Which door you are locked out of

In parts of Knoxville, the first question is which door. Fourth and Gill, centered on the 700 block of Morgan Street, has more than 280 residential buildings. From the late 1920s and 1930s, many of its large frame houses were divided into duplexes, and after World War II more became apartments, partly for University of Tennessee students. A single entrance may now serve several unit doors, so being shut out of the shared entrance is a different problem from being shut out of your own unit.

In Fort Sanders, brick apartment buildings went up west of 17th Street between 1920 and 1940. The owner or manager of a building like that may hold a key to your unit, and a spare kept by a housemate, relative or neighbor is worth a call before anything else.

When the landlord changed the locks

Census estimates put renters at more than half of Knoxville households, and Knox County is one of 17 counties the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services lists as covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (T.C.A. § 66-28-102). If a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes a tenant, § 66-28-504 lets the tenant recover possession or end the rental agreement, and seek damages and an attorney's fee. A lock the landlord changed is a dispute over who may be inside, and a locksmith cannot settle it. This is general information, not legal advice.

If someone is inside

If a child or anyone vulnerable is alone inside, or is in danger, call emergency services before anyone else.

What to include in your request

Have a photo ID and proof you live at the address, such as a lease or utility bill, and say if those papers are inside. In a house lockout request, give:

the street and nearest cross street
which door: shared entrance, unit door or your own front door
the lock type if you know it: knob, deadbolt or older mortise lock
whether the keys are inside or lost

If they are lost, lock rekeying once you are back in stops the old keys from working. Neighborhood notes are on the Knoxville page.

At the door

What house lockout covers

Help getting back into your home when you are locked out, with non-destructive methods tried first where the lock allows.

A conversation about the door, the lock, and your situation before anyone is sent
Non-destructive entry methods tried first where the lock allows
A proof-of-residence check before entry, or as soon as the door is open if documents are inside

ID and proof you may access the property are checked before any work.

House Lockout in Tennessee

Sources

Public records and references this page draws on. They are outside USA Locksmith Pros and open in a new tab.

House Lockout in Knoxville, TN