House Lockout in Ann Arbor, MI

Which door are you locked out of?

Ann Arbor is not mainly a city of detached houses. Census Bureau estimates for 2024 put only 39.9 percent of its homes in detached houses, against 61.1 percent nationally, and 40.7 percent in buildings of five or more units. In a building that size a lockout can involve two locks: the shared entry and your own unit door.

• Apartment buildings. If you are still outside the main entry, the landlord or building management may be able to let you into the hallway. Say in the request whether you are already past the front door, because then only the unit lock is in the way.
• Older houses with porches. The Old West Side, south and west of downtown, is mostly modest 19th-century houses with gabled fronts, clapboard siding, one and a half to two stories and wide front porches. In Ann Arbor's historic districts the Historic District Commission's guidelines lean toward keeping and mending an original door, so mention an original front door that should be left undamaged.

Showing that you live there

More than half of Ann Arbor homes, 54.4 percent, are rented, so a lease is often the document that ties a person to the address. Have proof of residence ready when you send the request:

1. Photo ID showing the address, or ID plus mail or a utility bill sent there.
2. For a rental, the lease with your name and unit number. If it is locked inside, the landlord can confirm that you are the tenant.
3. For an owned home, the deed, a property tax statement or closing papers.

Waiting outside in winter

NOAA's Michigan summary gives a long-term statewide average of 13 nights a year at 0°F or below. On a night like that, wait in your car, with a neighbor or in an open business rather than on the step, and give your exact location when you send the request. If a child or anyone who needs help is alone inside, call 911.

If the keys are lost rather than left inside, ask about lock rekeying in the same request; the service itself is described on the house lockout page.