House Lockout in Allentown, PA

Which door is locked

Census Bureau estimates for 2024 count 56 percent of Allentown's occupied homes as rented, so a lockout often involves a landlord or building manager as well as a door. The first job is to work out which door is shut: a shared street entrance, your own unit door, or both. The two can have different keys and different people responsible for them.

How the neighborhoods differ

• West Walnut and Union Terrace. Near West Park in the West End, these neighborhoods combine row homes, small apartment complexes, bungalows and Victorian-style houses. In an apartment complex the building entrance is usually controlled by the owner or manager, who may be able to let you into the hallway so that only your unit door needs attention.
• Midway Manor. This East Side neighborhood is mostly detached houses, larger than those in Center City. A detached house can have side, back and basement doors as well as a front door, so check every entry before you ask for help, and say which doors the house has.

What to have ready

Whoever opens a home should first confirm that you live there, and the usual proof may be locked inside. Think ahead about what you can show:

• Photo ID with the address, or ID plus a bill or bank statement on your phone that shows it
• A lease if you rent, or a deed or property tax bill if you own
• The number of your landlord or manager, who may hold a spare key and should know about any lock work on a rental

Waiting outside in winter

A lockout in snow and cold is more than an inconvenience. Wait in a car, at a neighbor's home or in a nearby business rather than on the step, and say in your request if a child, an older adult or someone with a medical need is with you. If a child is alone inside, call 911 before anything else.

If you lost your keys instead of locking them in, lock rekeying makes the lost set useless. For the service itself, see house lockout; neighborhood notes are on the Allentown page.