Dayton, OH Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Interior doors
- Working hardware required
- Privacy doors
- Locking devices required where needed
- Garages
- Functioning lock required
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor of the third degree
Summary
Dayton's housing code requires interior doors to fit their frames with working hardware and locking devices for privacy, and requires every garage to have a functioning lock against unauthorized entry.
Doors to habitable rooms, bathrooms, and toilet rooms shall fit the openings in which they are hung, be properly equipped with hardware and be maintained in good working condition. Doors with locking devices shall be provided where necessary to provide privacy and protection of the occupant;(O)All walls, ceilings, floors, doors, windows, and woodwork shall be kept clean and free of loose, defective, or missing parts, peeling paint and paper;(P)The exterior open space around each dwelling shall be maintained or so improved so as to provide for:(1)The immediate diversion of water away from buildings and proper drainage of the lot;(2)Grass, plantings, or other suitable ground cover to prevent soil erosion which is or may become detrimental to the structures, lot use, or adjacent lots and structures;(3)Yardwalks, parking areas, driveways, and exterior steps which are of sound construction and maintained free of defects. (Ord. 21788, passed 9-22-65; Ord. 23095, passed 8-28-68)
Cross reference— Penalty, see § 93.99.
Sec. 93.33.1. - Unoccupied or vacant dwellings.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
Dayton R.C.G.O. § 93.33(N), in the housing code's structural-soundness section, requires doors to habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms to fit their openings, carry working hardware, and be fitted with locking devices where necessary for the occupant's privacy and protection. A companion provision, § 93.52(B), requires every garage to have properly functioning doors with locks or similar mechanisms sufficient to exclude unauthorized entry. Both sections sit in Chapter 93 Housing, enforced by the city's Housing Inspector, and a violation of either is a misdemeanor of the third degree under § 93.99(A).
Violations & Fines
A violation of either the interior-door-hardware or garage-lock requirement is a misdemeanor of the third degree under § 93.99(A), with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dayton require locks on interior bedroom or bathroom doors?
Are garages required to have locks too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dayton
Compare Dayton to another location·View the Ohio building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.