Emergency Locksmith in Columbia, SC

What counts as urgent in Columbia

Safety comes before any lock. These situations are urgent:

• Someone trapped in the heat. Columbia summers include 100°F days. When a person or animal is shut inside a hot car or house and cannot get out, call 911 first.
• A break-in. Call 911 before anything else and let officers see the scene before a lock or door is touched. Once the police are done, a door that no longer locks needs securing.
• Storm damage. Columbia's rain on October 4, 2015 set a state 24-hour record, a reminder of how much rain can fall at once. Rain can swell a door, and wind or debris can bend a frame or leave a lock that turns but no longer holds. If a building is not safe to enter, stay out.
• A business that cannot be locked at closing time.

A lock that is stiff but still secures the door can usually wait for lock repair.

Renters and landlords after a storm

If you rent, report storm or break-in damage to your landlord. South Carolina Code section 27-40-530(b)(1) allows a landlord to enter without consent at any time in an emergency, and says expected weather changes likely to endanger the property may count as one. Before any lock change, a tenant needs the landlord's permission under section 27-40-530(e), so ask for it in writing. This is general information, not legal advice.

Costs and complaints

Before any work begins, get the full cost in writing and keep the receipt, especially after a storm. The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs mediates written consumer complaints and refers those that belong to another agency. It accepts complaints online or on a paper form sent by mail.

What to send

• The address or nearest cross streets, and the neighborhood.
• What happened, and whether anyone is at risk.
• Whether police were called, with a report number if you have one.
• The door and lock involved, with a photo if it is safe to take one.

For the service overview see emergency locksmith; the city's neighborhoods and local rules are on Columbia.