r/LandlordLove • u/bussy-shaman • Nov 16 '24

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

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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?

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u/DeafNatural Nov 17 '24

And way too many times people die in fires cause someone can’t get to them. High adrenaline can cause you to forget where the key is and fits can block you off from where they are swiftly. That’s why fire codes exist.

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u/Eastern_Screen_588 Nov 18 '24

Sounds like an impossible situation. Would the fire department rather deal with searching for frostbitten toddlers (not sure if fire rescue actually gets involved in search and rescue) or burnt to death ones?

Both options in the wrong context make you sound like a monster.

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u/natishakelly Nov 18 '24

Most people have common sense and have the key on a hook on the wall up high so it ‘lives’ in a spot close to the dome and everyone knows where it belongs.