Could someone who is trained as a locksmith enter my property without permission?

No they cannot enter your property without permission. Yes there would be evidence. Scratches on the lock. If items are missing or you believe someone has been in your home please contact the police.

if someone enters your home without permission it is trespassing no matter what their trade is. yes, they would be able to get in, however, most reputable locksmiths are licensed and bonded and would not want to risk their bonding for a b & e charge.

Theoretically, yes, but not legally absent some very unusual situation, such as an urgent life-threatening emergency, or some sort of exigent situation if you are renting the property.

The lock would very likely be intact. If I recall correctly, there are some very expensive pick-proof locks that basically can’t be breached from the outside without damage, but the chances are overwhelming that you have a standard cheaper lock. Locksmiths can purchase sets of master keys for many popular and cheaper locksets as well. I had a very good friend who was a locksmith and he made me a special key for my knob when he rekeyed it for me. The key was a standard key with an extra notch cut out of it in a specific spot and it took the entire lock apart from the outside. If you have a Kwikset lock, virtually anyone can get into them without damage, locksmith or not, with very little effort and only a pathetic bit of knowledge.

As far as other evidence, there may be some sign of tampering around the keyhole, may be some fingerprints, and there may be some evidence inside your home. On the bright side, I have not run across any dishonest locksmiths in 10 years of policing because it takes quite a bit of training to become one, and they don’t want to risk losing their business over a criminal act.

Yes, it is possible this happened to us just recently. A person whom either had gotten copies of my sisters apartment or was the super at the complex kept entering her apartment. Several times food was gone in her apartment, things were moved and smoke in the apt and she’s not a smoker.

I told her to have the locks changed and I stayed in the apartment and made no noise while she went to work. About an hour after she left some guy came to the door and put his key in but of course the lock did not work.

Later there was still evidence, I told her to move and to report it to the complex and to the police. She is a single parent and with a year old and a six year old both girls.

If I were you I would put a video camera somewhere and leave some money out and see if there is a person coming in, in that if you can not afford to move at least you can find out who it is and have them prosecuted.

I also had a super whom kept breaking into my apartment. I knew because when I came home the TV was a channel I NEVER watched and it was a spanish speaking station and he was spanish speaking. I also caught his boss entering my apartment when I was running late, which I never am for work, his boss actually CAME into my apartment, after I had gotten out of the shower.

He was shocked and I cussed him out I never saw him in my apartment ever again. Of course I moved.

To answer YOUR question: YES.

A well trained locksmith COULD enter your property without your permission and WITHOUT any evidence that you could detect. There would be minor marks on the tumblers, but another trained person would have to disassemble the lock and inspect it to determine someone had picked the lock.

It would be ABSOLUTELY illegal unless they are LAW enforcement and you’re a terrorist or they had a surreptitious entry warrant

Yes they could get in your place for sure. If they are good at their trade they would definitely leave the lock intact. Do you know a certain locksmith that might have done this? Buy a safety chain if you are actually worried about this.