- Find out who owns your mailbox before anyone changes the lock.
- A locking mailbox at your own home is yours to have replaced.
- Never touch the lock the mail carrier uses on a cluster box; that one belongs to the post office.
Step 1: Figure out what kind of mailbox you have
Mailbox locks look alike, but who handles them depends on the kind of box and who owns it. Before you call anyone, take a look at your mailbox and match it to one of these.
- A locking mailbox on a post at the curb or on the wall by your front door, which you bought and own
- A cluster box: a metal cabinet of numbered doors shared with neighbors, common in townhouse and newer communities
- A wall of mailboxes in the lobby or entry of an apartment building
For a box you own, the lock is yours to have replaced. For a cluster box, the owner may be the post office, your HOA or the developer, and the owner decides how lock changes are handled. In an apartment building, the property manager usually looks after the tenant mailbox locks.
Step 2: If the mailbox is yours
Most residential locking mailboxes use a small cam lock: a short cylinder with a flat metal arm on the back that swings to hold the door shut. When the key is lost, or the lock is worn, broken or seized with rust, replacing the lock is usually simpler than repairing it. Our mailbox lock replacement service swaps the lock at the mailbox and leaves you with new keys.
Mailboxes live outdoors, and their locks take a beating that door locks never see. Rain runs into the keyhole, road grime and winter salt build up around it, and summer heat and winter cold work on the small parts inside. That is why a mailbox lock can go from stiff to stuck in one season.
- The key is lost and there is no spare.
- The key turns but the door does not release.
- The lock spins in place or wobbles in the door.
- The lock is rusted, or the keyhole is packed with grime.
Step 3: If the box belongs to an HOA, a landlord or the post office
Cluster boxes and apartment mailboxes are a little different, because more than one party is involved. The compartment with your number on it is the part you use; the parcel lockers and the carrier's master door are separate, and the lock the carrier uses belongs to the post office.
- Cluster box owned by the post office: contact your local post office about the lock on your compartment.
- Cluster box owned by an HOA or developer: contact the HOA or its management company, which decides how the lock gets replaced.
- Apartment building mailboxes: contact your property manager or landlord.
When the owner of the box arranges the work with us, we replace the lock on your compartment and leave the new keys as they direct.
Step 4: Keep your mail safe while you wait
Mail keeps arriving whether your key works or not. A few simple steps keep it from piling up or going missing until the lock is replaced.
- Ask your local post office about holding your mail for a short time.
- If you use a cluster box, ask the post office how parcels will reach you while your compartment is stuck.
- Keep an eye out for bills and statements that should have arrived, and follow up on any that do not.
- If a neighbor collects your mail while you are away, let them know the lock is being replaced.
What to tell us when you call
These details tell us whether the lock is yours to replace and which lock to bring.
- What kind of mailbox it is: a box on a post, a wall box or a cluster box
- Who owns it, if you know: you, an HOA, a landlord or the post office
- Whether the key is lost or broken, or the lock itself is damaged
- Whether you have any working key at all
- The address and town, so we can tell you honestly when we can come
If it is a cluster box, have the name of your HOA or property manager handy. Call us at (484) 488-7719, and we will work out the right next step with you.
How to avoid this next time
Mailbox keys are small, rarely used and easy to lose, which is a bad combination. Treat the spare like any other house key and give it a fixed home.
- Keep a spare mailbox key at home on its own tagged ring, in a place your household knows.
- Do not leave the key in the lock, even while you go through the mail.
- After moving into a new home, have the mailbox lock changed along with the door locks; our guide on rekeying or replacing locks after you move covers the rest of the house.
- If your mailbox key was on a ring with your house keys when it went missing, think about rekeying your house locks too.
Questions people ask
I lost the only key to the locking mailbox at the end of my driveway. Can you replace the lock?
We replace locks on mailboxes you own, right at the mailbox, and leave you with new keys. Tell us what kind of mailbox it is and whether it sits on a post or a wall when you call. Once the new lock is in, keep the spare at home on its own tagged ring so a lost key is a small problem next time.
Our townhouse community has a cluster mailbox, and my key snapped off in the lock. Who should I call?
Contact your HOA or property manager first, then your local post office, because the owner of the cluster box decides how its locks are handled. If they arrange it with us, we come out, remove the broken piece and replace the lock on your compartment. Keep the half of the key you still have until then.
Someone damaged my mailbox lock, and some of my mail may be missing. What is the first thing I should do?
Call the police first and leave the mailbox door as it is until they are done. Report the missing mail to your local post office as well. Once the police are finished, call us, and we replace the lock on a mailbox you own so you can lock your mail away again.
We just moved into our house. Should we change the mailbox lock along with the door locks?
Change it, because you have no way of knowing who kept a key to the old lock. We can replace the mailbox lock on the same visit as rekeying or replacing your door locks. If your mailbox is part of a cluster box, ask your HOA or the post office how they handle lock changes for new owners.
