Inspections of Self-Closing Doors rule by city of NY (pdf file)

Inspections of Self-Closing Doors rule by city of NY (PDF FILE)

Adopted rule summary:

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is adopting rules relating to inspections of self-closing doors in multiple dwellings. The rules provide for criteria for inspection of self-closing doors by HPD in accordance with Local Law 71 of 2022.

Administrative Code section 27-2041.1, which was added by Local Law 111 for the year
2018 and amended by Local Law 63 of 2022, requires owners of multiple dwellings that are
required to be equipped with self-closing doors by Administrative Code section 28-315.10 to
keep and maintain such self-closing doors in good repair. The rationale for this requirement is
to ensure that in case of a fire in an apartment, smoke will not spread to hallways and other
apartments due to a door that is left open and does not self-close. Owners are responsible for
inspecting these doors and maintaining them in good repair. Required self-closing doors must
close and latch on their own without having to be pulled shut manually.

In 2022, the City Council enacted Local Law 71 of 2022, which added section 27-2041.2
to the Administrative Code. Section 27-2041.2 requires HPD to periodically inspect certain selfclosing doors in class A multiple dwellings. HPD must annually select 300 buildings for
inspections of self-closing doors pursuant to criteria established by rule. The rules provide the
criteria for selection of class A multiple dwelling buildings, which include building size and recent
history of violations for conditions which could create fire safety hazards. The criteria are based
on the connection between the conditions described in the criteria and the potential for a fire
safety hazard to be created. In buildings which potentially have such hazards, a non-functioning
self-closing door may result in serious harm, and repeated heat complaints may indicate
conditions that may cause tenants to use heaters that could cause a fire.

The law and rules also exclude buildings from selection that are under administrative or
legal oversight and are therefore already monitored for potentially hazardous conditions,
including non-functioning self-closing doors.

NYC HPD SELF-CLOSING DOORS RULE 

25-181. Criteria for selection of class A multiple dwelling buildings for inspections of self-closing
doors.
(a) The Department will select 300 buildings annually for inspections of self-closing doors. Each
building selected by the Department must have more than six dwelling units and must meet at
least one of the criteria set forth in paragraphs (1) to (4) of this subdivision:
(1) Buildings having at least one complaint on record with the Department regarding a
self-closing door within the three years prior to selection;
(2) Buildings with more than five heat complaints on record with the Department in each
of the three heat seasons prior to selection;
(3) Buildings with at least one fire-safety related violation issued by the Department of
Buildings within the three years prior to selection; or
(4) Buildings that have failed to file an annual boiler report with the Department of
Buildings, where applicable, within the three years prior to selection.
(b) The Department will prioritize selection of buildings meeting the criteria set forth in
subdivision (a) of this section which were built prior to the year 1999; and
(c) The Department will further prioritize selection of buildings meeting the criteria in paragraph
(a) and paragraph (b) of this section in consultation with the New York City Fire Department.
(d) The group of buildings selected for the annual self-closing door inspection program pursuant
to this section shall not include any building that:
(1) is currently the subject of a court order appointing or a proceeding brought by the
Department seeking the appointment of an administrator pursuant to article 7-A of the real
property actions and proceedings law;
(2) has been included in the alternative enforcement program pursuant to section 27-
2153 of the administrative code and has not been discharged from such program;
(3) is currently active in and is the subject of an order under the Underlying Conditions
Program;
(4) has been inspected by the Department under the annual self-closing door inspection
program provided in these rules within the last five years; or
(5) has had an inspection of a public part, as defined in administrative code §27-
2004(20), by the Department within the three years preceding selection for inspection, including,
but not limited to, such inspections conducted by specialized enforcement program units within
the Department.
(e) The Department will send a notice to the registered owner or managing agent of any building
selected for inspection pursuant to this section regarding the selection of the building and the
requirement that self-closing doors must be maintained and kept in good repair.

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