House Lockout in Charlotte, NC

Which door you are locked out of

The first question is whether the locked door is yours alone or shared with a building.

• Fourth Ward. This Uptown historic district north of Trade and Tryon is mostly residential, with many Victorian homes. A house door is yours to sort out; a shared lobby or garage entrance belongs to the building, so management is usually involved.
• NoDa. It lies in the North Charlotte mill neighborhood begun in 1903, where worker housing went up across North Davidson Street from Highland Park Mill No. 3. If your house has a second entry door, check whether it opens with a key you still have.
• Uptown towers. Give the tower name and floor, and say whether you are shut out of your own unit or of the building itself.

Proving it is your home

Be ready to show a photo ID with your address, or a lease or deed, once you are inside. If you rent, your landlord or property manager may hold a key.

A landlord changing the locks to keep you out is a legal issue, not a lockout. G.S. 42-25.6 allows a residential tenant to be removed only through the procedures in Article 3 or Article 7 of Chapter 42, and G.S. 42-25.9 lets a tenant removed any other way recover possession or end the lease, plus actual damages. This is general information, not legal advice.

Waiting in Charlotte weather

Waiting outside is a different problem in July than in an ice storm. NOAA describes very warm, humid summers, and winters in which cold air trapped against the Appalachians can bring freezing rain. In summer, wait in shade or somewhere air-conditioned; after freezing rain, find shelter nearby. If a child, a pet or anyone with a medical need is inside, or is outside in dangerous heat or cold, call 911 first.

Details that help at your door

1. The neighborhood and cross streets, or the building name.
2. Which door: front, back, unit door, lobby or garage.
3. The lock type, if you know it: deadbolt, knob lock or keypad.
4. Whether anyone is inside.

See house lockout for how the service works. If your keys were lost or stolen, lock rekeying is the usual follow-up, and Charlotte has more on local housing.