House Lockout in Durham, NC

Which door you are locked out of

In Durham the answer changes with the building, and the building decides who can authorize the work.

• Houses. The National Register-listed Trinity Historic District, beside Duke University's East Campus, holds 751 contributing buildings from the 1890s to 1960, Queen Anne houses and Craftsman bungalows among them. A house has one door and no building entry or corridor.
• Converted tobacco buildings. Many old tobacco buildings are now loft-style apartments. The street entry, the corridor and the unit door may each be controlled by someone different, so "locked out" can mean the building, not just your unit. Name the door you cannot pass.
• Townhomes. Single-family attached homes are 11.3 percent of Durham's housing. Where a homeowners association runs the community, a gate or pool key is separate from your front door.

Doors in historic districts

Durham has eight local historic districts, among them Morehead Hill, Watts-Hillandale and Trinity Heights. Under Sec. 3.17.1.C of the Unified Development Ordinance, a door's type and style are protected exterior features there, so mention the district in your request. This is general information, not legal advice.

Waiting outside

The state averages about 5 inches of snow a year, and NOAA describes very warm summers, so a lockout on a winter night or a humid afternoon is a comfort problem as well as a key problem. Move to a porch, lobby, neighbor's home or your car if you can, and say in your request that you are exposed to the weather.

Before you ask for entry

• Photo ID, plus a lease if you rent or a deed if you own.
• The neighborhood or cross streets, plus the building name and unit for a loft.
• Which door: front, unit, street entry or gate.
• Whether anyone or any pet is inside. If someone inside may be in danger, call 911 first.
• Whether your landlord or building management holds a spare key.

If keys were lost rather than left inside, lock rekeying can follow the entry. House lockout describes the service, and Durham covers the city's housing. North Carolina Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Durham.