r/Locksmith • u/Sloper_ • 2d ago
I am a locksmith What would you do?
Say a customer calls you with a regular 3 lock change. Doesn’t bring up anything of note and I go out to the house. The house is condemned and after you pick the lock and get in there’s a room of literal fecal matter. What do you do?
Update: I did complete the job while I was there. Just put on a mask and latex gloves if they told me in advance probably would’ve brought a full painters suit
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u/Skeydoor 2d ago
I have had customers want me to work in that as well.
This is where I came up with the mantra on all jobs: “be fair to the customer, fair to the employee, and fair to the company you work for”.
This is not fair for an employee to do. So, don’t do it.
You must set your boundaries, otherwise people will do it for you.
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u/Sloper_ 2d ago
Update for everyone: I did the job but charged them a shit (haha) ton for a biohazard risk
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u/Orlandogameschool Actual Locksmith 2d ago
Good on you.
We have a nice contract with county landfill and sewage treatment plants so working around shit is normal lol I just make a point to always wear gloves and keep masks in the toolbox
my guys complain about the smell staying on you all day but hey man work is work somebody gotta do it like you said charge for the bio hazard fee and keep it moving .
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u/Puzzleheaded-Joke-97 2d ago
How much extra was the biohazard fee?
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u/Spladoinkle 2d ago
You got a locked poop room?
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u/Puzzleheaded-Joke-97 2d ago
No, but I had to do jobs in similar places and wondered.
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u/Spladoinkle 2d ago
Lol I figured. To answer your question, it’s just the size of the job and or client. This jobs fee would likely be between $50 and $100 if you’re not making direct contact with the room. Different if they have you trenching through it. Really up to your discretion.
The difficult part is getting someone to understand that their environment is hazardous.
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u/Icy_Yam5049 2d ago
I charge for the pick and service call. Maybe a lil extra for the point I smelt that shit, then leave. Inform them once the home is cleaned I’ll gladly return
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u/Pbellouny Actual Locksmith 2d ago edited 2d ago
I leave, not worth it. Don’t even care about the money either that lock pick is free if I some shit like this.
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u/Locksmithbloke Actual Locksmith 2d ago
You're not needing to step inside, so change it and tell them to call you again once it is cleaned. Hopefully they are all kwikset clones.
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u/Borteezy Actual Locksmith 2d ago
Locking it back up and tell them to call me back once that shit is cleaned up. I’ll do some nasty stinky evictions or foreclosed homes that have been getting squatted in but this is extremely unsanitary and not something you should have to just deal with. I also have a family i gotta come home to.
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u/Spiritual-Hedgehog-5 2d ago
Number one I wouldn't be there on-site without the customer number 2. If that happened, I would tell the customer that I am not doing anything until I see proof of ownership and number 3 I would make sure that they cleaned everything up first.
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u/SolitudeCollective 2d ago
You can clearly see the customer’s number 2
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u/Spiritual-Hedgehog-5 2d ago
Very funny but that also makes me wonder if the customer is the actual owner I have had that situation come up here in Oregon. It appears even though we are locksmiths. We have to abide by all the laws, and there are squatters, laws. And there are owners, laws and all kinds of stuff. I don't know where you're from, but Oregon is just a mess with the laws that we have to abide by
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u/SolitudeCollective 2d ago
Oh yeah, my reflex would be to contact the owner of the building immediately
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u/EnergyTakerLad 2d ago
The job... ive seen dozens of houses like this unfortunately
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u/migustapanocha 2d ago
I did a job recently that had dog poop and pee all over the house. It wasn’t as bad as pictured above but still disgusting. The worst is how the odor stuck on me and I had to continue smelling it on myself the rest of the day 🤮
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u/SafecrackinSammmy 2d ago
Condemned means dont go in. Meet their hazmat contractor to open the door for the cleanup. Come back when its done for the rekey. Charge accordingly.
We had a guy get like scabies on a commercial eviction one time. Had to go to the ER, get meds, burn his clothes, take special baths etc. Aint no job worth all of that.
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u/Spiritual-Hedgehog-5 2d ago
I have seen and smelled dead bodies and wouldn't work on the place until they cleaned it.
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u/lockpickingpatrolman Actual Locksmith 2d ago
Ok so I do actually feel bad for people in this situation. The people who let pets get to this point need some real mental health care and while that’s not really a locksmiths job, they also benefit from kindness.
But OP found it was slated for demolition anyway. That implies no one is living in there. Take care of yourself. You don’t know what you might pick up and accidentally carry back to your family and pets. Sell the customer some used or NOS deadbolts and let them install them.
TL;DR Don’t do this for a GC or homeowner if you can’t protect yourself
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u/Year3030 2d ago
I'm not a locksmith but if I were you I would wait 1-2 weeks then call in a tip to the town. They can inspect and take measures from there. Basically that house should be condemned if that's the case. Either the toilet doesn't work in which case they can't live there or there is some other issue. I might expedite that if there are kids involved.
But like I said I'm not a locksmith. If I were you I would wait 1-2 weeks so it's not totally obvious who called it in.
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u/BuffalockandKey 2d ago
I’d probably just do it. I’m sure I could hold my breath long enough to take a lock off, possibly also to put it back on. Get paid. Move on with my day. More prolonged work such a fresh install or whatnot, I’d probably refuse or charge accordingly. I try to make my customers lives easier when I can and I think I’d be able to shrug off a few whiffs of dog shit… but I completely understand someone who’d walk away and in some situations I would do the same
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u/TBoucher8 2d ago
Would just do my job tbh. I've changed locks while standing on blood covered chalk lines surrounded by police.
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u/Jay-Rocket-88 2d ago
I had a lockout and when I got the door open the customer asked if I could go inside and check for dead cats. I said no and she couldn’t figure out where her purse was so I left. I’m not waiting for $100 at a house I’d pay $200 not to go to.
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u/Foreign-Bumblebee-77 2d ago
Did similar jobs.... none this bad. But I normally keep gloves and a 3m mask with filters and foot covers. But now seeing this i think I am adding a painters suit to it. And yes... I would charge extra for this.
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u/mryummie936 1d ago
Years ago I opened and rekeyed a house for a bank or landlord, don’t remember. Kitchen and laundry area were piled up with bags of trash and the garage had about 8”-1’ of horse shit across the 2 car garage. Covered. Always figured that whoever was staying there knew they were leaving under bad circumstances and got their friends to bring more trash and mucked out a couple horse trailers in the garage. I just gained entry to a couple doors from outside, rekeyed the house and advised property owner they had lots of clean up Not sure what the deal was for real but just did my job
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u/preluder95 20h ago
You say condemned. I don't know what that means there, but here that literally makes in unlawful to enter the premises. Condemned means it is a health hazard (whether structural or some other reason doesn't matter really) to enter and as such you can not enter.
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u/SafeMajestic9876 2d ago
I had a call to rekey after eviction notice. Open the door to find a 6 foot pile of dirty diapers in the corner.
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u/AuctionSilver 2d ago
I had to deal with something similar. Eviction, and the former tenant let her dogs shit all over the place, along with spreading trash. Didn't have much choice, I laid down cardboard, wore shoe covers, and kept stepping out to catch my breath.
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u/AffectionateAd6060 Actual Locksmith 2d ago
I mean that money ain't gonna shit itself ... wrap that t-shirt around your face & double the bill
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u/ibexlocksmith Actual Locksmith 2d ago
Id bag some up for ugly kids trick or treating then call someone.
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u/lockdoc007 2d ago
One house I found had a cracked crack pipe. And when they broken in they boarded over the rear window with 2 full sheets of plywood. Had tent inside and stuff.
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u/FrozenHamburger Actual Locksmith 2d ago
I’ve seen my share of dogshit mine field backyards but this is another level
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u/Ok_Veterinarian_7918 2d ago
I had a nightmare scenario once, abandoned buildings with methheads in the ceiling, full of stolen property and human waste. It really was like a bad movie.
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u/Antique-Cat2250 2d ago
You're stupid with all of your reviews this is the opportunity to take money while I charge him a extra intake from the client $5000
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u/RangerExpensive6519 2d ago
How long can you hold your breath. We’ve all dealt with situations like this. Some people are just get the job done people and other people aren’t.
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u/BearjackV6 2d ago edited 2d ago
Not a locksmith but interested in locksport/locksmithing on and off
Id unlock it for them, tell them youll change the locks once its cleaned, or add a hazmat charge if its urgent (then go get disposable gloves and a filtration mask... or hand sanitizer since gloves arent very feasible in changing out locks lol.)
Providing they own the place and other variables. Idk about condemned laws if any and etc etc
Does kind of sound like a sus call. Didnt mention anything, unlock to find its condemned and disgusting... liability kind of plays a factor here so this kind of call might warrant ownership verification
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u/Bugeyeblue 2d ago
Lock it and walk away.