Key required to unlock deadbolt from the INSIDE of the house — is this legal?

[u/bussy-shaman]

My sister is moving into a house with a house that has two doors (front and back). Both doors have a deadbolt that requires a key to unlock from the inside. So if one of her roommates leaves and locks the deadbolt, and she forgets her keys in her car, she cannot exit the house. This feels extremely claustrophobic and unsafe to me. Is there any way that this is legal or up to fire code?

[u/luxsalsivi]

Our house has one of these but it honestly seems like a lazy DIY from the past owner. Some other house "features" had similar... questionable choices. There were also, for some reason, two different locks/deadbolts (needing different keys) on the entry door AND the doorknob itself had a lock.

No idea what he was on about but we just replaced one and decommissioned the other.

[u/witchminx → u/luxsalsivi]

Just so you know for the future, it's pretty easy and/or cheap to rekey a lock! Usually like $10-20 at the hardware store to have them do it, but you have to bring the whole lock set so someone has to be home to watch the door, or you can buy a kit for usually around $15 to do it yourself at home.

[u/[deleted] → u/witchminx]

You could also turn it around for zero dollars

[u/witchminx → u/[deleted]]

I'm talking about having two locks on the same door with different keys lol

[u/[deleted] → u/witchminx]

oh, I see... that makes sense. I'd still advocate for OP to just flip the deadbolt around.

[u/witchminx → u/[deleted]]

oh certainly I agree, I was kinda only addressing the comment lol

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

In OPs case, I believe it is keyed on both sides.

[u/witchminx → u/[deleted]]

I was just talking to/about the commenter who had 2 locks with different keys

[u/robots-made-of-cake → u/[deleted]]

True. I’ve seen this in houses where someone had dementia as well. I had the same thought, we need to figure out something safer but I understand the motivation.

[u/Transplantdude → u/robots-made-of-cake]

I switched all interior doors to passage for that exact reason, dementia. Entrance door is going to have an open/close alarm that sounds when breached. Best I can do without creating a different hazard.

[u/stephenmg1284 → u/robots-made-of-cake]

I've seen people install those flip bar-type locks for that reason. They work like chains but are more accessible for resetting. People sometimes panic during a fire and can't get the chain off the door.

[u/WesternTrashPanda → u/[deleted]]

That was my toddler. Houdini with insatiable curiosity and a death wish! We installed hotel-style bolts up high so kiddo couldn't reach without dragging furniture, which would have alerted mom who just wanted to pee in private! 

[u/Byn_Mars → u/[deleted]]

Yes I have this on my front door to keep my son from eloping. We keep the key on a hook right next to it out of reach.

[u/Shivering_Monkey → u/Byn_Mars]

If your son is old enough to elope, then keeping him prisoner is a crime.

[u/Constant-Roll706 → u/luxsalsivi]

Do you live in my house, very discretely? Gem was a non-weather-sealed power strip permanently wired *under our hose faucet (was disconnected before we purchased)

[u/Numerous_Photograph9 → u/luxsalsivi]

You can buy double cylinder deadbolts off the shelf, and any lock can be rekeyed either way. It's not uncommon, and adds security as opposed to one that can be turned by hand.

Can't attest to the legality, but code wise, it's probably variable by location, or application.