House Lockout in Cambridge, MA

Which Cambridge door is locked

A house lockout in Cambridge often comes down to which of several doors you are standing at. The city's neighborhood planning describes Wellington-Harrington, between East Cambridge and Inman Square, as having many three-story homes set close together, and about a fifth of the state's homes sit in buildings of two to four units. In a house split into apartments, the door you are shut out of decides the job.

• A shared street door. When one front door serves every unit, a neighbor may be able to let you into the hall, which leaves only your own unit door.
• Separate entrances. In some three-deckers the first floor has its own entrance and the two floors above share another. Say which entrance is yours, because the locks differ.
• Rear porch doors. Three-deckers typically have utility porches at the back. A porch door that latched behind you is a different lock from the front door, so name it.

Proof that you live there

A lockout request goes more smoothly when you can show the door is yours to open. Photo ID with the address on it helps, and in a building of several units it also shows which unit is yours. If your ID lists an older address, a lease or deed in your name fills the gap, and you can say up front that those papers are inside. Renters can also try the owner or property manager, who may hold a spare key.

When the landlord locked you out

Being shut out by an owner is different from a lost key. Under M.G.L. c. 186, § 15F, a tenant locked out or removed by the landlord without a valid court order may recover three months' rent or three times the damages, plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees. This is general information, not legal advice.

What to include in the request

Give the street address, which door is locked (shared street door, unit door or rear porch door) and whether the keys are lost or just inside. If someone who needs care is alone inside, call 911 first. If the keys are gone for good, plan to rekey the locks they opened. The house lockout page describes how the service works, and the Cambridge page covers the city's housing.