I Misplaced My Mailbox Key—Now What?

September 16, 2021 6:22 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

A mailbox outfitted with a lock and key is a great security measure to guard against mail theft. There’s only one problem: you can’t access your own mail if you misplace the key. Because it can involve the U.S. government, replacing the lock and getting a new key is a bit more complicated with a mailbox than it is with any other kind of lock.

If you’re kicking yourself and thinking, “I lost my mailbox key,” keep reading. This post will cover everything you need to know.

How do I get a new key for my mailbox?

Determining how to get a new lock or key for your mailbox mainly depends on who the box belongs to. These are the most common scenarios, and how to get a new lock and key for each case:

  • Your mailbox: Many homeowners have their own mailboxes either in front of their house or attached near the front door. If this applies to you, you’re the owner of this mailbox—you can do whatever you want with it. You can try replacing the entire lock by yourself, but this can be a time-consuming process. We recommend calling a locksmith to replace the lock and cut a few new keys for you.
  • A community mailbox cluster: If your mailbox is part of a cluster in your apartment complex or is owned by your homeowners association, you shouldn’t contact a locksmith to open it for you. Instead, reach out to your landlord, property manager or whoever is in charge of the mailboxes and request a new key. The person should be fast to respond, as they surely understand the gravity of the situation.
  • A U.S. Postal Service mailbox: You also can’t call a traditional locksmith if your mailbox belongs to the USPS. To open your box, contact your local post office branch to have them furnish you with a new key. Depending on your circumstance, they may be able to cut a new key right away, or they may have to send someone out to replace the entire lock.

Why should you hire a locksmith?

Now that we’ve covered how to get a new key for your mailbox, it’s time to discuss why it’s imperative that you call a locksmith instead of replacing the lock by yourself.

Drilling out your old lock and replacing it with a new one from the hardware store isn’t all that complicated, but you can potentially damage your mailbox in the process. Plus, you’ll need to rent or buy the equipment required for the job. A locksmith already has all of the right tools and years of experience, so you can trust that your personal property won’t be affected.

We’re the team for the job

At Toledo Lock & Key LLC, we get calls all the time from panicked customers saying, “I lost my mailbox key.” And we tell them all not to worry! We have over 40 years of experience and respond quickly to all inquiries to ensure our customers don’t go without their mail for very long. Contact us today to see what we can do for you.

Categorised in:

This post was written by Writer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *