What locks are required for interior apartment doors? Are deadbolts, or some type of secure locks required. Keys for all locks?

Dear New York Tenant:

If you live in a building with three or more apartments, NYC law requires a deadbolt lock as well as a chain for the interior of the apartment door:

">>>Sec. [D26-20.05] 27-2043 Locks in dwelling unit doors

a. The owner of a dwelling shall provide a key lock in the entrance door to each dwelling unit and at least one key. In a class A multiple dwelling such door shall be equipped with a heavy-duty latch set and a heavy duty dead bolt operable by a key from the outside and a thumb-turn from the inside.

b. Each dwelling unit entrance door in a Class A multiple dwelling shall also be equipped with a chain door guard so as to permit partial opening of the door. >>>"

http://tenant.net/Other_Laws/HMC/sub2/art11.html#27-2043

You may inform your landlord about the requirement for a deadbolt lock as well as door chain.

You may start a lawsuit in Housing Court for repairs (an HP Proceeding Look it up at NYC Housing Court HP Proceeding.)

You are also entitled by NY State law to add your own lock to the apartment door.

See: http://codes.findlaw.com/ny/multiple-dwelling-law/mdw-sect-51-c.html

">>>Every tenant of a multiple dwelling, except a tenant of a multiple dwelling under the supervision and control of a municipal housing authority, occupied by him, except as a hotel or motel, or college or school dormitory, shall have the right to install and maintain or cause to be installed and maintained in the entrance door of his particular housing unit in such multiple dwelling, a lock, separate and apart from any lock installed and maintained by the owner of such multiple dwelling, not more than three inches in circumference, as an ordinary incident to his tenancy, provided that a duplicate key to such lock shall be supplied to the landlord or his agent upon his request;  and every provision of any lease hereafter made or entered into which reserves or provides for the payment by such tenant of any additional rent, bonus, fee or other charge or any other thing of value for the right or privilege of installing and/or maintaining any such lock, shall be deemed to be void as against public policy and wholly unenforceable.>>>"

The door should have a peephole:

">>>In every multiple dwelling the owner shall provide and maintain a peephole in the entrance door of each housing unit.  Such peephole shall be located, as prescribed by the department, but shall be so located as to enable a person in such housing unit to view from the inside of the entrance door any person immediately outside of the entrance door to such housing unit.  The provisions of this section shall not apply to hotels or apartment hotels or to college or school dormitories.>>>"

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