Entry Front Door Keys

New landlord changed the building's entry door lock and issued one key to each tenant. The key couldn't be duplicated without giving a locksmith a special identification number not given to tenants. Landlord wouldn't give tenants an extra, emergency key and said that if tenant lost his key, he should call the super or another tenant to be buzzed in. The super didn't live at the building. Tenant asked the DHCR if this was proper. In an opinion letter, the DHCR said that in one court case it was decided that landlord didn't have to give tenants an unlimited number of keys at no charge. But landlord had to give tenants, free of charge, a key for each resident over the age of 10, and had to provide additional keys upon payment of $10 and for good reason. The DHCR said that doing this would reduce the risk of a finding of reduction in required services.

DHCR Opin. Ltr. by Michael B. Rosenblatt (1/5/06) [3-pg. doc.]