Getting locked out of your apartment in New York City is uniquely frustrating. Your building might not have a doorman. The super might be off-duty. Your spare key might be with a friend in another borough. Unlike houses, apartments involve layers of access — lobby doors, intercom buzzers, individual unit locks — that all need to work in sequence for you to get inside.
Our locksmiths understand the specific challenges of NYC apartment lockouts. We work with every type of building in the five boroughs, from pre-war walk-ups on the Upper West Side to modern high-rise condos in downtown Brooklyn, from co-op buildings with strict board rules to rent-stabilized apartments with decades-old hardware.
NYC apartments use an enormous variety of locks, many not found in other cities. Our technicians carry tools and expertise for all of them:
If you find yourself locked out, do not panic and do not attempt to force the door open. Kicking or prying a door can damage the frame, void your lease terms, and cost hundreds in repairs. Instead:
For a more detailed step-by-step walkthrough, read our complete guide to apartment lockouts in NYC. If you have lost your apartment keys entirely, we can also cut new keys on-site or rekey your locks so the lost keys no longer work.
You need a locksmith, and you need the right one. Here is the short version, in order.
A person answers at any hour. Typical arrival is 15 to 20 minutes across the five boroughs. Describe the door and how many locks are on it - that decides what the technician brings.
You should get a realistic figure on the phone and a firm price in writing or in front of you before work starts. A quote that multiplies on arrival is the single clearest warning sign in this trade.
In many buildings the super holds a key and is already on site. It is faster and cheaper than any locksmith, and nobody will be annoyed that you asked.
A lobby, a neighbor's door, a 24-hour shop. Not a stairwell, not the front steps at 2am.
Every legitimate locksmith will ask you to show that you live there before opening the door. Plan for it rather than being surprised by it.
A card on a deadbolt does not work, and a damaged jamb costs several times the lockout. If a key snapped off, stop - pushing drives the fragment deeper.
For the longer walkthrough, read our complete guide to apartment lockouts in NYC. If your keys are gone rather than inside, lost apartment keys covers what to do next.
A surprising share of apartment lockout calls are not apartment lockouts at all. The apartment key is in your pocket and working perfectly - you simply cannot get past the front door. In a city where most residences sit behind a second door, this is its own problem with its own fixes.
We handle both the apartment door and the building entry. Tell the dispatcher which door has actually stopped you - they are different repairs, and sending the wrong equipment costs you time.
Getting into the building is often slower than getting into the apartment, and in a managed building most of the delay is procedural rather than mechanical.
No locksmith should open an apartment door for whoever happens to be standing at it, and the ones who will are the ones you should least want to call. Expect to be asked, and expect it to take a minute.
If your ID shows an old address - common if you moved recently - something else connecting you to the unit normally resolves it. If nothing does, building management is the route, not a locksmith who will open it anyway. This is the same standard set out in how to avoid locksmith scams in NYC.
Apartment lockouts are among the most predictable calls in this trade, which is why there is no good reason for a vague answer.
What an emergency locksmith costs in NYC is the full breakdown, and how long a locksmith takes to open a door covers what is realistic rather than advertised.
The building stock changes as you cross the city, and so does the hardware behind the door.
The lockout is tonight's problem. Whether it happens again is this week's.
Yes. Our technicians are trained in non-destructive entry methods. In the vast majority of apartment lockouts, we open the door without any damage to the lock, door, or frame. If a lock cannot be picked, we will discuss options with you before proceeding.
We are equipped to work with Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, and other high-security lock brands commonly installed in NYC apartments. High-security locks may take slightly longer to open but do not require destructive entry.
Not necessarily. If you have a doorman building, they may be able to assist. Otherwise, you can call us directly. Some co-op and condo boards have preferred vendor requirements, so it is worth checking if your building has such a policy. We can coordinate with building management on-site if needed.
For security purposes, we verify residency before performing any lockout service. A valid photo ID matching the address, a piece of mail, a utility bill, or confirmation from building management all work. We want to ensure your safety as much as our own.
Typically 15 to 20 minutes across all five boroughs. Manhattan and central Brooklyn are usually fastest, and overnight is often quicker than rush hour. Call (718) 412-1332, describe the door and say how many locks are on it, and the nearest available technician is dispatched.
Emergency lockout service starts at $75 to $150 depending on the lock type and the door. A single standard cylinder is at the low end; a multi-lock prewar door or a high-security cylinder is higher. You get a firm quote before work begins and there is no surcharge for nights, weekends or holidays.
Yes, and it is a common call. A failed lobby door, electric strike, buzzer, intercom or key fob leaves residents outside with a perfectly good apartment key. It is a different repair from an apartment lockout, so tell the dispatcher which door actually stopped you.
Something else that connects you to the unit normally resolves it - a lease, a utility bill, mail addressed to you there, or a superintendent or doorman who can confirm you live there. If nothing can establish it, the right route is building management rather than a locksmith who will open the door anyway.
Yes. Prewar apartment doors are a large part of this work. A single door often carries a mortise lock, a separate deadbolt, and sometimes a Fox or police lock, and all of them have to be dealt with to get the door open. We can also rekey them all to one key while we are there.
Only if a key is unaccounted for. If your keys were simply inside the apartment, opening the door is the whole job. If a key was lost, stolen, or is with someone who should no longer have access, rekeying is the thing that actually solves it - from $25 per cylinder, on the same visit.
Our apartment lockout service is available 24 hours a day, across every borough. Whether you are in a Manhattan co-op, a Queens walkup, or a Bronx apartment complex, one call gets a licensed locksmith on the way. After we get you inside, consider our tips for improving your apartment door security to prevent future issues.
After we get you back inside, consider lock rekeying to ensure old keys no longer work — especially important if you lost your keys or are worried about unauthorized copies. Read our guide on what to do when locked out of your apartment in NYC for step-by-step advice, or learn about our residential locksmith services for ongoing home security needs.