Locksmith in 94002, Belmont

One ZIP, very different streets

Belmont is small on the map but hilly in real life. The eastern flats near El Camino Real and Old County Road are a grid of mid-century houses, apartments and small shops. West of Alameda de las Pulgas the streets climb and twist, and many houses sit well above or below the road with stairs, side gates and lower-level entrances. A locksmith who knows that will ask which door you are locked out of and where to park, because on some hillside streets the nearest legal space is a short walk away.

The hills: Belmont Woods, Western Hills and Carlmont

Hillside homes often have more doors than people expect: a front door, a garage entry, a deck slider and a basement or in-law unit. Over the years each one may have gained a different brand of lock. A common request here is to rekey everything to one key, which usually means swapping a cylinder or two so they share a keyway. Gates are the other frequent call. Wooden side gates with cheap latches swell in winter rain, and a padlock or keyed latch that sticks can leave you unable to reach the back of your own property.

The flats: Sterling Downs, Homeview and the El Camino corridor

The flatter neighbourhoods have more rentals and apartment buildings, so rekeying between tenants and changing mailbox locks come up often. Landlords should note that California law sets rules on lock changes during evictions; the lock change happens only after the sheriff's lockout, never before. Tenants who want an extra deadbolt should get written permission and give the landlord a key if the lease requires it.