House Lockout in Sacramento, CA

Which door you are locked out of

Start with the building. Boulevard Park, between E and J streets and 16th and 24th streets, has about 300 buildings on the old state fairgrounds and racetrack, sold to developers in 1905, and after World War II some of its houses became boarding houses. A former boarding house can have extra keyed doors at the side, back or upstairs. Walk around once, note each door, then say which one you want opened.

In Natomas, a house may also have a door from the garage into the house, or a keypad deadbolt whose code someone at home knows. Mention both along with the front door, because they change what the job involves.

Apartments, condos and landlords

A multi-unit building has two doors to deal with: your unit and the building entrance. Civil Code § 1941.3 requires code-compliant locks on exterior doors to common areas in multifamily buildings. If the entrance is locked too, a manager or neighbor may be able to let you into the hallway, which leaves only your own door.

Being shut out because a landlord changed the locks is a different situation. Civil Code § 789.3 bars a landlord from willfully changing the locks or using a bootlock to force a tenant out. This is general information, not legal advice.

Staying safe while locked out

Don't climb onto a roof or through an upper window. In very hot, cold or wet weather, wait at a neighbor's or in a nearby business rather than on the step. If a child or anyone who cannot open the door is inside, call 911.

What to have ready

• photo ID showing the address, or a lease, deed or utility bill (say so if those are inside)
• the building type (house, duplex, condo or apartment) and the unit number
• which door, and whether its lock is a knob lock, deadbolt or keypad
• your street address, with the nearest cross street
• anything urgent inside, such as a stove left on or a pet

California Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Sacramento. If keys are lost instead of locked inside, lock rekeying may be the next step. The main page is house lockout, and Sacramento has more local notes.