Locksmith Services in Cambridge, MA

Homes and locks in Cambridge

East Cambridge is one of the city's 13 official neighborhoods and one of its oldest. A Cambridge Historical Commission study notes that many of its homes date from 1820 to 1870: first small wood-frame workers' cottages, then single houses, double houses and rowhouses. By the 1890s builders had moved to denser tenement housing, and construction there stopped in 1929. A door this old may have been drilled for new hardware more than once, so check the existing holes before buying a replacement lock.

Wellington-Harrington, between East Cambridge and Inman Square, has many three-story homes set close together. The Port is a high-density neighborhood of about 7,000 residents. In a building split into apartments, one lost key can involve a shared street door as well as a unit door, so agree with the owner on which locks to rekey.

Area 2/MIT is almost entirely the MIT campus, and Baldwin takes in large parts of the Harvard and Lesley campuses. If your apartment near a campus changes occupants every school year, ask whether the locks were changed after the last tenant.

Businesses and buildings

Cambridge Street has been East Cambridge's main commercial corridor since 1809, and the stretch between Second and Sciarappa streets was its retail center by 1850. Farther west, many homeowners later added storefronts or opened shops on their ground floors. In buildings like these, the shop door and the apartment entrance each need their own key plan. See commercial locksmith service.

The Cambridge Fire Department uses Knox-Box key boxes in many buildings in the city. Owners keep entrance keys, access cards and floor plans in a high-security box near the entrance, and the department sends a fire company to open it so keys can be added. After a rekey or new cards, the copies in the box stop working, so arrange with the fire department to replace them.

Car trouble in Cambridge

During a snow emergency parking ban, vehicles on streets signed "No Parking during Snow Emergency" are ticketed and towed, even one stuck there by a lost key or dead fob. If a car lockout hits during a ban, say so in your request.

Residents with a Resident Parking Permit can use five designated garages during a ban, including One Kendall Square, Green Street and CambridgeSide. Cars must leave within two hours after the ban is lifted, so mention that deadline if a key problem strands you in one.

Local rules worth knowing

Cambridge regulates short-term rentals, meaning a unit or bedroom rented for less than 30 consecutive days, under Section 4.60 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance. Operators register with the Inspectional Services Department, whose inspection checklist cites the state building code at 780 CMR 51.00 R311.2 for two lock points:

• Every exit door from the unit must open from the inside in one motion, without a key, special code or special knowledge.
• Locking hardware on rented bedroom doors must meet the same standard.

By that standard, a deadbolt that needs a key on the inside would not qualify. If you add a keypad or smart lock for guests, the inside still has to open in one motion. This is general information, not legal advice.

Requesting service in Cambridge

Massachusetts Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Cambridge. Include your neighborhood or nearest cross streets, and say whether the door is a shared street entrance, an apartment door or a storefront. For a car, note any snow-ban street or garage. More is on the Massachusetts page and the nearby Boston page.