--- title: "Unlocked, Yet the Door Will Not Give: What Is Holding It" description: "The key turns all the way and the door stays put. The usual culprits, from a dropped latch to a hook that has not withdrawn, and what is safe to try before calling." url: "https://locksmithmutxamel.es/blog/unlocked-yet-the-door-will-not-give/" business: "Locksmith Mutxamel" --- # Unlocked, yet the door will not give The key turns all the way and the door stays exactly where it is. The usual culprits, from a dropped door to a multipoint that never let go, and what is safe to try before calling. 30 October 2026 · 4 min read You turn the key as far as it goes. It feels unlocked. And the door does not move. It is one of the most common calls a locksmith gets, and the cause is nearly always one of a handful of things. ## The door has dropped Hinges wear, and a heavy door slowly sags. The bolt or latch then rubs against the keep in the frame, so even when the lock is open the door is held by friction. **Try:** lift the door slightly by the handle, or push it firmly towards the frame, while turning the key. If it opens, the hinges and keep need adjusting before it jams for good. ## The multipoint has not fully released On many chalet and armoured doors, lifting the handle throws extra bolts at the top and bottom, and the key only locks them. If the handle is not pushed fully down after unlocking, some of those bolts stay in. **Try:** unlock, then push the handle all the way down and hold it there as you pull. ## There is a second lock Many older timber doors, in the centre and in El Ravalet for example, have a second lock higher up, or a bolt inside. Someone may have used it without telling you. **Try:** look at the edge of the door and the frame for a second keyhole or keep. ## The cylinder spins, but nothing happens If the key turns round and round with no resistance, the part of the cylinder that moves the bolt (the cam) may have broken, or the cylinder has come loose in the door. No amount of turning will help. **Try:** nothing more. That one needs a locksmith. ## Habits that turn a stuck door into a broken one - Do not force the key: a snapped key in the cylinder turns a stuck door into a harder job. - Do not shoulder the door: frames split before locks give. - Do not spray oil into the cylinder; a dry lubricant is fine, oil gathers dust. If none of this works and you are outside, see [how doors are opened without damage](https://locksmithmutxamel.es/door-opening-mutxamel/). If it opened but the lock is clearly worn, [a booked lock change](https://locksmithmutxamel.es/lock-change-mutxamel/) avoids the next time. If the keys are not in your hand at all but on a desk in Alicante, [read this](https://locksmithmutxamel.es/blog/keys-left-at-work-in-alicante/), and if you have just bought the house, [which locks to change first](https://locksmithmutxamel.es/blog/bought-a-chalet-gate-door-and-annex-in-that-order/). Tried all of this and it is still shut? Doors are opened through the latch or the cylinder first, and the drill only comes out with your agreement. [Door opening Mutxamel, starting with the latch and leaving the drill in the van](https://locksmithmutxamel.es/door-opening-mutxamel/) Two more worth a look - [Bought a chalet? The gate, the front door and the annex, in that order](https://locksmithmutxamel.es/blog/bought-a-chalet-gate-door-and-annex-in-that-order/) · 4 min - [Keys left at work in Alicante, and home is ten kilometres away](https://locksmithmutxamel.es/blog/keys-left-at-work-in-alicante/) · 3 min - [Every guide for Mutxamel](https://locksmithmutxamel.es/blog/) ## Easier to explain it on the phone? Ring at any hour, or send a photo of the door and a location pin on WhatsApp. Open 24 hours · 7 days [+34 678 583 290](tel:+34678583290) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/34678583290?text=Hi%2C%20I%20need%20a%20locksmith%20in%20Mutxamel.%20Where%20I%20am%20(street%2C%20and%20the%20urbanization%20or%20partida%3A%20Bonalba%2C%20Valle%20del%20Sol%2C%20El%20Ravalet%2C%20Riodel%E2%80%A6)%20and%20what%20has%20happened%3A)