Question: Do we need approval to change the lock on a fire door? This door is the main door to our apartment. What lock can we use?
We have been told the door to our apartment is a fire door and part of the common property. We have a master key system.
Can I change the lock on the door? As the door will not longer be opened by the master key, do I need approval to change the lock? What lock can I use so the door is still fire safe?
Answer: If you wish to modify the fire door in any way, you must get permission from strata. That includes changing the lock.
The Residential Tenancies Act/Regulation provides the right for lot owners to secure their own premises, but that conflicts with fire door standards. In simple terms, your door is owned by strata, not by you, therefore, if you wish to modify it in any way, you must get permission from strata. That includes changing the lock.
What can you use? The lock has to be one that is approved for use with that fire door.
You really need to go back to the door manufacturer to find out what locks have been approved for use on that door or on that tested example. When doors are originally put to market, they are type tested. The tested doorset is essentially one version of that with specific locks and closers and all the things that might be attached to a door are put on and then it’s fired up in a furnace and burnt to see whether it will work in a fire. This means the lock that you put on, even if it’s approved for a fire door, must match the door type and model you have installed. I know that the Lockwood 001 and 003 series are pretty much approved on every single door set that I’ve ever seen, but you really need to check first.
This post appears in the August 2022 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Rob Broadhead 2020 Fire Protection E: rob.broadhead@2020fire.com.au P: 1300 340 210