Yakima, WA Building Safety: Door Locking Hardware (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- YMC § 11.40.304.18.1
- Applies to
- Rented dwelling/rooming/housekeeping unit doors
- Requirement
- Functioning deadbolt, no-key egress
- Install standard
- Per manufacturer's specifications
- Penalty
- $250-$1,000 escalating (§11.40.106.4)
Summary
Every door giving access to a rented dwelling, rooming or housekeeping unit in Yakima must have a dead-bolt lock that opens from the inside without a key or special effort, installed per the manufacturer's specifications and kept in good working order, under YMC § 11.40.304.18.1, the city's amendment to the International Property Maintenance Code.
304.18.1 Doors. Doors providing access to a dwelling unit, rooming unit or housekeeping unit that is rented, leased or let shall be equipped with a dead-bolt lock designed to be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge or effort. Such deadbolt locks shall be installed according to the manufacturer's specifications and maintained in good working order.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4980636; v1 updated 2026-08-03; through 08-03-2026).
Full Breakdown
1 to require a dead-bolt lock on every door providing access to a dwelling unit, rooming unit or housekeeping unit that is 'rented, leased or let,' so the rule reaches landlords, not owner-occupants. The lock must be 'designed to be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge or effort,' meaning tenants can never be locked in by a key-only deadbolt on the exit side. The lock must also be 'installed according to the manufacturer's specifications and maintained in good working order,' so a deadbolt that is present but broken, mis-installed, or painted shut still violates the section. 111.
Violations & Fines
Renting a unit without a dead-bolt lock meeting § 11.40.304.18.1, or letting an installed deadbolt go unmaintained, is a property maintenance code violation subject to the § 11.40.106.4 penalty schedule: $250 for missing the abatement deadline after notice, escalating to $500, $750 and $1,000 for repeat offenses within 24 months, plus $50 for each additional day the violation continues, or a civil infraction of up to $250 at the code official's discretion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Yakima require deadbolt locks on rental unit doors?
Can a Yakima landlord install a keyed deadbolt that locks tenants in?
What happens if my Yakima rental's deadbolt is broken?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima
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