What happens when you're locked out of your apartment in Burbank?
Being locked out of an apartment is a different problem from being locked out of a house, because the door is rarely only yours to deal with. Your unit sits inside a building with a landlord, a property manager, sometimes a resident manager who holds spare keys, and often a gate, fob reader, or key-card system on the way in. Before you even reach your own door, there may be another lock that has to cooperate.
In Burbank that matters, because the city has added mid-rise condos and large controlled-access apartment complexes in Downtown Burbank and the Media District. A lockout in one of those buildings can mean you are stuck at the garage gate, the lobby door, the unit door, or all three. Part of our job on the phone is figuring out which lock is really the problem, so we don't send a technician to the wrong door.
If you are standing outside right now, call (213) 577-1366. A person answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we will ask a few plain questions about your door and your building. If your keys are locked inside a vehicle rather than a unit, that is a different job, covered on our car lockout page.
How does an apartment lockout call work, step by step?
Every lockout is a little different, but the sequence is usually the same. We tell you this up front so nothing about the visit is a surprise.
- You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us the address, the type of building, and which door is locked: the unit door, the lobby, a gate, or more than one.
- We ask about the lock itself. Is it a deadbolt, a knob, a lever handle, a keypad, or a smart lock? Was the deadbolt thrown, or did the door just click shut on the latch? Is the key lost, left inside, or broken off?
- A technician heads to you in one of our mobile service vans. Burbank is about 16 miles from our Westwood storefront, and when we dispatch we give you an honest read on arrival based on traffic and where the van is.
- Before we open anything, we verify that you live there. A photo ID with the address, a lease, a utility bill, or mail addressed to you at the unit all work. If you have none of those with you, building management can often confirm your residency, and we will talk through it.
- We open the door using the least invasive method that suits the lock. Depending on the hardware, that may mean working around the latch, picking the lock, or using a bypass tool. Drilling is a last resort, and if we think a lock may need to be drilled, we tell you before we start.
- We check that the lock and key still work properly, point out any damage, and talk through whether the lock should be rekeyed or replaced. That part is your decision, and nothing is pushed on you.
- We explain the cost of the work before we begin, not after the door is open.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Who needs to be involved: you, your landlord, or building management?
Renters often ask whether they have to call the landlord first. In most cases you don't need to, but there are real limits on what a locksmith should do in a unit you don't own. We will open your door once we have confirmed who you are. We will not change, remove, or rekey the lock on a rented unit unless the owner or manager has authorized it, because many leases forbid altering the locks, and a lock changed without permission can leave you in a dispute you didn't need.
If your building has an on-site manager or a management company with a lockout procedure, it is sometimes worth a quick call to them, since they may hold a spare key or be able to confirm your residency for us. If they can't be reached at night or on a weekend, that is exactly when people call us. We can contact building management with you, or you can handle that call yourself while the technician is on the way.
One safety note. If a child, a vulnerable adult, or a pet is inside, or something is on the stove, tell us right away when you call so we know what we're dealing with. If anyone inside is in medical danger, call 911 first, and do not wait for a locksmith.
Is a condo lockout different from an apartment lockout?
Often, yes. The lock on a condo's front door is typically yours to control as the owner, which makes decisions about rekeying or replacing it simpler. But condo buildings add their own layers. Some associations have rules about the exterior hardware on your door, some keep a spare key or master arrangement for emergencies, and many have lobby entries, garage gates, or fob systems that belong to the association rather than to you.
That last point is where we are honest about limits. If you are locked out of the unit door, we can open it. If the problem is a building fob, gate controller, or key-card reader that is part of the building's system, the person who administers that system is usually the one who can reprogram or reissue credentials. We can help figure out what's failing, but we won't pretend to have access to a system we didn't install. Owners and managers who want to upgrade a building's entry system can look at our access control installation work as a separate project.
How much does an apartment lockout cost in Burbank?
We don't quote a number in a web page, because the honest answer depends on the job in front of us. What we can do is tell you what moves the cost, so you know what you're paying for and can compare us fairly with anyone else you call.
Opening a door without replacing anything is usually the more economical route, and it is what most apartment lockouts come down to. Costs rise when the situation gets more involved.
- The lock type. A standard knob or deadbolt is a different job from a high-security cylinder, a keypad, or a smart lock with a dead battery.
- How many locks are involved. A unit door with a knob and a deadbolt, or a lockout that also includes a gate or lobby door, takes more work than a single lock.
- Condition of the hardware. A worn, damaged, or previously tampered lock can be harder to open without replacing it.
- Whether you want keys or a rekey afterward. Opening the door is one job. Making new keys or rekeying the cylinder is separate work you can accept or decline.
- Time of day. We answer around the clock, and calls in the middle of the night or on holidays are not priced like a weekday visit.
- Distance. Burbank is about 16 miles from our Westwood storefront, and travel is part of any mobile call.
- Verification delays. If we have to wait for building management to confirm your residency, that can add time to the visit.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a Burbank apartment lockout?
We have been in business since 1987. That is a long time to have handled the odd situations apartment lockouts produce: tenants without ID, doors with a second lock the building added, keys snapped off in a cylinder, managers who can't be reached. Experience helps most when the call isn't straightforward.
We work from a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood and send out mobile service vans, so the people who answer your call are part of the same company as the person who shows up. There is no dispatch middleman who takes your call and farms it out to whoever is available. David, who owns the company and leads our technicians, oversees how we handle these calls, from verifying residency to explaining the work.
One more thing worth knowing about any locksmith you hire. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for it before they start work on your door. It is a reasonable question, and a legitimate company will not mind being asked. If you want to understand how our mobile service is set up in general, our mobile locksmith page explains it.
Apartment lockouts around Downtown Burbank, the Media District, and Magnolia Park
Burbank is a city of very different housing, and the type of building shapes the lockout. In Downtown Burbank and along the Chandler Bikeway corridor, apartment lockouts in complexes are among the calls we expect to see: residents who have stepped out for a moment, or come home to find the door latched and the key inside. In the Media District, the newer mid-rise condos and large controlled-access complexes mean a lockout often has an entry-system component as well as a door lock, which is why we ask about gates and fobs when you call.
Magnolia Park is mostly known for 1920s to 1940s bungalows, and the city also has postwar ranch homes and hillside houses. If you are locked out of a single-family house rather than a unit in a complex, our house lockout page is the better fit. Many older Burbank homes still carry original mid-century door hardware, and that can behave very differently from a modern deadbolt when we're working on it.
We serve all five Burbank ZIP codes: 91501, 91502, 91504, 91505, and 91506. Wherever your building is, tell us the street address and the entrance you're at, since large complexes often have several gates and buildings that look alike from the street.
The climate plays a small part as well. Burbank's valley heat in summer can swell wooden doors, and a door that seems locked is sometimes just binding in its frame. Before you call, try lifting the door slightly on its hinges while you push, or turn the handle fully. If it still doesn't open, call us. There is no salt-air corrosion this far inland, so lock failures here tend to come from age and wear rather than from rust.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366After you're back inside: keys, rekeying, and avoiding the next lockout
Once the door is open, the more useful question is why you were locked out. If your key is lost somewhere rather than just left inside, someone else may now have a key to your door. Getting the lock rekeyed is usually the more economical way to deal with that, and our lock rekey page explains how it works. In a rental, rekeying requires the owner's or manager's approval, so check your lease or ask first.
A spare is the simplest fix for the most common lockout. Our key duplication service can cut copies, and it is worth giving one to someone you trust rather than hiding one outside, where it tends to be found by the wrong person.
Property owners and managers who deal with repeated lockouts across a building are a different case. If you manage rentals, our locksmith for landlords page covers how we work with owners on turnovers, lost keys, and building-wide hardware. For other urgent situations beyond a single apartment door, our emergency locksmith page is a good starting point.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prove I live in the apartment if my ID doesn't have this address?
A lease, a utility bill, mail addressed to you at the unit, or confirmation from building management all work. If none of those are with you, tell us when you call and we'll talk through what's possible. We verify residency before opening any door, because we need to be sure we're helping the right person.
Do I have to call my landlord or building management before calling you?
Not necessarily. We can open your door once we've confirmed who you are. Calling management first can help if they hold a spare key or can confirm your residency quickly, and we will coordinate with them if you'd like. We won't rekey or change locks on a rental without the owner's or manager's approval.
Can you open my apartment door without damaging the lock?
Our first approach is always the least invasive one, such as working around the latch, picking, or using a bypass tool. Most standard locks can be opened this way, though a damaged or high-security lock can be harder. If we think drilling might be needed, we tell you before doing it.
I'm locked out of the building gate or lobby, not my unit. Can you help?
We can help diagnose it, and we can open a unit door once we're inside. If the gate, fob reader, or key-card system belongs to the building, the person who administers it is usually the one who can reprogram or reissue credentials. We'll tell you plainly what we can and can't do before we come out.
Are you available at night, on weekends, and on holidays?
Yes. Our phone at (213) 577-1366 is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year. Calls at unusual hours can be priced differently from a weekday visit, and we explain the cost before we start work.
Should I rekey the lock after losing my keys?
If the key is lost somewhere other than inside your unit, rekeying is worth considering, because someone else may have a working key. In a rental, ask your landlord or property manager first. Our lock rekey page explains the process.
My dog or child is inside the apartment. What should I do?
Tell us as soon as you call so we know what we're dealing with. If anyone inside is in medical danger, call 911 first and don't wait for a locksmith. Where there's a risk to a person or a pet, the fire department or emergency services may be the right first call.
My deadbolt is a keypad or smart lock and it won't respond. Is that a lockout?
It can be. A dead battery, a jammed latch, or a failed motor can all keep a keypad or smart lock from opening. Tell us the brand if you know it and whether it has a backup key, and we'll work out the best way in. We usually confirm the details in person.
More locksmith help in Burbank
Apartment Lockout near Burbank
Related articles
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.