Locked Out of Your Fort Lauderdale Condo: What to Do
Updated: November 2026
If you're locked out of a Fort Lauderdale condo, call the front desk or management first — many associations hold a key to each unit — and only call a locksmith if they can't open it, with your ID or lease ready to show. In a city where about half of all homes are in large buildings (NeighborhoodScout), getting back in is as much about the building as the lock.
- Licensed & insured
- 6-month workmanship warranty
- About 20 min to you
Which kind of building are you in?
Fort Lauderdale's towers aren't all alike. On the Galt Mile, where the community association lists 31 member associations, buildings like Galt Towers run 24-hour guards and require security keys at every access door (Galt Mile Community Association). Downtown and along Las Olas, many towers are new — 13 were under construction downtown in mid-2025 (Sun-Sentinel via Yahoo News) — and each one sets its own visitor and vendor rules. Older two- and three-story condo buildings in Victoria Park or Central Beach may have nobody at a desk at all, which makes the spare key with a neighbor more important.
1. Safety first
Someone at risk inside, water running, something on the stove: call 911. Fire-rescue can get in faster than anyone.
2. The free options, in order
- Front desk, concierge or security. Ask whether management has a key on file. Florida law lets a condo association into units when upkeep requires it (F.S. 718.111), and many keep keys for that reason.
- The property manager, if you rent the unit.
- A family member or neighbor with a spare.
3. If no one can open it
Call a locksmith and give them, up front:
- the building name and how vendors get in (desk sign-in, fob door, guest code)
- the lock on your door (knob, deadbolt, keypad)
- your name as it appears on the lease or deed Ask for the total, not just a "service call". Our condo lockouts start at $110 and usually come to $110–175, the same at night, with a typical arrival of about 20 minutes anywhere in Fort Lauderdale — we confirm the time when you call.
4. When the locksmith arrives
- The desk may sign them in or ask for a certificate of insurance — that's normal.
- They should show ID; you'll show proof you live there (it can be inside).
- No drilling without your OK and a price for the new lock.
5. Keys gone for good — not sitting on the counter
Rekey the unit door (rekey), then give the association a copy if your documents require one. Mailbox keys usually go through management.
Visiting or renting short-term?
Call your host or the rental company first — they may have a code, a lockbox or a cleaner nearby. If they ask you to call a locksmith, you'll need the booking confirmation.