Your rights, explained
Can I change the locks? Your rights, honestly.
Divorce, an ex, a rental, a council house or a landlord. Who is allowed to change the locks, and who is not.
"Can I change the locks?" is one of the most loaded questions I get asked, because the answer is almost never just yes or no. It depends who owns the home, whether you are married, whose name is on the tenancy, and whether anyone else has a legal right to be there. Get it wrong and a simple barrel swap can turn into illegal eviction or a harassment complaint. So here is the straight version for England and Wales: when you can change the locks, when you cannot, and the right route to take in each situation. I fit the lock once you have confirmed you are entitled to. I do not decide who has the right to the door, and on the tricky ones I will point you to Citizens Advice, Shelter or a solicitor first. This is general information, not legal advice.
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Can I change the locks? The short answer
If you own your home outright and live there alone, yes, change the locks whenever you like. The moment anyone else has a legal stake in the property or a right to live there, it gets more complicated, and that is where people get caught out. A spouse, a joint owner, a joint tenant, a tenant in your rental, even an ex you used to live with can all have rights that survive a row, a break-up or a move-out.
The single most important question is not "is the house in my name?" It is "does anyone else have a legal right to be here?" If the answer is yes, the lawful route is usually agreement or a court order, not a quiet lock change while they are out. Get that wrong and a £90 barrel swap can land you with an illegal-eviction or harassment problem that costs far more than the locks ever would. The sections below walk through the situations I get asked about most.
This page covers England and Wales
Housing and family law is not identical across the United Kingdom. Everything on this page describes the position in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own separate rules on tenancies, eviction and the family home, so if your property is in Scotland or Northern Ireland, treat this as background only and check the law that applies where you are. I cover south Staffordshire, Wolverhampton, Cannock, Stafford and the wider West Midlands, all of which sit within England, so the rest of this page is the version that applies to my customers.
Married, separating or going through a divorce
This is the one that surprises people the most. When you marry or enter a civil partnership, both of you gain what the law calls home rights under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996. Home rights mean you have a right to live in the family home even if it is in your spouse's sole name and even if you are not on the tenancy. Citizens Advice states it plainly: if you are married or in a civil partnership you both have home rights, which means you can stay in your home even if you do not own it or are not named on the tenancy.
Those rights last until the marriage or civil partnership legally ends, or until a court orders otherwise. So while a divorce is still going through, you generally cannot lock your spouse out by changing the barrels, even if the house is yours on paper. This is also the answer to what people usually mean: can I change the locks to keep my husband or wife out? While the marriage is still legal, no, not without a court order. If you genuinely need them to leave, for safety or any other reason, the lawful route is an occupation order from the family court under the same Act, not a locksmith turning up while they are at work.
I have had to deliver this news on the phone more than once, and it is never what the caller wants to hear in the heat of a break-up. But changing the locks first and asking questions later is exactly how a stressful divorce becomes a legal mess. Speak to a family solicitor or Citizens Advice, get the agreement or the order in place, and then ring me. With the paperwork sorted, the lock change itself takes me half an hour.
Living together but not married
If you lived together but never married or formed a civil partnership, there are no automatic home rights, and the answer turns on whose name is on the deeds or the tenancy. This is the area people most often misjudge, so it pays to be precise.
- You are the sole owner or sole tenant. Shelter explains that a partner who has no legal interest in the home does not have an automatic right to occupy, so in some circumstances they can be asked to leave on reasonable notice, and the locks changed once that notice has expired. Even here, take advice first, because a partner may still claim a financial interest if they contributed to the home.
- You are joint owners or joint tenants. Then neither of you can shut the other out. A joint owner or joint tenant has just as much right to the property as you do, and changing the locks to exclude them is not lawful without a court order.
The honest takeaway is that you need to know exactly where you stand before you book anyone. Dig out the tenancy agreement or the title deeds, and if it is not crystal clear, ring Citizens Advice or Shelter. Once you have confirmed you are entitled to change the locks, I will fit them. I cannot make that legal call for you on the doorstep.
You rent the home (tenant)
As the tenant, you can usually change a lock for your own peace of mind, after moving in or losing a key, but two things matter. First, check your tenancy agreement: many include a clause about altering locks or require you to give the landlord a working key. Second, you normally have to put the original lock back, or hand over a key, at the end of the tenancy so the landlord can get in once you have moved out.
What you must not do is permanently lock the landlord out during the tenancy in a way that breaches the agreement. Within those limits, a euro cylinder swap is a cheap and sensible move, especially if you have just taken on a place and have no idea how many keys are floating around from previous tenants. A standard uPVC cylinder change starts from £90, and if you keep the original barrel safe you can refit it when you leave and avoid any argument over your deposit.
You are the landlord
This is the clearest line on the whole page, and the one I will not cross. A landlord cannot lawfully change the locks to force a tenant out. Locking a tenant out, or otherwise shutting them out without a court order and proper notice, is illegal eviction, and it is a criminal offence. Shelter sets it out clearly: under section 1 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 it is a criminal offence to deliberately and unlawfully deprive an occupier of their home, and only court-appointed bailiffs can carry out an eviction. Changing the locks while the tenant is out counts as harassment too.
So if you are a landlord and the tenancy has broken down, the route is the proper notice and, if needed, a possession order through the court, ending with bailiffs if it comes to that. It is slower and more frustrating than changing a barrel, I know, but it is the only lawful way. If you have already regained possession legally, through the courts, and the property is genuinely back in your hands, then a lock change is completely normal and I am glad to help. What I will never do is turn up and lock a lawful tenant out of their home.
Council or housing-association homes
If you are a council or housing-association tenant, check your tenancy agreement and ask your landlord first. Social tenancies almost always carry terms about altering the property, and the landlord normally needs to be able to get into the home in an emergency, so they may want a key or may need to give permission before you change a lock.
In practice, many social landlords are fine with a tenant changing a barrel after a lost key or a break-in, as long as they are told and given a working key. But it is the agreement that decides it, not me. If your tenancy is silent on the point, a quick call to your housing officer before you book the work saves any awkwardness later. Once you have the go-ahead, I fit the lock exactly as I would on any other door.
Squatters in your property
Squatting in a residential building is itself a criminal offence in England and Wales under section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. gov.uk confirms that squatting in a residential property is illegal and can lead to up to six months in prison, a fine, or both. Getting squatters out is therefore a police and legal matter, not a lock change.
Do not try to lock people out of an occupied building yourself. The right move is to contact the police, and to take legal advice on regaining possession. Once the property is genuinely empty and back in your control, I can rekey or replace every lock so the people who were in there can no longer get back in. What I will not do is be the tool that creates a confrontation at an occupied door. Authorities first, locks after.
Domestic abuse and your safety
If you are in immediate danger, call the police on 999 now.
For confidential support at any time, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by the charity Refuge, is free and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, on 0808 2000 247.
On the legal side, the family court can make an occupation order (deciding who lives in the home) and a non-molestation order under the Family Law Act 1996. Shelter explains how those orders work and how to apply, and an occupation order can give you the right to stay in the home and exclude the other person. Once you have that in place, changing the locks is straightforward, and I will treat the job as a priority and do it quietly. Please get the right support and the right order in place first. This is general information, not legal advice.
What I can and can't do as your locksmith
It is worth being completely clear about where I fit into all of this, because it protects you as much as it protects me. Most of these calls come from around Wolverhampton, Stafford, Cannock and out toward Birmingham, and the law is the same across all of them.
What I do: I change, rekey and upgrade locks for a customer who confirms they have the legal right to do it. I can advise on the lock itself, get you onto one key across front and back doors, fit an anti-snap cylinder, and turn a lock change around quickly and discreetly when the situation calls for it.
What I do not do: I do not, and cannot, adjudicate who has the right to a property. I am a locksmith, not a court. I will not change a lock to help anyone exclude a spouse, a joint owner, a joint tenant or a lawful tenant from their home, because that can be illegal eviction or harassment, and it would land you in trouble, not just me. If your situation is one of the tricky ones above, I will say so on the phone and point you to Citizens Advice, Shelter or a solicitor before any work happens. That is not me being difficult. It is me keeping you on the right side of the law.
Recent calls from the van
Three recent call-outs that sum up the whole page. Real situations, real prices on the receipt sat next to what a national number quoted, lightly anonymised at the customers' request.
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Tuesday 12 May 2026 at 9.15am · Wolverhampton
A customer in WV4
A separating homeowner rang me wanting "all the locks done today" because their ex had moved out but still had a key. They owned the house jointly and were still legally married, so the ex still had home rights. I had to be honest on the phone: I could not lock anyone out without a court order, and I pointed them at Citizens Advice.
A national number quoted the customer £240 same-day, no questionsPaid to me £90, once the order was in placeThey came back a fortnight later with an occupation order from the family court that gave them sole occupation. With that in hand it was simple: I swapped the front and back euro cylinders to one new keyed-alike set and handed over three keys. The national number would have changed the locks the same morning and left the customer exposed to a harassment complaint. Doing it right cost less and kept them on the right side of the law.
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Thursday 23 April 2026 at 4.45pm · Cannock
A tenant in WS11
A tenant rang me from outside their own front door. Their landlord had turned up while they were at work, changed the barrel and left them stood on the step with their belongings inside. They wanted me to drill it open and get them back in. The tenancy was still running and there was no possession order.
A national number quoted the customer Landlord offered me cash to keep them outPaid to me £85 to let the tenant back inThis one was clear-cut. Changing a tenant's locks while they are out is illegal eviction under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, so I would not help the landlord do it. I let the lawful tenant back into their own home, fitted a fresh cylinder and gave them the only keys, then told them to ring Shelter and report it. The landlord rang me afterwards offering more to "sort it his way". I said no. Some jobs you turn down.
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Tuesday 9 June 2026 at 11.20am · Stafford
Darren, ST17
Sole owner of the house, never married to his ex, and she had moved out three weeks earlier with the last of her things. He had no idea whether he was allowed to change the locks. We talked it through: her name was not on the deeds, she had given up the home, and he had given her reasonable notice in writing.
A national number quoted the customer £260 booked over the phone elsewherePaid to me £90Because he was the sole legal owner and his ex had no legal interest and had already moved out after reasonable notice, he was within his rights to change the locks. I checked he was comfortable on the facts, swapped the front and back cylinders to one key, and handed him two keys. A national line had already booked him in at nearly three times the price without asking a single question about who else had a right to the door.
What customers say about getting it done properly
Verified Google reviews from homeowners and tenants across Wolverhampton, Stafford, Cannock and the surrounding villages.
I locked myself out my house and phoned Sean at 1.32am. He arrived at my house in Bilston 35 minutes later. He lives 30 minutes away. He was very professional and tidy. I would recommend him to anyone. Within 1 hr and 15 minutes of calling him he had come out, sorted my lock and on his way home. You can call him anytime and he will get to you asap. Worthy of the 5 star rating
Thankyou for your review Shell. Real pleasure to assist you both with your emergency call-out. Sean - Lockerfella Locksmiths 24/7
Absolutely brilliant service from Lockerfella Locksmiths. We left Sean a whatsapp message at 2.30am as we had stupidly left our front door keys inside when leaving the house. He answered pretty much immediately. Sean arrived with us in Stafford within 30 minutes and had us back in within 5 minutes and fitted us with some upgraded anti snap locks. Thankyou!
You're more than welcome Matt 😊
I was locked out of the house so gave Lockerfella a message. Sean was incredibly swift in his initial response, giving an ETA and an estimate cost at the same time. I immediately booked in with Sean and he came as arranged, tried his best to pick the lock, however it wasn’t to be so he changed the lock and was all done and dusted in a reasonable time. He was polite, prompt and professional. I would recommend anyone needing a locksmith to contact Lockerfella
Thankyou so much James. It was a pleasure to assist you in cannock that day with your emergency locksmith call-out.
I had a great experience with Lockerfella Locksmith, especially with Mr Sean. He was professional, patient, respectful, and took the time to make sure everything was done properly. My door lock turned out to be much more difficult than expected, but Sean stayed calm and worked hard until the job was completed perfectly. I really appreciated his honesty, kindness, and excellent workmanship. I highly recommend Sean and Lockerfella Locksmith to anyone looking for a reliable locksmith. Thank you again, Sean, and I wish you continued success in your business!
It was an absolute pleasure helping you today Saeideh in Wolverhampton. Thankyou so much for the kind words. Sean - Lockerfella Locksmiths 24/7.
Phoned this lovely man this morning before 8am , it's now 11.28 am and my lock is fixed , thank you Sean , as I live alone i was feeling vulnerable, thank you so much , fir your prompt response
Thankyou so much for your review Maureen. Real pleasure assisting you today in Walsall to replace your Euro Cylinder and Door handles. Sean ☺️
Sean came out for an emergency call out at 2am due to a lock malfunction on the front door. He was responsive from the first point of the phone call and was clear with what he was able to do and provided an accurate timescale and live location When sean arrived he felt like someone who was a safe person and as a lone female that felt important when I couldn’t get in my home in the early hours. He’s was patient and thoughtful with my dogs who were trapped inside. He was friendly, calming and reliable. Would highly recommend him
Thankyou for your review, it means so much. I'm so glad I could help you this morning in Stafford with the emergency call out. Have a great day to you and the doggies 🐕. Sean - Lockerfella Locksmiths 24/7
Sean was extremely professional. He arrived on time. He was clear about the charges & completed the job in good time.
Thankyou Guys. I'm glad I could help you with your emergency call out in Wolverhampton/penn today. Have a great day! Sean ☺️
I contacted Sean in a panic after our back door wouldn’t lock at 21:15 on a Sunday night. Sean came back with a price almost immediately and offered to come and look at it straightaway. At my request, I asked him to come Monday morning and he sent me an ETA and turned up bang on time. Sean quickly diagnosed the problem, he had to go off to get a a part and when he was on his way back to me, he even shared his location via WhatsApp so I knew when he would be back. Part fitted, worksite cleaned up and he was on his way. Reasonably priced, fantastic communication from start to finish and a great bloke to speak too as well. Thanks Sean, you’re an absolute star!
Absolute pleasure meeting you and your wife today in Codsall / Wolverhampton. I'm really pleased I was able to repair your faulty upvc door mechanism. Thankyou for the glowing review....it's really appreciated. Sean - Lockerfella Locksmiths 24/7
About the locksmith
The named locksmith behind the work
I'm Sean Hamilton. I run Lockerfella as a one-man-band out of Brewood, Staffordshire, covering Wolverhampton, Cannock, Stafford and the villages around. I change locks for people every week, and a fair few of those calls come at difficult moments: a break-up, a move, a scare. I will always be straight with you about whether you can lawfully change the locks yet, and I will treat the job with the discretion it deserves once you can.
- 30+ years fascinated by locks. I've been picking, stripping and studying locks for the love of it for over 30 years. Lockerfella is what happens when a lifelong interest in how locks work becomes the day job.
- Trained and certified. Certificate of Locksmith Skills from A'Jam Locksmiths covering cylinder, mortice, padlock, wafer and euro lock picking, plus re-keying and mortice bypassing.
- Standard DBS checked, £1M insured, 12 months workmanship guarantee. Redacted DBS and insurance certificates are published on the About page, with originals available to view in person before work starts.
- One man, one van, one phone number. The phone rings on me directly. No call centre. No third-party fitter. If I quote you a price, that's the price you pay.
Common questions about changing the locks
Straight answers on divorce, an ex, rentals, council houses, landlords and your safety, for England and Wales. General information, not legal advice.
Can I change the locks on my house during a divorce?
Usually not on your own, if you are married or in a civil partnership. The moment you marry, both of you get what the law calls "home rights" under the Family Law Act 1996, and those rights last until the marriage or civil partnership legally ends or a court orders otherwise. Citizens Advice puts it plainly: if you are married or in a civil partnership you both have home rights, so you can stay in the home even if you do not own it and are not named on the tenancy. That means locking your spouse out by changing the barrels, while a divorce is still going through, is not something you can simply decide to do, even if the house is in your sole name. If you genuinely need them out for safety or other reasons, the route is an occupation order from the family court, not a locksmith. This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to a family solicitor or Citizens Advice about your own situation. Where you have a court order or you both agree, I will happily change the locks for you.
Can I change the locks on my ex?
It depends entirely on the legal relationship and whose name is on the paperwork, and it is the question I get asked most on this topic. If you were married or in a civil partnership, your ex has home rights under the Family Law Act 1996 and you cannot lawfully lock them out without a court order, even after you separate. If you lived together but never married, the rights turn on the deeds or the tenancy: Shelter explains that where one person is the sole owner or sole tenant, a cohabiting partner with no legal interest can in some circumstances be asked to leave on reasonable notice and the locks changed once that notice has expired, but if you are joint owners or joint tenants neither of you can shut the other out without a court order. The honest answer is that you need to know exactly where you stand before you ring anyone, so check with Citizens Advice or a solicitor first. My job is to fit the locks once you have confirmed you are entitled to. I do not, and cannot, judge who has the right to the property on the doorstep.
Can I change the locks on a rental property?
As the tenant, usually yes, but with two conditions. First, check your tenancy agreement, because many include a clause about altering locks or require you to give the landlord a key. Second, you generally have to put the original lock back, or hand over a working key, at the end of the tenancy so the landlord can get in once you have gone. Plenty of tenants change a barrel for peace of mind after moving in or losing a key, and that is normally fine. What you must not do is permanently lock the landlord out during the tenancy in a way that breaches the agreement. If you are unsure, Shelter and Citizens Advice cover tenant rights in detail. This is general guidance, not legal advice. I fit a lot of cylinders for tenants, and a euro cylinder swap from £90 keeps your old barrel intact so you can refit it when you leave.
Can I change the locks on a council house?
Check your tenancy agreement first, and ask your landlord. Council and housing-association tenancies almost always have terms about altering the property, and the landlord normally needs to be able to access the home in an emergency, so they may want a key or may need to give permission before you change a lock. In practice many social landlords are fine with a tenant changing a barrel after a lost key or a break-in, as long as they are told and given a working key, but the agreement is the thing that decides it, not me. If your council tenancy is silent on the point, ring your housing officer before you book the work. This is general information, not legal advice. Once you have the go-ahead, I fit the lock the same way I would on any other door.
Can a landlord change the locks to evict a tenant?
No. A landlord cannot lawfully change the locks to force a tenant out. Doing that, or otherwise shutting a tenant out without a court order and the proper notice, is illegal eviction, and it is a criminal offence. Shelter is clear that under section 1 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 it is a criminal offence to deliberately and unlawfully deprive an occupier of their home, and that only court-appointed bailiffs can carry out an eviction. The same applies to harassment, like changing the locks while the tenant is out. If you are a tenant and your landlord has locked you out, that is a matter for the council tenancy relations team, the police, Citizens Advice or a housing solicitor, not a locksmith. I will not change a lock to help anyone lock a lawful occupier out of their home. If you are a landlord who has legally regained possession through the courts, that is a different situation and I am happy to help.
Can I change the locks if someone is squatting in my property?
Squatting in a residential building is itself a criminal offence in England and Wales under section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, so getting squatters out is a police and legal matter, not a lock change. gov.uk confirms that squatting in a residential property is illegal and can lead to up to six months in prison, a fine, or both. The right move is to contact the police, and to take legal advice on regaining possession, before anyone touches the locks. Once the property is genuinely empty and back in your control, I can rekey or replace every lock so the people who were in there can no longer get back in. What I will not do is be the tool that creates a confrontation at an occupied door. That is a job for the authorities first.
What should I do if I need to change the locks because of domestic abuse?
If you are in immediate danger, call the police on 999 now. For confidential support at any time, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, is free and open 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247. On the legal side, the family court can make an occupation order (deciding who lives in the home) and a non-molestation order under the Family Law Act 1996, and Shelter explains how those work and how to apply. An occupation order can give you the right to stay and exclude the other person, and once you have that in place, changing the locks is straightforward. I have done these jobs quietly and quickly for people who needed their home made safe, and I treat them as a priority. Please get the right support in place first. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can I change the locks on a jointly owned house?
Not on your own, and not to shut the other owner out. Where two people own a home jointly, neither owner can lawfully exclude the other by changing the locks without a court order. A joint owner has every bit as much right to be in the property as you do, so locking them out while they are away is not a decision you can take by yourself, whatever the state of the relationship. If you are married or in a civil partnership, home rights under the Family Law Act 1996 sit on top of that and reinforce the point. If you are unmarried joint owners, the same principle applies: shared legal ownership means shared right of access. The lawful routes are either agreement between the two of you, or a court order, such as an occupation order, or a property or occupation order made when you separate. Check with Citizens Advice or a solicitor about your own circumstances. This is general information, not legal advice. Once you have an agreement or an order that confirms you are entitled, I will happily change the locks for you. I cannot settle the ownership dispute for you on the doorstep.
Can a landlord change the locks for unpaid rent, or after eviction?
Rent arrears do not change the position. Even if a tenant has stopped paying, changing the locks to shut them out is still illegal eviction under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, and it is a criminal offence. Falling behind on rent does not give a landlord the right to lock anyone out. The lawful route is a possession order through the court, for example using a Section 8 or Section 21 notice, followed by county court bailiffs if the tenant does not leave. Once possession has been regained lawfully through the court and the property is genuinely back in the landlord's hands, a lock change is then completely normal and fine, and I am glad to help with it. What I will not do is change a lock to put a tenant out before the court process has run its course. Shelter and Citizens Advice cover the proper steps for both landlords and tenants. This is general information, not legal advice.
Clear to change the locks?
When you are entitled to it, I will get it done
Tell me your postcode and what you need. If you are clear that you can change the locks, I will quote the all-in price before I set off and have it done the same day. No call-out fee, no deposit, no card on file before the visit. If it is one of the tricky situations, I will say so and point you the right way.
Page last reviewed: . Reviewed by Sean Hamilton, the locksmith behind Lockerfella, under our editorial standards.