Grand Rapids, MI Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Lock required
- On all exterior/entry doors
- Peephole height
- Max 5 feet from floor
- Exception
- Doors with adjacent window
- Checked during
- Certificate of Compliance inspection
Summary
Grand Rapids requires every exterior door on a rental unit to have a working lock and mandates a peephole viewer on entry doors without windows.
All exterior doors used by occupant(s) or the public shall include a lock in good condition in accordance with Section 702.3. Locks at all entrances to dwelling units and sleeping units shall tightly secure the door. ... All entry/exit doors shall be equipped with a peephole door viewer installed not more than five (5) feet from the floor and in good repair, unless the door is equipped with a window or there is a window adjacent to the door.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 70).
Full Breakdown
Property Maintenance Code § 304.15, adopted into Chapter 140 by City Code § 8.504, requires all exterior doors used by occupants or the public to include a working lock, and requires locks at every dwelling and sleeping unit entrance to tightly secure the door. Entry/exit doors must also have a peephole viewer mounted no more than five feet from the floor and kept in good repair, unless the door already has a window or an adjacent window. Code Compliance inspectors check this during Certificate of Compliance inspections.
Violations & Fines
Missing or non-functioning locks or peepholes are cited as Property Maintenance Code violations, enforced as a civil infraction under § 8.503, and can block issuance of a rental Certificate of Compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every rental unit need a peephole?
Who enforces the door lock rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Rapids
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Door Locking Hardware in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Kent County handle door locking hardware.