Emergency Locksmith in Aurora, IL

What makes a lock problem urgent

• Locked out in severe cold or a storm. Snow is part of every Aurora winter, and NOAA's Illinois climate summary notes that O'Hare recorded 20.2 inches in the February 2011 storm, with gusts over 60 mph. Get to shelter first, then send the request.
• A door that will not close or lock after heavy rain or wind. A swollen or storm-damaged door can leave a home open overnight, so say whether it will not shut, will not latch or will not lock.
• A child or pet locked in a car. Call 911 now, before anything else.

After a break-in

1. If anyone might still be inside, leave and call 911.
2. Wait until the police have seen the door, lock and frame before anything is repaired or replaced.
3. Photograph the damage for your records and any insurance claim.
4. Then ask for help securing the door, and say whether the frame or strike is split as well as the lock damaged, since a split frame may need lock repair around the lock too.

Safe Homes Act lock changes

Illinois's Safe Homes Act, 765 ILCS 750/20, lets a tenant ask the landlord in writing for new locks when the tenant reasonably believes a tenant or household member faces a credible imminent threat of domestic or sexual violence at the home. The evidence required depends on who the threat comes from. The landlord then has 48 hours to change the locks or to let the tenant do it. Keep copies of the notice and the evidence, and note when the landlord received them. If anyone is in danger right now, call 911. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to send

• The address or nearest cross streets, and which side of the Fox River you are on.
• What happened, and whether anyone is at risk or the police have been called.
• Which door and lock, with photos if it is safe to take them.
• Whether you need to get in, to lock up, or both.

Even when time is short, ask for the full amount in writing before work begins; the Illinois Attorney General takes consumer complaints if something goes wrong. Related pages: emergency locksmith, house lockout and Aurora.