When the door closes behind you and the garden is shut in
The typical Gradignan house is surrounded by a hedge, a gate and sometimes a keypad-operated side gate. Being locked out therefore starts with a question: are you outside or inside? A good many calls come from people stuck on the garden side, with the door slammed shut behind them and the phone left indoors. Before anything else, walk right round the house. A side door, a garage door or a ground-floor patio door left ajar will settle the situation faster than any call-out.
If nothing is open, get ready for the locksmith's arrival. In the tree-lined streets of Laurenzane or the cul-de-sacs of Barthez, street numbers disappear behind hedges and letterboxes all look alike. Give a fixed landmark, say whether the gate is locked and who can open it, and arrange some lighting if night is falling. These are small details, but they are the difference between work starting straight away and a quarter of an hour spent looking for the right driveway.
House shares and student lets: who can have what opened
The northern edge of the commune adjoins the university campus shared with Talence and Pessac, and the student rental stock there is substantial: studio flats, rooms let within family homes, house shares set up in former family houses. In this kind of accommodation the question of entitlement takes a different form. A housemate can prove their own tenancy, not that of the others; a resident of a managed hall usually comes under the manager or the caretaker, who may hold a master key and can settle the matter without any technical work at all.
Checking occupancy remains the rule: identity document, tenancy agreement, rent receipt, home insurance certificate. When those papers are locked inside, say so when you call, because other evidence can be accepted. In shared accommodation, the name on the letterbox, a statement from the hall manager or one from the owner all carry weight. This check protects the occupant as much as the tradesperson, and it heads off a great deal of misunderstanding when a tenancy ends badly.
How does this service work?
Techniques, typical situations, standards and things to watch out for: it is all on our door opening page. This page focuses on what the service involves in Gradignan.