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The insides of the door lock

Sorry i'm in a bit of a pickle here.

So this particular lock style uses plastic with metal on the inside. As far as I could see there was no traditional latch mechanism to trigger to open the latch on the door handle. After removing the plastic to get access to the metal, I found that there was no pulling it at all. The plastic and the metal are conjoined with a small metal rod right about where the plastic meets the wood. You'll see it about halfway in and out assuming the picture worked.

I have no way in or out and since this is a rental property would like to avoid action-movie style kicking the door down guns blazing. The other side of the handle with the lock is inside of the bathroom.

I can't find a single guide on the internet regarding this specific door handle so I'm out of ideas. Thanks for any suggestion

better picture

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  • You can unlatch the door by sliding the gray portion back about 1/4”. You can do this by sticking something in the sliding travers portion and pushing it back...try a screwdriver or key.
    – Lee Sam
    Aug 4, 2018 at 4:02
  • Should have shown us the first picture before you killed it, hopefully it’s not too far mangled at this point.
    – Tyson
    Aug 4, 2018 at 11:59
  • if it's too mangled to work anymore, can you pop the hinges off from your side?
    – dandavis
    Aug 4, 2018 at 19:23

2 Answers 2

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The locking mechanism is in the door handle which has now fallen off. There is no locking mechanism here, it is just a slider.

I don't know if you've ever looked at a door latch, but there's a beveled rod that slides into a "strike" (plate with a hole) on the doorframe. The beveled rod (latch) retracts into the door to allow the door to open.

enter image description here

Part of what you see there is the latch -- probably the silver part.

It is literally as easy as grasping that with any appropriate tool and sliding it inward. This will retract the latch into the door, and it must open.

The moment the door is open, be ready with screwdrivers to remove the latch assembly from the door. Otherwise the dog-gone door will close behind you, and you'll have to do this all over again! Typically with you on the opposite side from your tools!

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Using a pair of needle nose pliers, grab the upper metal part where the plastic is broken away enough to grab both sides and pull it.

If needed, jiggle the door in and out as you pull to help release tension on the latch bolt, so it will pull easier. It may not need it, but if the bolt is engaged in the strike hard, you may need to...

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