The most common front door lock in the country, and the most commonly misunderstood.
The night latch — the lock most people call a Yale — is on a very large share of front doors across South East London. It is the one that locks behind you when you pull the door shut, and it is the single most common lock we are called out to.
It is also the one most often relied on alone, which is where the trouble starts. A standard night latch fitted by itself does not meet the requirements of most home insurance policies, and on its own it is not particularly difficult to defeat.
The fault we see most often is a latch that has simply worn out. They are in constant use — every entry and exit operates the mechanism — so after enough years the springs weaken and the bolt stops throwing properly. The symptom is usually a door that seems shut but can be pushed open, which is worth taking seriously the first time it happens.
The second most common issue is a door secured by a night latch and nothing else. If that describes your front door, it is very likely your insurance policy requires more. The usual fix is either a BS3621-rated night latch or, better, adding a five-lever mortice deadlock below the existing latch. Neither is expensive and both are usually done in a single visit.
If you have moved into a property and cannot account for every key, a night latch can normally be rekeyed rather than replaced, which is quicker and cheaper.
We cover night latch work across Bromley, Beckenham, Orpington, Chislehurst, Lewisham, Dulwich and the surrounding postcodes, 24 hours a day.
