The provisions of this Article shall govern the minimum standards for
maintenance of premises used as residential properties. Premises shall comply
with the conditions herein prescribed insofar as they are applicable.
The owner shall maintain such premises in compliance with these requirements.
A person shall not rent or let to another for occupancy or use premises which
do not comply with the following requirements of this Article.
A.
Sanitation. All exterior property areas of the premises
shall be maintained in a clean, safe and sanitary condition free from any
accumulation of rubbish and garbage.
B.
Containers. The occupant of every residence shall provide
and at all times cause to be used leakproof containers, meeting Sanitation
Department requirements, for the storage and disposal of trash. Owners of
multi-unit building(s) containing six or more rental units shall provide sufficient
receptacles for trash disposal and shall maintain the same and the area where
they are located in a neat and orderly condition.
C.
Grading and drainage. All premises shall be graded and
maintained by the owner so as to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water
thereon or within any structure located thereof.
D.
Insect and rat control.
E.
Public areas.
(1)
All sidewalks, steps, driveways, parking spaces and similar
paved areas for public use shall be kept in a proper state of repair and free
of all snow, ice, mud and other debris. If any sidewalk or driveway or portion
thereof by virtue of its state of repair shall constitute a danger to public
health and safety, the sidewalk or driveway portion thereof shall be replaced
or repaired by the owner.
F.
Exhaust vent. Pipes, ducts, conductors, fans or blowers
discharging water, gases, steam, vapor, hot air, grease, smoke, odors or other
gaseous or particulate wastes shall be constructed and operated as to not
create a hazard to persons of adjoining properties.
G.
Accessory structures. All accessory structures, including
detached garages, fences and walls, shall be maintained structurally sound
and in good repair by the owner.
A.
General. The exterior of a structure shall be maintained
structurally sound and sanitary so as not to pose a threat to the health and
safety of the occupants and so as to protect the occupants from the elements.
B.
Structural members. All supporting structural members
of all structures shall be structurally sound, free of deterioration and capable
of safely bearing the dead and live loads imposed upon them.
C.
Foundations. All foundations shall be maintained so as
to carry the operating dead and live loads and shall be maintained plumb and
free from open cracks and breaks.
D.
Exterior walls.
(1)
Every exterior wall shall be free of holes, breaks, loose
or rotting boards or timbers and any other conditions which might admit rain
or dampness to the interior portions of the walls or the occupied spaces of
the building.
(2)
All exterior surface materials, including wood, composition
or metal siding, shall be maintained weatherproof and shall be properly surface-coated
when required to prevent deterioration.
[Added 7-11-1989 by Ord. No. 149A]
E.
Roofs. The roof shall be structurally sound and tight
and not have defects which might admit rain. Roof drainage shall be adequate
to prevent water from causing dampness in the walls or interior portion of
the building.
F.
Decorative features. All cornices, entablatures, belt
courses, corbels, terra cotta trim, wall facings and similar decorative features
shall be maintained in good repair with proper anchorage and in a safe condition.
G.
Signs, marquees and awnings. All canopies, marquees,
signs, metal awnings, stairways, fire escapes, standpipes, exhaust ducts and
similar overhead extensions shall be maintained in good repair and be properly
anchored. They shall be protected from the elements against decay and rust
by periodic application of a weather-coating material such as paint or other
protective treatment.
H.
Chimneys. All chimneys and similar structures shall be
maintained in good repair and structurally safe.
I.
Stairs and porches.
(1)
Every stair, porch, rail, balcony and all appurtenances
attached thereto shall be so constructed and maintained as to be safe to use
and capable of supporting the loads to which it may be subjected.
(2)
Every window, door and their frames shall be constructed
and maintained as to exclude the elements as completely as possible. Where
necessary, weather stripping shall be used and maintained in good repair.
(3)
Emergency egress in assisted living facilities.
[Added 4-14-1998 by Ord. No. 1998-1]
(a)
Any habitable structure in the Town of Snow Hill in which
there shall be residential board and care occupancies for one or more residents
in dwellings for assisted living and which structure shall be two stories
or more in height shall meet the following requirements:
[1]
Habitable structures used, or to be used, for the aforesaid
purposes which have only one interior staircase shall contain an additional
fire emergency exit which meets the following minimum standards: A platform
and stairway at the back or side of said habitable structure accessible from
an existing window or other opening constructed for the purpose of emergency
egress and ingress. All material and specifications for construction of the
required platform and stairway shall comply with the Snow Hill Building Code.
[2]
No person or persons shall be allowed to occupy the aforesaid
habitable structures until the aforesaid minimum standards have been established
and the Housing Official of the town shall have inspected the structure.
J.
Glazing. Every required window sash shall be properly
glazed with glazing materials without open cracks and holes.
K.
Openable windows. Every openable window shall be capable
of being easily opened and securely held in an open position.
L.
Insect screens. The owner of a rental unit shall supply
for every door and window or other outside opening used for ventilation purposes
adequate screening, and every swinging screen door shall have a self-closing
device in good working condition.
A.
General. The interior of a structure and its equipment
shall be maintained in a structurally sound and sanitary condition.
B.
Structural members. The supporting structural members
of every building shall be maintained structurally sound, not showing any
evidence of deterioration which would render them incapable of carrying the
imposed loads.
C.
Interior surfaces.
D.
Lead-based paint. Lead-based paint with a lead content
of more than five-hundredths percent (0.05%) shall not be applied to any interior
or exterior surface of a dwelling, dwelling unit or child-care facility, including
fences and outbuildings at these locations. Existing interior and exterior
painted surfaces of dwelling units and child-care facilities that contain
an excess of zero and five-tenths percent (0.5%) lead shall be removed or
covered in a manner approved by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene.
E.
Bathroom and kitchen floors. Every toilet, bathroom and
kitchen floor surface shall be maintained so as to permit such floor to be
easily kept in a clean and sanitary condition.
F.
Cellars, basements and crawl spaces. Cellars, basements
and crawl spaces shall be maintained free from conditions posing a threat
to the health or safety of the occupants.
G.
Sanitation.
(1)
Every occupant of a dwelling or dwelling unit shall keep
in clean and sanitary condition that part of the premises thereof which he
occupies and regularly uses.
(2)
Every owner of a dwelling containing two or more dwelling
units shall be responsible for maintaining in a clean and sanitary condition
the shared or public areas of the premises thereof.
H.
Insect and rodent harborage.
(1)
Owner/occupant. The owner shall provide a structure and
premises free of insects, vermin or other pests.
(2)
Rental properties.
(a)
Owner responsibilities. The owner shall provide a structure
and premises free of insects, rodents or other pests upon letting of a unit.
Whenever infestation occurs in two or more dwelling units in any multidwelling
building or in any shared or public parts of such building, extermination
thereof shall remain the responsibility of the owner.
(b)
Tenant responsibilities. Every tenant of a single-family
dwelling shall be responsible for the continuing extermination of any insects,
rodents or other pests therein.
(c)
Tenants of dwelling units in multidwelling buildings
shall be responsible for the continuing extermination whenever the tenant's
dwelling unit is the only one infested.
(3)
Every occupant shall be responsible for taking all reasonable
measures in the occupancy of his or her premises to prevent infestation by
insects, rodents or other pests. This shall include but is not limited to
proper housekeeping and proper use of the premises.
(4)
Where insects or vermin are found, they shall be promptly
exterminated by locally acceptable processes which will not be injurious to
human health. After extermination, proper precautions shall be taken to prevent
reinfestation.
I.
Exit doors. Every door available as an exit shall be
capable of being opened easily from the inside.
J.
Exit facilities. All interior stairs and railings and
other exit facilities of every structure shall be so constructed and maintained
as to be safe to use and capable of supporting the anticipated loads.
K.
Handrails. Every flight of stairs which is more than
three risers high shall have handrails, and every open portion of a stair,
porch, landing and balcony which is more than 30 inches above the floor or
grade below shall have guardrails. Every handrail and guardrail shall be firmly
fastened and capable of bearing normally imposed loads and shall be maintained
in good condition.
A.
General. All areas of habitable structures shall be provided
with sufficient light. All rooms, habitable or not, shall be capable of being
lighted by artificial light.
B.
Habitable rooms. Every room used for sleeping and at
least one other habitable room shall have at least one window or skylight
facing directly to the outdoors. The minimum total window area, measured between
stops, for every habitable room shall be 5% of the floor area of such room.
Whenever the only window in a room is a skylight-type window in the top of
such room, the total window area of such skylight shall equal at least 10%
of the total floor area of such room.
C.
Common hallways and stairways. Every common hall and
stairway in every multiple dwelling shall be lighted at all times so as to
provide in all parts thereof at least six footcandles of light at the tread
or floor level, provided that every common hall or stairway in structures
containing not more than two dwelling units may be supplied with conveniently
located light switches controlling an adequate lighting system which may be
turned on when needed.
D.
Other areas. All other areas shall be provided with a
means of illumination, either natural or artificial, of sufficient intensity
and so distributed as to permit the maintenance of sanitary conditions and
the safe use of the space and the appliances, equipment and fixtures at all
times.
A.
General. All spaces or rooms shall be provided sufficient
natural or mechanical ventilation so as not to endanger health and safety.
B.
Mechanical ventilation. Where mechanical ventilation
is provided in lieu of the natural ventilation, such mechanical ventilating
system shall be maintained in operating condition and not vented into other
habitable areas.
A.
Dwelling units.
(1)
Every dwelling unit shall contain at least 900 square
feet. The floor area shall be calculated on the basis of the total area of
all habitable rooms.
[Amended 5-14-1996 by Ord. No. 1996-4]
(2)
No dwelling unit shall be so located or arranged that
access requires passage through another dwelling unit.
A.
Dwelling units. Every dwelling unit shall include its
own plumbing facilities which are in proper operating conditions, can be used
in privacy and are adequate for personal cleanliness and the disposal of human
waste. The following minimum plumbing facilities shall be supplied and maintained
in sanitary, safe working conditions.
B.
Water closet and lavatory. Every dwelling unit shall
contain, within its walls, a room separate from habitable rooms, which affords
privacy and a water closet supplied with cold running water. The lavatory
may be placed in the same room as the water closet, or if located in another
room, the lavatory shall be located in close proximity to the door leading
directly in to the room in which said water closet is located. The lavatory
shall be supplied with hot and cold running water.
C.
Bathtub or shower. Every dwelling unit shall contain
a room which affords privacy which is equipped with a bathtub or shower supplied
with hot and cold running water.
D.
Kitchen sink. Every dwelling unit shall contain a kitchen sink apart from the lavatory required under Subsection B and which shall be supplied with hot and cold running water.
E.
Access. Bathrooms or water closet compartments shall
not be used as a passageway to a hall or other space or to the exterior. A
bathroom shall be accessible from the interior of the individual dwelling
unit.
F.
Connections. Water supply lines, plumbing fixtures, vents
and drains shall be properly installed in accordance with local plumbing codes,
connected and maintained in working order, and shall be kept free from obstructions,
leaks and defects.
G.
Water-heating facilities. Water-heating facilities shall
be installed in an approved manner, properly maintained and connected with
hot-water lines to the fixtures required to be supplied. Water-heating facilities
shall be capable of heating water to such a temperature as to permit an adequate
amount of water to be drawn at every required kitchen sink, lavatory basin,
bathtub, shower, laundry facility or other similar units at a temperature
of not less than 110° F.
A.
Heating facilities. Every dwelling unit which has central
heating facilities which are properly installed and maintained in safe and
good working conditions and are capable of safely and adequately heating all
habitable rooms and bathrooms in every dwelling unit located therein shall
be capable of raising the temperature to at least 65° F. at a distance
of three feet above floor level when the outside temperature is 20° F.
B.
No central heat. Where a central heating system is not
provided, each dwelling unit shall be provided with facilities whereby heating
appliances may be safely and properly connected. These heating appliances
shall be supplied by the owner unless waived in writing by the tenant.
C.
Installation and maintenance.
(1)
Heating appliances and facilities including kerosene
heaters and woodburning stoves shall be installed in accordance with the State
Fire Code and other applicable laws and shall be kept in safe working condition.
(2)
All mechanical equipment shall be properly installed
and safely maintained in good working condition and be capable of performing
the function for which it was designed and intended.
(3)
All fuel-burning equipment designed to be connected to
a flue, chimney or vent shall be connected in accordance with the manufacturer's
recommendations. All required clearance from combustible materials shall be
maintained. All safety controls for fuel-burning equipment shall be maintained
in operating condition.
(4)
Fireplaces and other devices intended for use similar
to a fireplace, including wood- and coal-burning stoves, shall be stable and
structurally safe and connected to approved chimneys.
D.
Electrical requirements. Every habitable room shall contain
at least two separate convenience outlets. In kitchens, three separate convenience
outlets shall be provided, and every bathroom and laundry room shall be provided
with at least one outlet, which may be a ceiling or wall-type electric light
fixture or convenience outlet. Every electrical outlet and fixture shall be
properly installed and maintained in safe working condition and connected
to an approved source of electric power (as required by the 1975 National
Electrical Code, adopted by the Mayor and Council of Snow Hill on January
11, 1977, as Ordinance No. 97).[1]
E.
Smoke detection systems. There shall be at least one
smoke detector located in the vicinity of sleeping areas and installed in
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
