House Lockout in San Diego, CA

Locked out of an Uptown court

Uptown, which takes in Mission Hills, Bankers Hill, Hillcrest and University Heights, has 147 bungalow and apartment courts, by the count of a City of San Diego historic survey. Both styles were popular from the 1920s through the 1950s, and the layout of a court changes what a lockout involves.

• Bungalow courts typically arrange six to ten small houses around a shared garden. Your cottage door may be the only lock, or a gate at the sidewalk may come first, and the owner or manager may hold the key to that gate.
• Apartment courts wrap one- or two-story attached units around a courtyard, most often L- or U-shaped. Several doors face the same open space, so give your unit number and, for an upstairs unit, say how it is reached.
• Detached houses may add a back door, side gate or garage; say which entrances you have already tried.

Proof that you live there

Be ready to show that you live at the home or own it:

• photo ID showing the home's address
• if your ID lists an older address, a lease, deed or utility bill in your name
• for a rental, the owner's or manager's name, in case your tenancy needs confirming

If your ID is locked inside, say so in the request.

When a landlord changed the locks

A key that suddenly stops working is not always a lockout. California Civil Code § 789.3 bars a landlord from willfully changing a tenant's locks, or using a bootlock, to force the tenant out. A landlord who does is liable for actual damages plus a daily penalty, and the prevailing party is awarded attorney's fees. If you still rent the unit and this may have happened, talk to a tenant attorney or a legal aid office before arranging entry. This is general information, not legal advice.

Sending the request

Give the street address and the cottage or unit number, whether a gate stands before your door, which locks are on it (knob, deadbolt or both) and whether a key is stuck in one. If the keys are lost rather than locked inside, ask about lock rekeying afterward. The house lockout page describes the service in general.