Prohibition of Yichud in a Shared Apartment
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Question
I am renting an apartment that the landlord has divided into two. There is a shared metal door, and when you open it, there are two additional doors — one to my unit and one to the other unit. The other unit is rented to a girl who lives there alone. The landlord wants the shared door to be locked (because the division is illegal, and the other unit only has a simple wooden door, and he is afraid of thefts). Is there a problem of Yichud when my wife is at work and I am home alone, and would it help if we just close the door instead of locking it? It should be noted that my wife works 7 minutes away and has a key.
Answer
Hello,
In this case, there can be several concerns and issues, so it is necessary to consistently lock the inner door of the apartment. It is advisable, if possible, to give the neighbor the key to the outer door and ask them to occasionally open it without notifying you.
Source
Helkat Mehokek (Siman 22, Se'if Katan 19); Mishnah Berurah (Sha'ar HaTziyun, Siman 339, Se'if Katan 17).