Handle/ lock broken on bathroom door

[Passthefleece]

Hi please can I have some advice? We are on holiday in France and the bathroom door handle/ lock has broken in the apartment we are staying in. I am stuck inside! It’s the normal latchbolt to close the door, not the deadbolt.

We (OH on the other side!) have called the emergency number for the hotel twice in two hours (their reception is closed) and there’s been no reply to our voicemails. Left one message in English and one in French and took a video of the handle not working. We then called the fire brigade who are reluctant to come out so they have also called the emergency hotel number to leave a voicemail in French. They said they’d come out if we still don’t get a reply but have warned us we will have to pay for the damage. I can’t stay here until reception opens so we are going to have to call the fire service out.

Do we have a leg to stand on with refusing to pay for any damage?

Oh poor you! Can you take a photo of the lock? Is there anything you (or more likely OH from other side) could unscrew to maybe allow you to dismantle the handle/lock?

Actually first suggestion, try using a credit card or something else that’s similarly flat and hard, slide it down the curved side of the latch iyswim and it should push it in enough to open the door? I may have misunderstood the problem though

Oh no! Definitely think you're shouldn't be paying for any damage if they have a faulty lock and don't reply to calls

OH had a screwdriver in the car so was able to get the handle off but that’s when we realised the latch had somehow come away and was wedged at an angle!

The spring (??) might have gone as it didn’t budge with a knife or credit card.

Hmm if the spring has gone it ought to just slide back.

Update: I am free!

The fire service attended and sawed through the part of the latch that was stuck in the lock. I could hear a lot of tutting on the other side and it took a few minutes.

We have several videos to show the handle was faulty, some sort of reference from the firefighters who attended and all the bits of the handle in a bag. Nothing more to do until reception opens in the morning (their emergency line still hasn’t replied!).

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At least you’re IN the bathroom.
My nightmare would be getting stuck somewhere without a toilet.

if you have a screwdriver, can you take the hinges off?

Actually it just had a bath and a sink… if they were 10 mins longer I’d have had to have to gone in the bath 🤣

Couldn't get to the hinges and also the door opened out onto the top of the stairs so OH forbade me from ramming it!

Flipping heck! That's scary!!

I have a downstairs bathroom, came home a few weeks ago and the door had locked itself. Good job I wear incontinence pads. It was not funny! I had to get a screwdriver to open the door.