Last night I decided to go down to the little store downstairs and get myself something to drink. As I was leaving my apartment, I realized that for some weird reason I couldn’t lock my door from the outside. Locking it from the inside is difficult, but not impossible. But I can’t for the life of me manage to lock it from the outside.
So basically, I’m stuck at home until I can figure out a way to get it fixed. The obvious answer is to call a locksmith and get him/her to come fix it. But it’s Sunday, which probably means it’s going to be a major pain in the ass to sort out. I’ve been trying to get a hold of my landlord to ask him what he wants me to do, but he’s disappeared as well.
It’s such a nice day out today too, and I’ve been stuck inside on the couch watching the sun go down and listening to all the joggers and rollerbladers heading for the seawall. I’m going to attempt to take it apart myself and see if I can figure out what’s wrong, but it really feels like something is broken inside so I’m not getting my hopes up.
** update – I called a locksmith, and they want $600 – $800 to come today to fix it. So, I guess I’m stuck at home until tomorrow. I’m lucky I don’t have surgery tomorrow, or I’d be screwed.
This is a good time to get a guard dog. 😉
This is kind of funny–(well, in a mean kind of sucks to be you, way 😛 ) you’re a prisoner inside your own apartment because you can’t lock the door to go out. I am sure there is some grand metaphor for life in all of this. Maybe you can figure it out while you’re doing your time to prevent a crime…
Just pulled out one of my text books from last semester. The Residential Tenancy Act requires that your landlord post or give you a number emergency repairs. Emergency repairs includes “defective locks that give access to the residential premises”. If the tenant has made a reasonable effort on 2 or more occasions to contact the person at the telephone number referred to above, then the tenant may have the repairs made. The tenant may then deduct the amount of the cost of these repairs from future rent payments.
In other words, if the landlord doesn’t want a $600 – $800 bill, then he needed to provide you a phone number for you to call so he could have the locksmith he has a contract with do it.
Now that I typed all of that, I found this page that says the same thing in section 1.4.3 to 1.4.5
Cool thanks.. I talked to him on the phone, and he left the option up to me whether I call them tonight or not.. But, since I can still lock it from the inside, I think I’ll just save him a few hundred bucks. But that’s some good information — thanks for looking it up.
Like I said… duct tape.