Our landlord installed a new lock on the laundry room that could be opened only from the hallway.
He said it prevented theft. Tenants saw a trap.
The inside handle had broken, but maintenance installed the commercial latch anyway and posted hours instead of closing the room. A mother discovered the problem when the door shut behind her while her toddler waited outside.
She used the emergency phone to call a neighbor. No one was injured.
The landlord blamed the installer. The invoice showed he had approved the cheaper outside-key model after being warned it required a panic release.
Housing inspectors closed the room until compliant hardware was fitted. Tenants received laundry credits and a temporary pickup service for residents unable to travel.
The landlord paid a fine and could not pass the cost through the next rent calculation. A tenant representative joined future safety walk-throughs.
The repaired door now opens freely from inside and locks by key from outside. The emergency phone remains.
Security was not achieved by deciding the people inside were less important than the property outside.