I need some advice here! We rented out our old house and ended up with a tenant who decided to sublet it illegally and even replaced some of the original door knobs with deadbolts. We're going back tomorrow with a sheriff to handle the eviction, and while I'm not worried about the exterior locks since I can just change the keypad code, it's the interior locks I'm stuck on. I want to avoid hiring a locksmith for these minor doors and I'm okay with damaging the locks since we plan to replace them anyway. What's the easiest way to remove these deadbolts?
3 Answers
I recently swapped out all the locks in my home, so I can tell you that they usually come out pretty easily with a Phillips head screwdriver. But it sounds like you’re dealing with deadbolts here. If you really can't get to them to unscrew, it might be easier to just drill them out or use a sledgehammer. It might sound crazy, but it could save you time since you’ve already got a lot on your plate with the eviction.
Sorry to hear about your situation! If picking or bumping the locks isn't on the table, I’d recommend looking up how to use a credit card to pop open doors. I know it sounds cliché, but it sometimes works if you can get a bit creative. However, if that fails and you're okay with destruction, just go ahead with a saw or hammer—it might just be the quick solution you need right now!
Yeah, it’s a bit of a mess, but I might have to go full-on chaos to get my property back!
You can usually just unscrew the locks from the inside, but if the doors are locked and you can’t access that, you might be out of luck. But since you’re okay with damaging them, a reciprocating saw with a metal blade would definitely do the trick—just cut them off. Just be careful, things might get messy! Also, you might want to check some videos from locksmiths on YouTube; they sometimes show how to handle tricky locks.
Yeah, the doors are locked, so that's not an option for me. I appreciate the tip about the saw!
Thanks! I thought about drilling them out. Just trying to decide if I want to go full demolition mode!