Rochester, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 7 § 7-8-5
Locked doors (Rochester Housing Code)
Operative Text
Means of egress doors shall be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge or effort, except where the door hardware conforms to that permitted by the International Building Code.
Rochester, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 7 § 7-8-5 establishes that doors used as exit pathways in residential buildings must be operable from the inside without requiring a key, special knowledge, or unusual physical effort. The rule is designed to ensure occupants can exit quickly and safely in an emergency. An exception exists when the door hardware meets the standards set out in the International Building Code.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Rochester, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 7 § 7-8-5, compliant property operators ensure that all egress doors in their buildings can be opened from the egress side without keys, codes, or special effort. Hardware on exit doors is regularly inspected to confirm it functions freely and meets any applicable International Building Code specifications. Operators typically document these inspections as part of routine property maintenance records.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Rochester, Minn., Code of Ordinances § 7 § 7-8-5 gives occupants the right to exit their building through egress doors without needing a key, special knowledge, or unusual effort. If a tenant finds that an exit door requires a key or is otherwise difficult to open from the inside, that condition may represent a code violation that can be reported to Rochester's local code enforcement or housing inspection office. Tenant-rights organizations in the area can provide general information about how to document and report such concerns.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.