House Lockout in Columbia, MO

Three kinds of front door

Getting back into a Columbia home depends on the building, on who else holds a key, and on how many doors stand between you and your own.

• East Campus houses. The historic district bounded by Bouchelle, College, University and High streets holds houses built between about 1895 and 1945, many of them Greek student organization houses. When a chapter or a group of roommates shares one front door, ask whoever manages the house for a spare first.
• Downtown apartment towers. Since the early 2000s, downtown has added many high-rise apartment buildings. A lockout there often involves two locks, the shared street entry and your unit door, and building staff or a property manager may control the first.
• Rentals of any age. Just over half of Columbia's occupied homes are rented (51.0 percent in the 2024 Census estimate), so the spare may sit with a landlord or property manager.

Proof that you live there

Have proof of residence ready. A photo ID showing the street address is simplest; if it lists a parent's or an earlier address, a lease, deed, mortgage statement or utility bill can fill the gap.

When the landlord changed the lock

RSMo 441.233 says a landlord who removes or excludes a tenant or the tenant's belongings without judicial process and a court order, or who causes doors or locks to be removed, is deemed guilty of forcible entry and detainer under chapter 534. Abandonment under section 441.065 is the exception: a reasonable belief that the tenant has left, 30 days of unpaid rent, notice posted and mailed, and no payment or written answer within 10 days. Keep the lease and any written notices together. This is general information, not legal advice.

Waiting it out

Columbia's snow falls mostly from December to March, and a winter night is a poor time to stand on a step. Wait in a car, a lobby or a neighbor's home. If a child, a pet or anyone who needs help is inside, call 911 first.

In your request, give the street and cross street, the building name and unit for an apartment, and whether the shared entry is locked too. If the keys are lost rather than locked inside, lock rekeying retires them.