Cranston, RI Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- Workable lock on rental exterior doors
- Enforcer
- Division of minimum housing standards
- Max fine
- $200.00 per offense
- Max jail
- 30 days
- Applies to
- Rental-income exterior doors
Summary
Cranston's housing code requires every exterior door on rental property to have a workable lock kept in sound working condition, enforced by the division of minimum housing standards.
Windows and Doors. Every window, exterior door and bulkhead shall be reasonably weathertight, watertight and rodent-proof. All exterior doors located on property from which rental income is received shall be required to have a workable lock to be kept in sound working condition.
D. Stairways and Porches. Every inside and outside stairway, every porch and every appurtenance thereto shall be constructed and maintained in safe condition and good repair.
E. Plumbing Facilities. Every plumbing fixture, water pipe and waste pipe shall be properly installed and maintained in good sanitary working condition, free from defects, leaks and obstructions.
F.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4824304; v14 updated 2026-05-18).
Full Breakdown
Under the city's minimum housing standards, every exterior door on a Cranston dwelling must be reasonably weathertight, watertight and rodent-proof, and any exterior door on property from which rental income is received must have a workable lock kept in sound working condition. The director of the division of minimum housing standards, part of the inspection department, enforces this requirement through inspections, notices of violation and compliance orders under the same chapter.
Violations & Fines
Fine up to $200.00 or up to 30 days imprisonment, or both, per Cranston Code of Ordinances § 15.12.290; each day a violation continues is a separate offense, and the municipal court has jurisdiction over minimum housing cases under § 15.12.310.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cranston require locks on rental unit doors?
Who enforces Cranston's rental lock requirement?
What happens if a landlord ignores the lock requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cranston
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Door Locking Hardware in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle door locking hardware.