Rochester, NY Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)

Section 90-12(A) covers building entry: in a multiple dwelling where the main entrance is equipped with separate bells for each dwelling unit, that main entrance must remain locked at all times, a basic access-control measure tied to the intercom-style entry system common in Rochester apartment buildings. Section 90-12(B) covers interior circulation: in any multiple dwelling two or more stories tall, every door that opens onto a public hall or stairway must be equipped with a self-closing device, so hallway and stairwell doors cannot be propped open indefinitely.

Section 90-12(C) sets the performance standard for that hardware: the self-closing device must be properly installed and kept in good working order, and it has to be able to close and latch under its own power when released from a sixty-degree open position, a specific mechanical benchmark rather than a vague 'working closer' requirement. The same subsection expressly disqualifies the cheapest fix: common screen-door spring closures cannot be used to satisfy the self-closing device requirement, so a building cannot substitute a lightweight screen-door spring for real self-closing door hardware on a hall or stairway door.