Doors and Windows - cannot can't unlock bathroom door from outside not a flat shape inside knob

No matter what I do, I cannot unlock my bathroom door from the outside. My 3 year old grand daughter locked it and then shut it. It has a long handle, not a round knob. There is a hole in the handle and when you look in with a flashlight it looks like a pentagon shape. We have the flat key we use in other doors but this knob is different, it won't work in this one. I went to home depot and they said buy a lock with a key, open the set, use the key to open it and then return the set back to the store. Sounds good but only locks I could find have the flat key in them. I bought all kinds of long sticks with different ends on them, hexagon, octagon, none worked. Running out of options, good thing I have extra bathrooms but what happens if she is in there when it locks the next time. No name or brand on lock. I don't want to replace, it is a brand new lock put on before we moved here. My daughers apartment knobs are the same and she has no key if they get locked either. help please, tks. LindaSueBob

You can buy a halfway decent bed and bath lockset for about $15.00.
You probably spent more than that on gas trying to find this thing.
Your choice.

Welcome to the forums! My granddaughter did the exact same thing in their bathroom, only from the inside. She's in Denver, I'm in Georgia, so I had to walk a hysterical mother through how to do it. Usually a small screwdriver set will have at least one blade large enough to turn the lock. Can you give us the brand name of the lockset? It may help us.
One thing on the bright side. While were visiting back in early December, I noted their bathroom had the outside handle with no hole in it, while our bedroom had a hole on the outside handle with no lock. So I switched the outside handles. Glad I did, as she would absolutely have not gotten her out.
Let us know how it goes.

No, I have No Choice. The landlord will not let her change the locks on the doors. Right now she has to duct tape the locks so the little girl does not lock the doors on the bathroom and master bedroom. One is locked, cannot be opened and locked again so the door cannot be closed at all. the landlord replaced all the doors on the apartments, the inside doors and did not keep the keys. So no one can unlock a door once it is locked, they are privacy doors, not a main entry door. So with mine I can change the lock easy enough. No matter what we try on either door it will not open, it appears when you look inside it is pentagon shaped, not a slot, not hexagon or octagon. Nothing works, we tried everything in the tool box plus more bought at home depot. Thanks.

The privacy locksets with a hole in the knob take something long and slender like a nail to open.
Just push it into the hole and if you have it properly centered you will feel spring pressure when you push on it.
Just push the spring and turn the knob.

Have you tried an old credit card? Works like a dream in the movies. Insert it behind the door stop level with the lock and push it in. This method often works, if you failed with a small screw driver, which you turn to the left.

There are screwdrivers with hex heads that mightwork. Buy some that are close to the size and try this, it would fit like a key and turn it left as twelvepole suggested.

Would I be completely off base in thinking that if there are locking doors "Inside" an apartment/Rental Home" the landlord needs to provide keys to all locks or if keys are not available he/she should (or could be required to) change the locks so both landlord and tennant have keys?

Not sure what your state laws are on that but every "Rental" property I've lived in required I had the same set of keys for ALL locks as the landlord had.

Just a thought.

Aces.

Aces, I totally agree. I'd also demand for the landlord to remedy the situation with the locked door or call a locksmith. I'd also demand a key so that in the event it happens again, the resident could open the door. After the landlord has to pay the locksmith, he might rethink his having tossed the keys.

Of course there are laws on the books! The next time it happens call the fire department. After the extraction explain the circumstance to the firemen, and ask them to notify the Fire Marshal. The local BUILDING OFFICAL may get involved, inspecting the premises for other violations.

You can bring a world of hurt to the doorstep of an ignorant landlord, but you can't do it by calling a locksmith. That call, you pay for. If your really want to punish the dummy call the local news crew after calling the fire department.