62 Self-closing doors

Protective Devices and Fire Protection

Self-closing doors are required in all buildings with three or more apartments. Each apartment door need to have self closing DOOR: All residential buildings with 3 or more apartments must have self-closing doors. Ensure apartment door opens from inside without a key and is free of obstructions

Self-Closing Doors Self-closing doors in

apartments and in public hallways are a critical component of fire safety.

Self-closing doors should never be blocked and can help contain a fire from spreading throughout a building.

In all multiple dwelling types, the following doors are required to be self-closing:

• Building entrance doors

• Unit entrance doors

• Fire stair doors

• Fire tower doors

• Bulkhead doors

• Rubbish chute closet doors

When escaping a fire in your home, always close the door as you make your exit. Closing the door saves lives. If doors are left open, flames and smoke from a fire can travel more quickly.

All residential buildings with 3 or more apartments must have self-closing doors. Self-closing doors automatically close after they have been manually opened. Do not tamper with the self-closing hinge or block self-closing doors, and make sure your apartment door opens from the inside without a key.

Self-Closing Doors:

Local Law 62 of 2022 defines a “self-closing door” as a door equipped with a device that will ensure the door, when opened and released, returns to the closed position and self-latches shut.

Local Law 63 of 2022 also amends the New York City Administrative Code in relation to self-closing door corrections, false certifications of correction of violations, and penalties for self-closing door violations. Owners are required to keep and maintain self-closing doors in good repair. Owners who fail to keep and maintain self-closing doors in good repair are liable for a class C immediately hazardous violation.

The Local Law includes the following changes which become effective on July 16, 2022:

• Local Law 63 reduces the amount of time a landlord has to correct a violation to keep or maintain self-closing doors from 21 days to 14 days.

• It clarifies that all doors providing access to interior corridors or stairs in R-1 and R-2 occupancy groups must be equipped with a device that will ensure such doors when opened and released, close shut and self-latches.

• New Civil Penalties for failure to correct a self-closing door violation: o $250 - $500 plus $250 per day from the date set for correction until the violation is corrected.

• Changes to false certification penalties for all violations: A person willfully making a false certification of correction of any violation will be subject to a civil penalty for each violation falsely certified. Civil penalties relating to false certification of correction for non-lead, nonheat violations are as follows: o $500 – $1,000 for each immediately hazardous violation falsely certified

o $250 - $500 for each hazardous violation falsely certified

o $50 - $250 for each non-hazardous violation falsely certified

The Local Law also provides that beginning January 1, 2023:

After the 14-day correction period, HPD will conduct a re-inspection of self-closing door violations within 20 days, regardless of whether the owner has submitted a certification of correction.
HPD will notify tenants of re-inspection efforts and how to reschedule re-inspections if there is no access

§ 27-2041.1 Self-closing doors.

a. It shall be the duty of the owner of a multiple dwelling, which is required to be equipped with self-closing doors pursuant to section 28-315.10, or any other applicable law, to keep and maintain such doors in good repair.

b. Any owner required to keep and maintain self-closing doors pursuant to subdivision a of this section who fails to keep or maintain such doors shall be liable for a class C immediately hazardous violation. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the time within which to correct such violation shall be twenty-one days after service of the notice of violation.

(L.L. 2018/111, 6/9/2018, eff. 6/9/2019)

§ 27-2041.1 Self-closing doors.

c. The department shall conduct a re-inspection of a self-closing door violation no later than 20 days after the expiration of the correction period specified in subdivision b, notwithstanding any submission of a certification of correction. The department shall make reasonable efforts to conduct a re-inspection of a self-closing door violation that was issued for a door that opens into an interior corridor and is an entrance door to a dwelling unit, and shall notify the occupant of such dwelling unit of efforts to re-inspect the door within the re-inspection period specified in this subdivision, including information on how to reschedule the re-inspection if the department was unable to access the door for re-inspection.

d. Notwithstanding the civil penalties set forth in subdivision (a) of section 27-2115, the civil penalty for a violation of subdivision a of this section shall be not less than two hundred fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars and, in addition, two hundred fifty dollars per day from the date set for correction until the violation is corrected.

(L.L. 2018/111, 6/9/2018, eff. 6/9/2019; Am. L.L. 2022/063, 6/1/2022, eff. 7/16/2022 and 1/1/2023)

Editor's note: Pursuant to Section 5 of L.L. 2022/063, subdivision c takes effect on January 1, 2023.

§ 27-2042 Mirrors in elevators.

The owner of a multiple dwelling in which there are one or more self-service elevators shall affix and maintain in each such elevator a mirror which enables persons to view its interior before entering the same. The mirror shall meet such requirements as the department shall by regulation prescribe.

§ 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.

§ 27-2044 Fire protection in certain old law tenements.

a. In every old law tenement which is less than four stories in height:

(1) Every door opening into any entrance hall or stair, or into any public hall connected therewith, shall be self-closing; every glazed opening or glazed panel in such a door shall be glazed with wire glass, and every transom opening upon any public hall shall be glazed with wire glass firmly secured in a closed position; and

(2) Every interior sash, or opening other than a door, in the walls or partitions of any such hall, and every window in any such hall not opening to the outer air, shall be removed and the openings closed up and fire-retarded; and

(3) The ceiling of the cellar, or if there is no cellar, of the basement or other lowest story, shall be fire-retarded unless such ceiling already has been plastered or covered in a manner satisfactory to the department with plasterboard or gypsum board at least one-half inch in thickness.

b. In every old law tenement which is four stories or more in height:

(1) On all stories above the third story, every apartment door opening into any stair or into any public hall connected therewith, unless such stair or public hall is protected by an approved sprinkler system shall have a fire resistance rating of at least one hour. Existing door frames in good condition may be retained. All such doors shall comply with this requirement, not later than November second, nineteen hundred seventy-three.

(2) For all stories below the fourth story, any application for an alteration permit for alterations to be made in an apartment below the fourth story shall include the provision that every door of such apartment opening into any entrance hall, stair or into any public hall connected therewith, unless such entrance hall, stair or public hall is protected by an approved sprinkler system, shall have a fire resistance rating of at least one hour. Existing door frames in good condition may be retained.

(3) Where apartment doors having a fire resistance rating of at least one hour are required, every transom opening upon any entrance hall, stair or public hall connected therewith shall be sealed and fire retarded. All other transoms opening upon any entrance hall, stair or public hall connected therewith shall be glazed with wire glass and permanently sealed in a closed position.

(4) All doors opening into any entrance hall, stair or into any public hall connected therewith shall be self-closing; every glazed opening or glazed panel in such a door shall be glazed with wire glass.

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