COMCOR 26.00.01 Security Measures Required by the Housing and Building Maintenance Code for Rental Apartments
Chapter 26. Housing and Building Maintenance Standards - Regulations
Montgomery County, Md., COMCOR § 26.00.01.01 (2026)
26.00.01.01 AuthorityLinkCopy Citation
This executive regulation is authorized by Montgomery County Code:
Section 26-22, "Housing and Building Maintenance Standards" and applies to all rental multiple dwellings and dwelling units.
Montgomery County, Md., COMCOR § 26.00.01.02 (2026)
26.00.01.02 AdministrationLinkCopy Citation
(a)
Approval finality. The security measure requirements contained in section 26-10A are administered by the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development who is the final authority in all matters pertaining to the approval or disapproval of a security measure.
(b)
Dependency conditions. An approval may be made dependent on other acts, such as but not limited to, operation of a television monitoring system, maintaining doors of adequate strength, or restrictions on the number of people with access to a master key.
Montgomery County, Md., COMCOR § 26.00.01.03 (2026)
26.00.01.03 DefinitionsLinkCopy Citation
The following words or phrases are defined as follows for use in this regulation:
Cane bolts mean a metal bolt, ½ inch in diameter by 12 inches long, which slides vertically at least 5/8 of an inch into a receptacle securely attached to the frame of a door or window.
Charlie bar means a metal or wooden bar used on sliding glass windows and doors and mounted on the inside of the dwelling unit on the vertical member of the inner sliding door or window, engaging the jamb or frame, and exerting pressure at both ends.
Cylinder means the part of a lock case containing the keyway and pin tumbler mechanism which engages and disengages the lock.
Cylinder guard means a protection devise, constructed of steel or similar hard metal, beveled or free spinning to present no grippable surface, and surrounding any exposed portion of the lock cylinder.
Deadbolt lock, horizontal means a deadbolt lock which moves horizontally into the strike or receiver plate.
Deadbolt lock, vertical means a rim mounted lock with multiple bolts which move vertically to interlock with the strike.
Key control log means a central record of all assignments, temporary loans, or other possessions of any master keys.
Pin means a hard metal rod, having a diameter and head equivalent to that of a 3d nail.
Tack lock means a key operated device securely attached to either the fixed track or the moveable portion of a sliding door or window, which, when engaged resists the forcible sliding or lifting of the door or window from its secure position in the frame.
Viewer means an optical device inserted through the thickness of a door, and providing a person on the inside of the door with a wide angle of vision of the area on the outside of the door.
Montgomery County, Md., COMCOR § 26.00.01.04 (2026)
26.00.01.04 Standards for Security MeasuresLinkCopy Citation
Security measures required by section 26-10A include both a sequence of actions, such as key control, and specific devices, such as charlie bars, track locks, window pins, viewers, and cane bolts. Security measures provided or installed under this section must meet the following standards:
(a)
Key control. When a lode is altered to prevent the use of a master or duplicate key, the pin setting must be changed or the cylinder replaced with one that cannot be operated by the master or duplicate key.
(b)
Alteration. Whenever a lock is altered it must be made operable and a new key provided immediately.
(c)
Logging. When a master key which is normally in the personal possession of the owner, property or resident manager, engineer, maintenance worker, or other staff member is given or temporarily loaned to someone else, that person must record the name of the person who was given possession of the key and the date and time given and returned in a key control log.
(d)
Loans. A master key must not be assigned, given, or temporarily loaned to someone else unless the owner or operator has determined that such transfer is essential to the proper operation or maintenance of the building.
(e)
Securing of. Any spare master key and any duplicate keys must be secured in a locked cabinet, safe, wall mounted key case, or similar secured container which is not easily removed from the premise.
(f)
Tenant key. Every owner must issue or provide the tenant with at least 1 key to all door and window locks.
(g)
Deadbolt locks. The deadbolt locks required by Sec. l0A(b) must be of the vertical bolt type or, have a 1 inch bolt if of the horizontal bolt type, and have a cylinder guard.
(h)
Sliding doors. The sliding, door panel of every sliding door must be secured in place against removal when locked, by the manufacturer's lock and by an additional device that secures the door or window within its frame. Such additional device may include:
(1)
A Charlie bar,
(2)
A permanently attached track lock, or
(3)
Removable pins.
Each pin must be installed in a level or downward sloping hole drilled through the inner frame of the window of sliding glass door and into, but not completely through, the frame of another window or sliding door. The head of each pin must protrude from the surface so that it can be gripped and removed without tools.
(i)
Double, french, or paired exterior doors. All double, french, or paired exterior doors must be equipped with:
(1)
A vertical deadbolt lock, affixed to both doors, and
(2)
Either cane bolts or concealed header and threshold bolts located at the top and bottom of one such door.
(3)
A horizontal deadbolt lock attached to both doors may be used when concealed header and threshold bolts are used on one such door.
(j)
Door hinges. Hinges attached to any entrance or exit door to rental dwelling units must be installed with the hingepin facing the inside of the premise, or be protected in any other manner so as to prevent removal of the door from outside the premise.
(k)
Viewers. All viewers installed after April 16, 1982 as original equipment or as replacement must provide at least a 160° field of vision. Existing viewers with a narrower field of vision will be accepted until the door or viewer is replaced.
(l)
Window locks.
(1)
Every double-hung window must have a manually operable latch and 2 removable pins, each pin located at opposite sides of the window.
(2)
Every single-hung window must closely fit its frame and contain a manually operable latch which secures the window.
(A)
If such window is equipped with a crank, then the crank must work properly and secure the window firmly when closed.
(3)
All sliding windows must meet the requirements applicable to sliding doors.
Montgomery County, Md., COMCOR § 26.00.01.05 (2026)
26.00.01.05 SeverabilityLinkCopy Citation
Each part of this regulation is severable in that if any provision, clause, sentence, section, word, or part thereof is held illegal, invalid, unconstitutional, or inapplicable to any person or circumstances, such determination does not affect or impair any remaining part of this regulation or its application to other person or circumstance.