Where keys break in Aurora

Keys usually break where a worn key meets a stiff lock, and three Aurora settings set that up.

Shared doors. By 2024 Census estimates, about 29 percent of Aurora's homes are in buildings of five or more units. Lobby, garage and mailroom locks in those buildings turn many times a day, and copies of copies wear down. Sec. 22-571 of the city's Housing Code holds owners responsible for keeping the parts of a building they control safe, shared areas included in buildings with two or more units, so tell the manager or association before anyone works on a lobby, garage or mailroom door. This is general information, not legal advice.
Older cylinders. According to the city's Housing Strategy, Aurora's oldest neighborhoods lie in the west, next to Denver. A cylinder that has turned for decades can bind, and a key forced through the bind is the one that snaps.
Thaw and refreeze. The Colorado Climate Center describes chinook winds that can raise temperatures on the high plains 25 to 35°F in a short time. Snowmelt that runs into a keyway on a warm afternoon can refreeze overnight, and a key forced into ice is likely to snap. Use a lock de-icer instead.

What not to do

Do not push a second key or any other tool into the keyway; that can drive the broken piece deeper.
Do not use glue on the fragment; it can stick to the pins.
Do not grip a protruding piece with pliers and twist; it can snap again or damage the cylinder.
Keep the other half of the key. Its cuts can help make the new one.

which lock: your unit door, a building entry, a mailroom or garage door, or a car
whether the lock was locked or unlocked when the key broke, and whether the door is open now
a close photo of the keyway and a photo of the piece you still have
for a shared lock, the name of the manager or association and whether they have approved the work
the building or unit number and the closest cross streets

If the key broke because the lock itself is failing, ask about lock repair too. See broken key extraction and Aurora.

At the door

Removing a key that has snapped off or become stuck in a lock, then checking the lock and providing a new key where possible.

ID and proof you may access the property are checked before any work.

Public records and references this page draws on. They are outside USA Locksmith Pros and open in a new tab.