The purpose of this rule in not for the co-op to bust into your bedroom and inspect the locks. The purpose is to cover them legally if someone violates the rules and burns to death in their bedroom.
19
In a rental property, if you put serious locks (other than the push button type) on non-fire egress routes, you have to get a boardinghouse license. So if you want to operate a bed and breakfast, and your tenants expect to be able to lock their doors against other tenants, you need to get a license.
11
This is common sense for the DIY crowd, LOCKS means no entry.
The type of lock also bars EXIT if the room has a fire escape.
Pass-Through Lockset = No Locking with two door knobs on same side, and the Privacy Lockset = push button NO KEY (two doorknobs, push button on inside, hole on outside), I have locked myself out of many rooms accidentally, do not assume that its locked because someone on the other side will gladly open the door in an emergency. A child can lock themselves in a bedroom or bathroom, unable to open the door. A person can be overcome by smoke in the seconds before the door is opened, now two people, one unconscious, need to escape a fire. Everyone check their doors. even a toothpick or the ubiquitous Ikea wrench will open the lock if inserted into the hole.
Now everyone please remove those AC's from fire escape windows. you dont need house rules, laws or a letter to understand why.
The type of lock also bars EXIT if the room has a fire escape.
Pass-Through Lockset = No Locking with two door knobs on same side, and the Privacy Lockset = push button NO KEY (two doorknobs, push button on inside, hole on outside), I have locked myself out of many rooms accidentally, do not assume that its locked because someone on the other side will gladly open the door in an emergency. A child can lock themselves in a bedroom or bathroom, unable to open the door. A person can be overcome by smoke in the seconds before the door is opened, now two people, one unconscious, need to escape a fire. Everyone check their doors. even a toothpick or the ubiquitous Ikea wrench will open the lock if inserted into the hole.
Now everyone please remove those AC's from fire escape windows. you dont need house rules, laws or a letter to understand why.
15
What are these people afraid of? Dead bolts on bedroom doors? A little paranoid i think and maybe they've been watching too many horror movies. Urban paranoia at it's best.
4
It's funny that lately questions in "Ask Real Estate" are dead give-aways of fishy things going on. First we had the person who wanted to "swap" apartments with a friend in Italy for 60 days, only to ask then whether two people could rent the apartment for half the time each. Now we have someone who wants to lock a bedroom door with a key, questioning "a rule prohibiting locks with keys on bedroom doors." Really? Whom is he locking out?
Keys get lost, keys fall out of keyholes; and when people are crazed with fear because there's a fire in the apartment, keys can flip right out of their fingers and not be found in a room full of smoke.
Geez. I'd hate to be a landlord. Or head of a co-op board.
Keys get lost, keys fall out of keyholes; and when people are crazed with fear because there's a fire in the apartment, keys can flip right out of their fingers and not be found in a room full of smoke.
Geez. I'd hate to be a landlord. Or head of a co-op board.
15
In addition to blocking egress from a bedroom fire escape, locks on these doors are often a sign of subletting. Most co-ops have rules regarding the renting out of rooms and some prohibit subletting entirely.
30
Yep, I think this is the real reason.
6
But even if a bedroom lock has a key the door would still be able to opened from the inside by means of a pushbutton. I don't see why it's a problem.
2
The fear is if you lock the door on the outside and leave with the key. In an emergency, anyone needing to get to exit through the bedroom would be not be able to do so.
14
A very young child can also enter the room and lock himself in. If the key is not available, the child will be stuck.
7
Lox on bedroom doors is also highly discouraged.
31
Agreed, we usually put lox on our bagels!
5
How disheartening to learn that if I try to do so, I'd be breaking the law.