Clifton, NJ Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)

Section 273-8I of the City Code, added by the 1967-68 housing standards amendments (Ord. Nos. " Main entrance and other exterior exit doors need heavy-duty lock sets with stopwork controlled only by a master key, and the tenant's outside key may not also open that tenant's own apartment door. Main entrance locks must stay locked but freely operable from inside at all times. Interior dwelling-unit doors need a heavy-duty knob lock plus a separate dead bolt or auxiliary latch bolt that cannot be manipulated except by key.

Every unit outside dormitories also needs a chain door guard, and every unit outside dormitories and garden apartments needs a viewing device (peephole) positioned so an occupant can see who is outside. Openable windows must have sash locks that operate from the inside only; grilles are allowed but must also be lockable only from the inside, and cannot block an exit route. The public officer who finds a violation follows the notice-and-hearing procedure of Sections 273-3 and 273-7: the owner gets written findings and a repair order with a deadline, and an aggrieved owner may seek relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Failure to comply lets the public officer arrange the repair and bill the owner, with the cost becoming a municipal lien on the property under Section 273-6.