House Lockout in Kenosha, WI

Whose door it is

Renters occupy 42.0 percent of Kenosha's occupied homes, by 2024 Census Bureau estimates, so the first question after a lockout is often who else holds a key. A landlord or property manager may keep a copy for your unit, and in a condominium the association may control the shared lobby.

Entry doors by building type

• HarborPark condominiums. The lakefront neighborhood stands on the site of the AMC Lakefront auto plant, demolished in 1990, and now has lakeside condominiums beside a marina. Find out who controls the shared entry doors; that may be the association, not whoever holds your unit key.
• Library Park apartment buildings. The Library Park Historic District, along Seventh and Eighth Avenues, includes two Neo-Classical apartment buildings from 1915 and 1928. A building like that can put the street door and each unit door on separate keys, so say which one has you stuck.
• Third Avenue houses. The Third Avenue Historic District is the city's early 20th-century "mansion" district, with Tudor Revival and Georgian Revival homes on lots along the Lake Michigan shore. A house that size can have several entries, so name the locked door and mention an original door or an old lock.

Waiting out the weather

Wisconsin averages 35 to 40 winter weather events in a typical winter, according to the state Department of Transportation. In a January lockout, wait somewhere heated: a neighbor's home, a nearby business, or your car if its keys are with you. Do not break a window to get in; a broken pane leaves the house open to the cold. If a child or someone who needs care is inside, call 911 first.

What to have ready

• Photo ID showing the address, or a lease, deed or utility bill in your name if your ID shows an older address
• The street address with the nearest cross street, and whether it is a house, a condo with a shared lobby or an apartment building with a street door
• Which door is locked, and whether it has a deadbolt, a knob lock or both

Wisconsin Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Kenosha. Details on the service are on the house lockout page; if the keys are lost rather than locked inside, see lock rekeying. Local notes: Kenosha.