Being locked out of a rental car raises a question that does not come up with your own vehicle: who should you actually call first, the rental company or a locksmith? The honest answer is that it depends on your specific rental agreement, but there are some general points worth knowing either way.
Check Your Rental Agreement First, If You Can
Many rental agreements include some form of roadside assistance clause, and a lockout may or may not be covered under it. If you can access your agreement, whether printed or digital, it is worth a quick check for terms about lockouts, roadside assistance, or an emergency contact number specific to the rental company, before deciding who to call.
What Calling the Rental Company First Achieves
Contacting the rental company lets them know about the situation directly, which can matter if there is any cost, liability, or condition report question tied to the rental period. Some companies also have their own preferred locksmith or roadside assistance provider, and calling them first can clarify whether that applies to your situation, or whether they are simply happy for you to arrange help independently.
What Calling a Locksmith First Achieves
If the situation is urgent, extreme heat, a child or pet in the vehicle, a time sensitive appointment, arranging a locksmith immediately makes sense regardless of what your rental agreement says about process. The vehicle still needs to be opened either way, and a locksmith can begin working on that while the rental company conversation happens in parallel, whether by you or afterward.
You Can Generally Do Both
Contacting the rental company and arranging a locksmith are not mutually exclusive. Calling the rental company to inform them of the situation while also calling us to get the vehicle opened is often the most practical approach, particularly if you are unsure what your agreement requires and do not want to lose time working that out before getting help.
What Our Team Needs Regardless
Whichever order you contact people in, our team will still need your rental agreement and identification matching the name on it before opening the vehicle, since the car is registered to the rental company rather than to you. This requirement does not change based on whether the rental company has already been informed.
If the Rental Company Has Its Own Process
If the rental company confirms they have their own lockout or roadside assistance process, it is worth asking directly whether it will be faster or more cost effective than arranging a locksmith independently, since this varies between companies and agreements, and this guide cannot generalise about specific company policies.
If You Cannot Reach the Rental Company Quickly
Rental company support lines are not always answered instantly, particularly outside normal business hours or during a busy period. If you cannot get through and the situation is genuinely time sensitive, arranging a locksmith directly and informing the rental company afterward is a reasonable approach.
What If You Are Between Two Rental Companies
Occasionally a rental is arranged through one company but the vehicle itself is supplied or serviced by a partner company, particularly with bookings made through an app or a hotel package. If you are unsure which company to contact, the documentation you were given at handover, whichever name and number appear on it, is the right starting point, and our team can proceed with the lockout itself while that is clarified separately.
What This Decision Does Not Affect
Whichever order you contact people in, and however that decision is made, it does not change the technical side of the lockout itself. The technician will still need to see your rental agreement and matching identification, will still assess the vehicle in person before deciding on an approach, and will still treat the vehicle with the same care regardless of which company you spoke to first.
A Reasonable Default If You Are Unsure
If none of the above resolves your uncertainty and the situation is at all time sensitive, a reasonable default is to call us to get the lockout process moving, and to contact or message the rental company at the same time or shortly afterward. This avoids losing time deciding on an order of operations when the vehicle still needs to be opened regardless of which call happens first.
Weighing Speed Against Process
There is a genuine trade-off between following your rental company's preferred process exactly and simply getting the vehicle open as quickly as possible. Neither approach is universally correct. A short, low stakes wait to check your agreement is usually fine if the situation is not urgent, while a time sensitive case, extreme heat, a flight to catch, a child or pet inside, generally favours getting a locksmith moving first and sorting out the rental company conversation afterward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will calling a locksmith without informing the rental company cause a problem?
This depends on your specific agreement. Informing the rental company at some point, even after the lockout is resolved, is generally a reasonable step regardless of who arranged the locksmith.
Does the rental company need to approve the locksmith in advance?
Some agreements may reference this, but many do not require prior approval for a straightforward lockout. Checking your agreement, or asking the rental company directly, is the most reliable way to know for your specific situation.
What if the rental company and the locksmith give different advice?
Our team can only speak to the vehicle access itself, not the terms of your specific rental agreement. Any question about cost, liability, or process under the agreement should be directed to the rental company.
What if I am not sure which company actually owns the vehicle?
Whatever documentation you were given at handover is the right starting point. Our team can proceed with the lockout itself while any confusion about the exact company is sorted out separately.
Related Reading
For a full overview of what differs about this type of lockout, see Why Rental Car Lockouts in Dubai Need a Different Approach. Our Locked Out of a Rental Car page covers the full service.
Contact Us
If you are locked out of a rental car anywhere in Dubai, call +971 55 222 1098, message us on WhatsApp, or use our online booking page. Dubai Locksmith offers 24/7 emergency assistance for vehicle lockouts.
