing with probate properties - Businesses locked out of a commercial unit or a communal area [07546 247 247](tel:+447546247247) Answered 24/7 · From £48 Leave it and it gets worse ## What goes wrong when entry is handled badly The most common failure is damage. An entry forced rather than picked leaves a door that cannot be locked, which converts a straightforward attendance into an emergency securing job — and in a managed building, into a liability argument between agent, landlord and contractor over who pays for the door. The second failure is process. Entering without properly established authority exposes everyone involved, and a job attended by someone unvetted is not defensible if anything inside is later disputed. That is exactly why our team is DBS-checked and why agents specify it. The third is time. Enforcement dates, check-out deadlines, contractor slots and void periods do not move because a locksmith could not open a door. A unit left insecure or inaccessible costs rent, delays works and can force a whole appointment to be rebooked with everyone attending twice. ### Common mistakes - Sending a general handyman to force a door instead of a locksmith who can pick it - Attending without documented authority to enter the property - Opening the door and leaving without changing the lock, so old keys still work - Assuming one cylinder covers the job when the unit has front, rear and communal access - Booking a locksmith who cannot attend outside office hours when the enforcement slot is at 7am Our process ## Five steps, priced before we start 01 ### Confirm authority and brief the job Before we travel we establish who is instructing us, what entitles entry, the door type and whether other parties — bailiffs, agents, contractors — are attending at a set time. 02 ### Attend and inspect on site Typically within 30 minutes across London, day or night. On arrival the lock, door and frame are assessed to choose the method that opens the door without damaging it. 03 ### Non-destructive entry wherever possible Picking, bypass and manipulation first; controlled cylinder replacement where a lock cannot be opened safely. The door stays serviceable either way. 04 ### Re-secure and control the keys Locks changed where instructed so previous keys stop working, then tested closed from both sides. Keys are handed to the authorised party in a defined, recorded quantity. 05 ### Sign-off, warranty and keys handed over You get every key that works the lock, a clear price with no surprise additions, and our 3-year warranty on the work and the locks we fitted. All payment types are accepted at the door. What you get ## Concrete outcomes, not adjectives ### Doors that survive the visit Non-destructive entry keeps the door, the frame and the mechanism intact — no follow-on joinery bill and no dispute about damage. ### Attendance that fits the slot 24/7, 365 days a year with a typical 30-minute response, so early enforcement appointments and out-of-hours access are covered. ### Vetted people on site City & Guilds qualified, DBS-checked locksmiths — a condition of the contracted work we do for major letting agents. ### Secure before we leave Lock changes carried out on the same visit, so the unit is never left in a state where old keys still open it. ### Specialist depth A team of four led by an owner trained by Terry Staddon, with gaining entry, evictions and safes as core specialisms. ### Clear pricing and cover From £48 with the price agreed up front, all payment types accepted, and a 3-year warranty on locks fitted. In detail ## Methods, scenarios and portfolio work ### Non-destructive methods Picking manipulates the pins or levers to the shear line so the lock turns with no key and no damage. Bypass techniques defeat the mechanism without engaging the keyway at all — latch slipping, letterbox tool restrictions permitting, or manipulating a thumbturn where one is fitted and lawful to use. Where a lock cannot be opened non-destructively — a high-security cylinder, a seized mechanism, a lock already damaged — a controlled cylinder replacement gets the door open without touching the multipoint, the frame or the slab. That is a very different outcome from a forced door, and it is why method selection is the whole job. ### Evictions and enforcement attendance Enforcement work runs to a timetable and to a documented authority. We attend at the appointed time, open the property for the enforcement agent, and then change the locks so the previous keys are dead before anyone leaves the site. Keys are handed over in a recorded quantity to the party entitled to hold them. Discretion matters on these jobs. Occupied buildings, shared landings and neighbours mean the attendance should look like a maintenance visit, not an event. Working quietly and quickly is a practical requirement, not a courtesy. ### Letting agents, property managers and void units Managed portfolios generate constant access problems: keys never returned at check-out, a contractor needing entry with the tenant away, a communal door where the suite has drifted, a void unit whose key safe code nobody recorded. Each needs entry plus a defined key position afterwards. Because we work across whole portfolios, we can also standardise the outcome — keyed alike where appropriate, restricted profiles where key copying needs controlling, and a consistent key count handed back at each attendance so the office knows exactly what exists for that unit. ### Residential versus commercial entry Residential entry is mostly night latches, mortice deadlocks and euro cylinders on uPVC and composite doors, plus communal entrance doors in blocks. The priority is speed, no damage and a working lock afterwards. Commercial entry brings aluminium shopfronts, hook locks, roller shutters, panic hardware and sometimes safes on the same site. Fire escape compliance constrains what can be fitted afterwards — the door must always open from the inside without a key — so the re-secure has to be specified as carefully as the entry. Questions ## Gaining entry in London — your questions answered ### How much does a gaining entry attendance cost in London? From £48, with the price confirmed before we travel. Lock changes and any parts are quoted separately and clearly, and all payment types are accepted. ### What proof of authority do you need? Enough to establish lawful entitlement to enter — a management agreement, instruction from the agent or landlord, court or enforcement documentation, or ID matching the property. We confirm this before attending. ### Will the door be damaged? In the great majority of cases, no. We open non-destructively wherever the lock allows, and where it does not we use a controlled cylinder replacement rather than forcing the door. ### Can you attend at a fixed time for an eviction? Yes. We work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and routinely attend booked enforcement slots, including early morning appointments alongside bailiffs and agents. ### Do you change the locks after entry? Where instructed, yes, on the same visit — so previous keys stop working before anyone leaves site. New locks carry our 3-year warranty. ### Are your locksmiths vetted? All are City & Guilds qualified and DBS-checked. It is a requirement of the contracted work we do for major London letting agents and property maintenance companies. ### How quickly can you attend an unplanned access problem? Typically around 30 minutes across London for unplanned jobs, and to the agreed time for booked attendances. ### Do you work across whole property portfolios? Yes. Portfolio work is our specialism — we are the only locksmith company in London contracted to major letting agents and property maintenance firms, covering access, lock changes and repairs across managed stock. ### Do you cover commercial units as well as residential? Yes — offices, shops and commercial premises, including shopfront and communal door hardware. We do not work on vehicles; all of our time goes into premises. Related services - [Emergency lockouts](/services/emergency-lockouts) - [Lock changes & upgrades](/services/lock-changes) - [Burglary repairs](/services/burglary-repairs) - [All locksmith services](/services) Areas we cover [Bow](/service-areas/bow)[Chelsea](/service-areas/chelsea)[Battersea](/service-areas/battersea)[Tooting](/service-areas/tooting)[Canary Wharf](/service-areas/canary-wharf)[Islington](/service-areas/islington)[Croydon](/service-areas/croydon)[Brixton](/service-areas/brixton)[Notting Hill](/service-areas/notting-hill) Based in E16 4RF, London, covering London. [Back to the homepage](/) or [request an estimate](/contact). ## Get access without damage, delay or dispute Authority confirmed, door opened non-destructively, locks changed and keys accounted for before we leave. Attendance across London 24 hours a day, from £48. - City & Guilds qualified - DBS-checked locksmiths - 3-year warranty [Call 07546 247 247](tel:+447546247247)[Request an estimate](/contact) [![The Bow Locks — 24 hour London locksmith company logo](/__l5e/assets-v1/604321ce-f8ce-4664-8cc3-379a605564f3/bow-locks-logo-2.png)](/) Family-run London locksmiths for homes and business premises. 25 years of experience, City & Guilds qualified and DBS-checked. [07546 247 247](tel:+447546247247) [020 7247 1111](tel:+442072471111) [thebowlocks@outlook.com](mailto:thebowlocks@outlook.com) E16 4RF, London ### Services - [Emergency lockouts London](/services/emergency-lockouts "Emergency lockouts in London") - [Lock changes & upgrades London](/services/lock-changes "Lock changes & upgrades in London") - [Lock repairs London](/services/lock-repairs "Lock repairs in London") - [uPVC door & window locks London](/services/upvc-door-lock-repair "uPVC door & window locks in London") - [Burglary repairs London](/services/burglary-repairs "Burglary repairs in London") - [Snapped & broken keys London](/services/snapped-keys "Snapped & broken keys in London") - [Gaining entry London](/services/gaining-entry "Gaining entry in London") - [Security upgrades London](/services/security-upgrades "Security upgrades in London") - [Safes London](/services/safes "Safes in London") - [All locksmith services](/services) ### Areas covered - [Locksmith in Bow](/service-areas/bow "Locksmith in Bow") - [Locksmith in Chelsea](/service-areas/chelsea "Locksmith in Chelsea") - [Locksmith in Battersea](/service-areas/battersea "Locksmith in Battersea") - [Locksmith in Tooting](/service-areas/tooting "Locksmith in Tooting") - [Locksmith in Canary Wharf](/service-areas/canary-wharf "Locksmith in Canary Wharf") - [Locksmith in Islington](/service-areas/islington "Locksmith in Islington") - [Locksmith in Croydon](/service-areas/croydon "Locksmith in Croydon") - [Locksmith in Brixton](/service-areas/brixton "Locksmith in Brixton") - [Locksmith in Notting Hill](/service-areas/notting-hill "Locksmith in Notting Hill") - [All London areas covered](/service-areas) ### Company - [About us](/about) - [Our work](/our-work) - [Contact](/contact) - [Leave a Google review](https://g.page/r/CegDlwgCcfTeEBM/review) Open 24 hours, 365 days Typical response: 30 minutes © 2026 The Bow Locks. 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