Locked out in Belgium: does home insurance reimburse the locksmith?

Short answer: Sometimes, if your policy includes assistance for keys left inside. Having home insurance does not by itself establish that a locksmith is covered: check the relevant benefit, its limits and the required procedure. Contact the assistance service before choosing a locksmith, and keep the itemised invoice, proof of payment and any approval from the insurer.

Published on 25 October 2026 · Updated on 25 October 2026

Who pays what when the door slams shut?

Start with the home assistance or locksmith assistance section of your policy. The damage covers described by Assuralia do not, on their own, establish cover for keys left inside.

Assuralia distinguishes insured damage, supplementary expenses and optional benefits. Your general and special policy conditions determine cover: the table is a checklist, not a promise of reimbursement.

For a concrete example, AG Insurance’s Top Habitation page for self-employed people and SMEs lists locksmith help for keys left inside, a key broken in the lock or stolen keys. This confirms that such assistance exists, not that your policy includes it or reimburses a provider you hire without approval.

Article 154 of the Belgian Act of 4 April 2014 defines legal expenses insurance as services and costs to assert your rights, within or outside proceedings. Do not confuse that with locksmith assistance. After a break-in, see our burglary guide.

Sources : Assuralia, AG Insurance — Top Habitation, Loi du 4 avril 2014 relative aux assurances, art. 154 (FR).

Before you call the locksmith: 6 steps

Contact the assistance service before choosing a locksmith so you can follow any requirements for cover. Ask for confirmation of the conditions; a call does not guarantee reimbursement. If someone is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services first.

1. Look for a simple solution first: a spare key with a relative, caretaker, building manager or landlord, depending on your situation.
2. Find your policy or your insurer's app: look there or on the insurer's official website for the assistance contact details. Check who you are calling.
3. Ask the right questions: does my contract cover opening a slammed door? Is there a limit or an excess? Must I use the locksmith sent by the assistance service or may I choose my own? Is reimbursement made on invoice? Note the name of the person you spoke to and the file number.
4. If you choose the locksmith yourself: insist on a complete written price before the work, as the FPS Economy advises, and ask for the price of any extra work in writing too.
5. During the job: ask for the door to be opened in a way that limits damage, and photograph the door and lock before and after if they were affected.
6. After paying: if claiming reimbursement, submit the documents requested by your insurer, with the itemised invoice, proof of payment and any file reference.

Sources: FPS Economy: urgent repairs, do not rush (FR page), AG Insurance : Assistance habitation.

Documents to keep to be reimbursed

Keep the documents below and ask your insurer which supporting evidence it requires. This checklist helps prepare a claim; it does not establish a right to reimbursement.

If your insurer publishes a list of required supporting documents, follow it: each has its own requirements. Ask for an invoice in your name with a clear description (for example “opening of a slammed door”) rather than a bare receipt.

Sources: FPS Economy: urgent repairs, do not rush (FR page), Ombudsman des Assurances.

Tenant or owner: which policy counts?

First check whether an assistance benefit covers your home and your status as an occupant. Do not assume a landlord’s or co-ownership policy pays for your lockout: ask who is insured and what help is covered.

• Tenant: check your own policy for assistance and tell the landlord about damage to the door or lock.
• Owner-occupier: ask whether assistance is included or optional and how to arrange the call-out.
• Shared entrance: contact the building manager to identify the relevant policy and coordinate the work.

Allocation of costs between tenant and landlord is separate from insurance cover. For replacement, see who pays for changing a lock in a rental.

Sources : Assuralia, AG Insurance — Top Habitation.

Found Macif or Maif online? Check your own Belgian policy

A page about a French offer, perhaps found by searching for Macif or Maif, does not prove that your policy for a Belgian home covers a lockout. Do not transfer its limits or procedures to a different contract.

• Identify the product: insurer, chosen plan, insured home and applicable conditions.
• Check terminology: Belgian home insurance is also called fire insurance, as Assuralia explains.
• Keep examples in context: even the Belgian AG page cited here describes one product, not all home insurance policies.

Ask your insurer which clause applies to keys left inside and what procedure to follow.

Sources : Assuralia, AG Insurance — Top Habitation.

Disputed invoice or refused reimbursement: what to do

Write first to the insurer or its complaints service, then go to the Insurance Ombudsman if the disagreement continues. If the dispute is about the locksmith's price, the FPS Economy asks you to report abuse through ConsumerConnect.

The Ombudsman's complaint form asks, among other things, for the policy or claim file reference and notes that most insurers have an internal complaints service. For opening a door in Brussels, see door opening by a locksmith in Brussels or the locksmith page: in every case ask for a written price before the work and an itemised invoice afterwards, and check with your insurer whether it accepts an invoice from a provider of your choice.

Sources: FPS Economy: urgent repairs, do not rush (FR page), Ombudsman des Assurances.

Reporting to the Economic Inspectorate does not secure reimbursement or settle your individual dispute. Keep a complaint about the locksmith separate from a complaint about the insurer’s decision.

• SPF Economie : Réparation en urgence ? Ne vous précipitez pas !
• Assuralia : Assurance incendie propriétaire (assurance habitation)
• AG Insurance : Assistance habitation (serrurier inclus, exemple d'assureur belge)
• Ombudsman des Assurances : Introduire une plainte
• Loi du 4 avril 2014 relative aux assurances — article 154 : protection juridique