Here’s what you should do if someone knocks on your door in the middle of the night:
- Double-check that your door is locked (and lock it if it isn’t!)
- Look at your security camera or peephole to see who it is
- Talk to the person but never open the door
- If they don’t leave, call the police
You were deeply sleeping, but the sound immediately roused you. Someone is knocking at your front door.
At first, you can’t tell if it’s a dream or real life, but as your brain and body wake up further, you realize that someone is indeed knocking. It’s far too late for visitors, so how should you react?
What should you say to the person on the other side of your door? Can you just ignore them? That’s what I’ll tell you in this guide.
By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be able to handle these middle-of-the-night visitor situations with bravery and aplomb.
What To Say When Someone Knocks On Your Door
Okay, so you checked your peephole and your outdoor lights are on so you can see the person standing at your door but you don’t recognize them.
They definitely give you the heebie-jeebies though. It’s far too late at night for Amazon deliveries or the pizza person, and you hadn’t invited anyone over.
This person must know you’re home or else why would they knock? You have to say something, but what?
Ask them “who is it?”
While communicating with the person on the other side of the door is fine to do (to an extent), I want to reiterate that you should never open the door to talk to them.
Use your security system’s microphone or just speak loudly through the door. If the person says they can’t hear you and asks you to open up, it’s a trick, so don’t fall for it.
Is It OK Not To Answer The Door?
At first, when you’re talking to this other person, you want to keep the door closed, but what if they just won’t go away? Do you have to open the door to shoo them away?
No, you do not, EVER. It’s your home and your property. Your door is a means of defense and you can open it for whom you choose.
Even if the police come, if they don’t have a warrant, then legally, you’re still within your rights to keep the door closed.
This goes for when someone is knocking on your door in the middle of the night, the middle of the afternoon, or first thing in the morning. It’s important to know your rights here!
I wouldn’t even recommend opening the door while leaving the chain locked so you can see the other person better.
They could reach their arm through the gap between the door and the chain and quickly unlock the door.
Do Burglars Knock On The Door?
Do you know one of the reasons I advised you to keep the door closed and locked?
Although many burglars try to take a stealth approach, there is a subset of criminals known as knock-knock burglars.
These criminals will brazenly stride right up to your door and try to get in that way.
What might a knock-knock burglar say when you ask them who it is? You could get a myriad of answers here.
Be prepared to sniff out which ones are legit and which aren’t (most probably will not be).
The burglar could tell you they’re the police. If that’s the case, there should be a police car on the street.
If they say they’re driving an unmarked vehicle, ask them to produce a warrant or a badge. Should they not be able to do that, then you know they’re lying.
If the burglar says they’re a service provider, reply “I didn’t make an appointment. Please leave.”
No service provider should be coming to your house unannounced, especially in the middle of the night!
A burglar can also pretend they’re sick or lost.
They may say they’ve had a bad car accident and they need to get in the house to use your phone because they lost/don’t have theirs. If that’s the story, then tell them “I’ll call 911 for you.”
If it’s indeed a burglar who’s trying to gain access, that response will send them high-tailing it quickly. They won’t want involvement with the police.
Is there a chance that someone who legitimately needs help could knock on your door at three in the morning? Yes, of course, it could happen, but the likelihood is very low.
Should the person be willing to let you call 911 for them, that’s exactly what you should do. Let the police come and handle it rather than open your door to a stranger.
How To Get Someone To Stop Knocking On Your Door
What if the sound of your door being knocked on or even pounded on so late at night is driving you mad? You’ve talked to the person, asked who it is, but the conversation goes nowhere.
In the meantime, they just keep knocking and knocking, trying to get your attention again.
How do you get these late-night visitors to leave you alone? Try these tactics.
Tell Them To Go Away
Remember, legally, you don’t have to open your door for anybody unless it’s the police with a warrant.
If someone is invading your privacy and disrupting your sleep by banging on your door, then tell them to leave at once.
If they don’t respect your wishes, you might raise your voice and use a firmer tone, repeating again that they should go away.
Threaten To Call The Police
Some people can be scared off by you telling them to get lost, but if it’s a criminal, they might not be bothered by your pleas.
If you’ve told this person to scram two or three times but it’s been unsuccessful, then it’s time to move on to the next move, which is threatening to call the cops.
As I said before, a burglar doesn’t want to tangle with the cops, so they’ll usually take the hint and skedaddle.
Only the least intelligent of criminals would actually stick around until the police show up.
Actually Contact The Cops
Do be aware that if you threaten to call the police, you have to be willing to make good on that threat.
The person on the other side of your door might say something like “go ahead, I don’t care” in reaction to you telling them that you’ll call the cops.
Should that be the kind of response you get, then do it! This person might have run off by the time the cops get there, but at least in the short-term, you’ll have peace and quiet again.
Now is a really good time to mention the importance of a good home security system with a camera.
The camera can capture footage of the doorstep intruder. Should this person try to come back, you’ll know it. Without a camera, this kind of thing becomes a lot harder to track.
Conclusion
Being awakened to someone knocking on your door in the dead of night can be terrifying, especially as a woman living alone.
The best thing you can do if you forget all the other advice in this article, is to keep the door closed and locked.
Even if someone says they’re the police, ask if they have a warrant and to show it to you – through the peep hole of course.
In addition, I would also recommend to contact the police station and ask if the police were dispatched to your home address.
If not – then this is a good time to let them know that someone is pretending to be a policeman.
This article does not have affiliate links and is unsponsored. For more details, see my Affiliate Disclaimer.