House Lockout in San Antonio, TX

Locked out of a San Antonio house

The goal is to get back in without harming the door, frame or lock, and the door in front of you depends on the neighborhood.

• King William, south of downtown on the east bank of the San Antonio River, was subdivided in the 1860s and developed by German immigrants. Its late nineteenth-century houses are large and mostly brick or stone, so count every exterior door and list the ones you have already tried. The later southern part has smaller wood houses.
• Tobin Hill, north of downtown, is mostly wood, from modest bungalows to two-and-a-half-story houses. Wood doors and frames mark easily, so hold off on forcing anything.

Both are local historic districts, where the city's guidelines ask owners to preserve historic doors, so mention it in your request if yours is an original door.

Apartments, gates and shared entries

If you live in a unit inside a larger building, say so. A gate or lobby entry belongs to the property, so ask the manager about it; your own unit door is a separate lock.

If you rent and your key stops working

Section 92.0081 of the Texas Property Code lets a landlord change the locks over delinquent rent only when the lease permits it and advance written notice was given. The landlord must then give the tenant a new key, whether or not the rent is paid. If your key suddenly fails, look for a notice on the door before assuming the lock is broken. This is general information, not legal advice.

While you wait

If a child, an older adult or a pet is alone inside, call 911 first. Otherwise, wait somewhere sheltered, such as a neighbor's porch, a shop or your car, rather than in direct sun or wind.

What to have ready

• photo ID showing the address, or a lease or deed if your ID shows another address
• the neighborhood and nearest cross streets
• which door is locked, and whether it has a knob lock, a deadbolt or both
• whether the key is lost or left indoors, since a lost key may call for lock rekeying

The house lockout page covers the service, and the San Antonio page collects the local notes.