Self-Closing Doors

Apartment doors and hallway doors are required by law to swing closed and latch by themselves after being opened (self-closing) so that in the case of a fire no one needs to remember to close the door to trap the fire and smoke and stop it from spreading. Doors that stay open allow fire and smoke to spread to hallways and other apartments! Self-closing doors should never be blocked from closing all the way. Property owners and tenants have responsibilities to make sure that everyone stays safe and keeps fire from spreading by making sure apartment and public hallway doors are operating properly. For the self-closing door requirements applicable to property owners, see generally HMC §27-2041.1.

HPD Violations

On every inspection, HPD Inspectors look for self-closing doors in any public areas of a building (hallways, stairways, building entrance) that they pass through during their inspection as well as any apartment doors. If an Inspector finds any defect that stops the door from self-closing, forming a seal when closing and/or latching properly, a class C immediately hazardous violation will be issued. This violation must be corrected within 14 days from receipt of the Notice of Violation by the property owner and certified to the Department as corrected immediately. HPD must reinspect all self-closing door violations within 20 days of the date the violation should be corrected. Failure to properly repair the door or latch will result in HPD attempting to conduct emergency repair work for the door, which will result in charges being placed against the property. HPD may also seek civil penalties in Housing Court if owners fail to correct this condition.

How to Make Sure Self-Closing Doors Are Operating Properly

Test it! Unless a door is visibly damaged, you will not know if it is operating properly until you test it.

Does the door swing fully shut and close completely after being opened fully?
If there is a latch, does it engage?
Note any underlying condition or obstruction that prevents the self-closing door from operating properly:
- Door needs refitting – there is a large gap at the bottom of the door.
- Defective closing mechanism.
- Device or item holding, or capable of holding, the door open.
Is there any damage to the self-closing mechanism?
Are the hinges intact, or are they loose or missing?

When testing a door with an overhead closer, open the door as far as possible to check for any hold-open mechanism.

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Tenant Responsibilities

Tenants should not tamper with self-closing doors by propping doors open with objects, taping the latch, using wood wedges or kick-down door stops, or overriding the closing device.

As a tenant you should:

Check your door to make sure it is self-closing
Contact the property owner of your building if your front door doesn't self-close or if there are other fire safety issues in your building
Call 311 to file a fire safety issue complaint

Learn more about self-closing doors and fire safety:

Owner Requirements

Property owners should check self-closing doors periodically and must make prompt repairs to door closing mechanisms or defective doors and door frames.

Learn more about your self-closing door responsibiltiies as a property owner:

Self-Closing Door Proactive Inspections

Local Law 71 of 2022 mandates that the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) annually select 300 class A multiple dwellings for proactive inspections of self-closing doors throughout the buildings selected.

HPD selects 300 class A multiple dwellings based on factors including complaints received, violations issued and other data analytics from the Department, the Department of Buildings and the Fire Department related to conditions which could be indicative of fire safety issues. Exact criteria are available in HPD’s Rules regarding the program.
Owners of buildings selected for proactive self-closing door inspections are notified by HPD by mail that their building will be subject to an inspection of ALL self-closing doors in common areas, public spaces, hallways, corridors, and apartment doors, where accessible. Notifications encourage owners to ensure all doors in common areas, public spaces, hallways, and at apartment door entrances are properly self-closing and fire-proof prior to inspection by HPD.
Violations are issued when doors are observed to not be functioning properly.
Buildings which fail to correct the conditions are subject to emergency repair activities and civil penalties.
HPD is required to post a detailed report about the buildings and inspection results for self-closing door inspections once a year.
- FY2024 report (to be posted by September 30, 2024).