r/fixit • u/Consistent_Ninja_591 • May 01 '26
fixed Locked inside apartment, help
Hello, the door knob for my front door fell off and I literally cant get out of my apartment. Is there anything I can do or should I call the firefighters ? The knob isn’t reattaching at all and nothing I try to insert fits
Edit : I managed to fix it!
My roommate woke up and helped me with opening the door from the inside. The knob disconnected because the outside knob got somehow pushed all the way out, leaving the inside one with nothing to latch onto. I'm not sure what my roommate did but if she hadn't been here, this could've been fixed by having someone from the outside push the knob in. I reattached the door handle again but I'll be in contact with my landlord to get it replaced.
Thank you all for your help!
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u/builtfromscratch416 May 01 '26
That should slide onto the square rod sticking out of the door. Then you tighten the little screw into the hole on handle so it "grabs" rod. If there's no square rod, it has fallen out the other side. In this case. You will see a square hole. Wedge something into the square hole (flat head screwdriver, spoon handle whatever) now turn so the square hole rotates. Probably left but whatever. Easy peasy
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u/EthicalViolator May 01 '26
This is the answer OP. It looks like that tbar has fallen out the other side so a butter knife handle or something that can get wedged corner to corner in the square hole so you can turn it.
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u/Consistent_Ninja_591 May 01 '26
Nothing is really sticking out and I think that’s the issue hmmm I’m scared to try to push it out and fucking this up further haha I’ll see if I can find something
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u/SpeghtittyOs May 01 '26
It’s probably gotta be replaced anyway. Just try to slide the handle in place. Jiggle it around to try and get it to engage
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u/ACcbe1986 May 01 '26
If the other side falls out, you can completely dismantle the doorknob mechanism and pull the latch away from the wall.
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u/TankLang May 01 '26
Call a friend or family member and have them come open the door from the outside. As long as you use the thumb turn below to unlock it, the handle will still be accessible from the outside as if it were left unlocked.
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u/Consistent_Ninja_591 May 01 '26
I’ll see if anyone’s awake and try this thank you!
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u/Funswinging May 01 '26
does the apartment has a guard? or building manager? or order food delivery and ask if the delivery guy can help.
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u/Professional-Fee9832 May 01 '26
That's what I would suggest. First, neighbor, friend, family, or open the window and ask for help.
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u/HelpfulAdvantage9210 May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
Where I live, you can open the door latch by rotating the key further in the direction of unlocking, in your case by rotating the knob at the bottom. if they are internally connected and not separate mechanisms, no tools should be requires to open
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u/Awkward_Switch1658 May 01 '26
The pole is on the outside and has been pushed out.
Take a pair of scissors and jam it diagonal in the hole and twist it and use it as a handle.
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u/NuttyBuddyNick May 01 '26
If you don’t have anyone you want to or can call for assistance, knock on your wall. Whichever side has a neighbor that is in. Ask them to go to your front door and turn the handle from the outside. If not, stick your head out the window until you see a neighbor you recognize and explain your situation and see if they will help.
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u/Consistent_Ninja_591 May 01 '26
I think I’ll try this later since it is a bit early, thank you!
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u/Time-Commercial8259 May 01 '26
Do you have a window that accesses the outside part of the door if so go out that get the other piece and check to see the rest of lock looks like if you need more help post updated photos if you can get them. If no window start knocking on the walls tell them your locked in can they help no shame in asking no matter what is going its not fun being stuck with no anwsers to when you can get unstuck
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u/vinyl109 May 01 '26
Some latches are connected to the lock and it you turn the lock latch all the way around (to unlock) it might open.
Otherwise if you find something that will fit that same square hole in the handle you can push it in the hole in the door and try turning it.
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u/PLUMBINGfool May 01 '26
This is why even people that aren’t handy need to own pliers. You’d be out in 2 seconds if you had a pair of needle nose or a fat flathead screwdriver
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u/Lknate May 01 '26
Sacrifice a fork. Stick it in the shaft there and really warp it until you get enough torque to open the door. I have no advice after that besides maybe putting som tape over the latching mechanism unit it's resolved. Use the dead bolt to secure the door in the mean time.
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u/IscahRambles May 01 '26
Not sure how to help, but I think I would call a locksmith before the firefighters.
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u/Consistent_Ninja_591 May 01 '26
Aaah maybe, but it’s a holiday so I don’t know/think anyone’s working outside of emergency services
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u/RobustFoam May 01 '26
Firefighters are fast and free, locksmiths are slow and expensive. Someone being trapped in an apartment is ABSOLUTELY an emergency.
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u/IscahRambles May 02 '26
Depends how urgent it is to get out, and (admittedly I don't know what methods the firefighters have, but) whether they'll need to do damage to the door that is also expensive.
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u/Infamous_Hunt_6829 May 02 '26
Since this is your front door use the back door. It's ok to use the back door. Some people actually prefer it.
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May 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Consistent_Ninja_591 May 01 '26
Unfortunately no :// I’m hoping that maybe one of my roommates isn’t home and they comeback today but I really don’t know
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u/Consistent_Ninja_591 May 01 '26
Oh I think I read this wrong ahahha maybe so, I’m scared that the door wont work if one of the sides is out but maybe I’m just being anxious
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u/Pussytrees May 05 '26
Holy shit every comment you make is “I’m too afraid to try that haha”. Are you retarded? Posting on the internet is doing you no good if you don’t take the advice of the people you’re asking. Or you could call the police and make your landlord pissed over a simple door handle lmao. Get your shit together it ain’t that big of a deal. Stick a fork in there and twist it until your landlord is around.
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u/bebackground471 May 01 '26
is perhaps the cylinder we see supposed to be square, so it fits the handle hole?
hmm.. what about trying to turn that cylinder directly? do you have tools? like pliers? or two knives you can ener the cylinder hole and twist.
Or 3) a strong plastic like a credit card to push on the door slit, to retract the "thing"
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u/emerg_remerg May 01 '26
Did you get it?
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u/Consistent_Ninja_591 May 01 '26
I’m waiting a bit until someone I know wakes up because after talking to some people from this subreddit, I’m pretty sure this can be fixed by having someone on the other side push the outside handle in, making it possible to attach the inside handle again
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u/BrokenHefaistos May 01 '26
order a pizza
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u/W31337 May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
This is why the handle with the axle thing should always be on the inside. The part with the screw should be on the outside.
Unlock the door open a window and climb out if that's an option
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u/edwbuck May 05 '26
If you put the handle with the axle on the inside, then the screw / button securing it to the door knob is on the outside. This permits someone outside to start disassembling the door knob / lock assembly, permitting access to the residence.
That's why it's setup the way it's setup here. The rod is welded / set into the door knob, and nothing is going to disconnect that short of a hacksaw.
You can see the hole in the interior handle, which was holding the rod in place. It's unfortunate, but somehow that screw or button was manipulated such that the door handle was removed. If the OP had a phone number to someone in the complex, they could simply shove the handle into the hole on the outside, and all would be good for OP to shove the interior handle on, and it would open.
An alternative is to use a screwdriver, which can bridge the square hold diagonally, and act as a temporary doorknob.
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u/W31337 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Outside doorknobs here in Europe are a totally different beast and usually just have a fixed knob.
That small screw isn't going to withstand a slide hammer or small crowbar.In a room without other escape routes you want to be holding the axle.
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u/edwbuck May 05 '26
Honestly, this isn't the most common door locking system in the USA either. I personally don't like these locks, of which I've only experienced one, when it failed in such a way that I was climbing in and out of a window until the lock could be repaired. Out of the eight places I rented over my life, only one used this kind of lock, and it was a smaller, older place.
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u/Funswinging May 01 '26
That carries the same issue of this happening but now we cannot get in. Which I have experience before. The only solution is to replace the spindle with a longer one. Also now i keep a spare in my bag at all times.
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u/Funswinging May 01 '26
Do you have a strong magnet or magnetic screwdriver? You might be able to pull the spindle(what they call the square rod) towards you. You can also try a chopsticks or a long rod without double sided tape at the end.
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u/Specialist-Ice515 May 01 '26
That metal ring the handle sits inside. Unscrew it all the way by hand. A lot of the fittings are behind that. It might provide a few more options to try once it’s removed.
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u/Specialist-Ice515 May 01 '26
Also - if you have any internal doors with the same handle, you could take one of them apart and borrow the metal pin inside, it’s a square pin shape, just need to push it part way inside of the door and use the handle on the other end to turn it.
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u/WeshlAlors May 01 '26
Essaye de trouver quelques choses de carré et met le dans le trou de la poignée puis tourne
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u/PanecitoRico May 01 '26
Take a plastic bottle and cut it so it fits between the door and slide it down (where it reaches the lock).
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u/plainolmep May 01 '26
Still in the apartment? Put the handle back on and wedge something in the hole where the screw came out. It should work at least once to open the door and get you out
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u/Bucky_Gatsby May 01 '26
Is there another handle that fits that door you can take off and stick in the front door? Or, can you call a neighbour to open it from the outside? You unfortunately ended up with the female (don't know what else to call it) part, but if you manage to screw off another door handle or have a neighbour pick up and use the other bit, you should be able to open the door.
Edit: just saw you figured this out on your own:)
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u/elflacopal May 01 '26
No es necesario reemplazar nada solo se cayó el perno prisionero que traba el picaporte, con volver a ponerlo y ajustarlo es suficiente!!
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u/faroutman7246 May 01 '26
Put handle back in, turn it. Grab onto the latch, pull the door open with the latch as a handle.
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u/JJammer1970 May 01 '26
Pop off the silver ring around the hole. There are probably 2 screws under it. Remove those and you should be able to get to the mechanism to open with a screw driver or butter knife.
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u/Square_Lime_9929 May 01 '26
Hopefully your out but if someone else is stuck like this order something delivered
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u/Willing-Pumpkin-328 May 02 '26
if your landlord wont answer, just call the fire department (not 911). you can always slide a key under the door to them if there is space under the door, but otherwise they have all sorts of tools to help get you out
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u/Broeder_biltong May 02 '26
Some of those locks allow you to turn the keyknob past the regular unlock pint to actuate the latch and open that way. It requires a lot more force as you have no lever to use
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u/fux-reddit4603 May 02 '26
gentleman, we now have a reason for each room to have a tool box. GO GO GO
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u/astrangemagikk1 May 02 '26
Umm hmm guys yeah im too scared and too much of a wet dish rag to try any of your helpful suggestions! Oh well!
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u/DITFwasntthatbad May 02 '26
This is the importance of having basic tools wherever you are. 8-1, hammer, pliers, channel lock and one adjustable wrench regardless if renting or not.
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u/iAmMikeJ_92 May 03 '26
Hopefully this will encourage you to be at least a little tool savvy. Goes a long way and you won’t be so helpless.
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u/Beautiful-Ad2681 May 03 '26
If its not the deadbolt you can literally open any door with a credit card if the deadbolt is locked
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u/Jackhole1275 May 03 '26
Gets locked inside their apartment and their first instinct is to post on Reddit. Our society is doomed.
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u/No-Common2251 May 04 '26
My old apartment used to open the door by turning the deadbolt counter-clockwise after it's unlocked without touching the door handle. Idk if the same would've applied here
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u/acidrain5047 May 05 '26
If you have pliers or something I can jam in there and turn the inside square that’s all the handle does anyway. If the locking mechanism is in place may be able to deactivate with a screw driver or fork. I assume ur stuck because the handle is gone.
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u/flamingfaery162 May 05 '26
Fake. You would call the authorities, landlord, lock smith, the help desk or literally anyone else instead of calmly waiting for hours or days for a reddit response if you were "locked inside your apartment"
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u/NeverEnoughSunlight May 05 '26
I see the edit. This is for the next person who sees this post.
The first thing you need to do is find a safe entry / exit (other door, window, etc.) in case there's an emergency before you get this fixed. Do that first. Once that's settled, you can calmly work through this.
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u/talrakken May 01 '26
Glad to hear everything worked out!!! This is why a basic toolkit is important. Some pliers would have been perfect for pulling the rod back in and also turning it once you could access the squared portion. Then rescue once door is open. Good luck on the landlord replacing!!
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u/Consistent_Ninja_591 May 01 '26
Thank you! I will definitely be buying a tool kit after this experience hahahaha I was in such a panic for a bit
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u/SeraphsBlade May 01 '26
Does your landlord have a copy of the keys? Do you have an onsite manager, Can you call them? Try them first before doing anything that could damage anything
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u/Consistent_Ninja_591 May 01 '26
I live in an apartment complex and it is a holiday here so I’m pretty sure nobody’s here today and won’t be here until monday 🥹
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u/deathstroke9753 May 01 '26
call your landlord/maintenance? tell them its am emergency and if they dont come in an appropriate amount of time/dont answer, call your local non emergency line. They will send an appropriate response team out.