Broken Key Extraction in Orlando, FL

Where keys snap in Orlando

Keys break where they are turned hardest and most often. In Orlando that points to two kinds of doors.

Apartment buildings. A resident of a complex such as Amelia Court or The Julian in Creative Village may turn keys in a unit door and a mailbox, and sometimes in a shared lobby or garage door. Keys cut from copies of copies fit loosely and twist.

Who handles the lock matters. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, section 83.51(2)(a), Florida Statutes, makes the landlord of a unit other than a single-family home or duplex responsible for reasonable provisions for locks and keys. If a key breaks in a shared door or a building mailbox, report it to management before anyone works on it. This is general information, not legal advice.

Older cylinders. Parramore, Thornton Park and Lake Eola Heights have been inside the city since 1875, and Parramore is a national historic district. A cylinder that has turned for decades can be worn and gritty, and a key that has started to stick is a warning to stop forcing it.

What not to do

• Do not push the broken piece back in or try to turn the lock with the stub.
• Do not put glue on the key to pull the tip out; it can stick the fragment to the pins.
• Do not spray household oil into the keyway.
• If a car key snapped in the door or ignition, leave the car where it is and say so in the request.

What to send with the request

• A photo of the piece you still have, and one of the keyway with the broken tip in view.
• Which lock: unit door, lobby or gate, garage, mailbox, or a car door or ignition.
• Whether the lock was locked or unlocked when the key broke.
• For a rental, whether management has approved the work.
• The building or complex name, or the cross streets.

If the snapped key was the only one for a car, car key replacement is the next step. The broken key extraction page describes the work, and the Orlando page lists the districts named above.