Buildings occupied in whole or in part shall
comply with the requirements of this chapter set forth concerning
occupancy, size, light and ventilation in order to provide a safe
and healthful environment.
Buildings for the purpose of this chapter shall
be classified in respect to their occupancies as follows:
A. One- and two-family dwellings: buildings containing
one and two dwelling units with four or fewer lodgers residing with
a family in either one of the dwelling units.
[Amended 3-29-1973 by Ord. No. 1149]
B. Multiple dwellings:
(1) Buildings containing one or two dwelling units with
more than four lodgers with a family in either one of the dwelling
units.
(2) Buildings containing three or more dwelling units.
(3) Apartment houses, apartment hotels and lodging houses.
(4) Buildings with sleeping accommodations for more than
five persons used or occupied as a club, dormitory, fraternity or
sorority house or for similar uses.
C. Accessory structures: garages, carports and similar
type structures on residential premises.
Habitable space shall meet the following requirements:
A. Size.
(1) Habitable space shall have a minimum ceiling height
of seven feet six inches over 50% of the floor area; and the floor
area where the ceiling height is less than five feet shall not be
considered in computing floor area.
(2) A dwelling unit shall contain at least one habitable
room having a minimum of 150 square feet of floor area and a minimum
horizontal dimension of 10 feet.
(3) Kitchens shall have a minimum of 60 square feet of
floor area, and other habitable spaces shall contain not less than
80 square feet of floor area and shall have a minimum horizontal dimension
of seven feet.
(4) Every alcove less than 60 square feet in area, except
a cooking space or foyer, shall be deemed to be part of a habitable
room. The area of the opening in the dividing partition between the
alcove and the room shall be at least 80% of the wall area of such
partition, measured on the alcove side, but not less than 40 square
feet. The depth of such alcove shall not exceed 1/2 its width. The
floor area of the alcove shall be added to the floor area of the room
in determining light and ventilation requirements for the room. An
alcove with an area of 60 square feet or more, but less than the required
area of a habitable room, shall be separately lighted and ventilated
as required for habitable space.
B. Basements. Basements shall not be deemed habitable
space where required windows are located only on one wall and the
depth of the basement space exceeds four times its clear height.
C. Light and ventilation.
(1) Habitable space shall be provided with natural light
through one or more windows, skylights, transparent or translucent
panels, or any combinations thereof, that face directly on legal open
spaces at least six inches above the adjoining finished grade or are
above a roof. The amount of light shall be equivalent to that transmitted
through clear glass equal in area to 10% of the floor area of the
habitable space.
(2) Habitable space shall be provided with artificial
light.
(3) Habitable space shall be provided with natural ventilation
through openable parts of windows or other openings in exterior walls
that face legal open spaces above the adjoining finished grade or
above a roof, or through openable parts of skylights, providing total
clear ventilation area equal to not less than 5% of the total floor
area of each habitable space.
(4) Habitable space may also be provided with mechanical
ventilation, in addition to natural ventilation.
D. Miscellaneous requirements.
(1) Dwelling units shall be separated from each other
and from other spaces outside the dwelling unit.
(2) Sleeping rooms within dwelling units shall be separated
from each other and from other spaces outside the sleeping rooms to
provide privacy.
(3) Lodging units shall be separated from each other and
from other spaces outside the lodging units.
(4) A communal kitchen or dining room in a lodging house
shall be accessible to the occupants sharing the kitchen or dining
room without going through a dwelling unit or lodging unit of another
occupant.
Public space shall meet the following requirements:
A. Height. Public space shall have a minimum height of
seven feet, six inches measured from the finished floor to the finished
ceiling.
B. Light and ventilation.
(1) Public spaces shall be provided with artificial light.
(2) In public stairs, stairways and passageways, artificial
light shall be electric lighting available at all times so as to afford
safe passage for occupants and users. Such lighting shall conform
to the following:
(a)
A sufficient number of fixtures shall be provided
so that the distance between fixtures is not more than 30 feet and
so that no wall is more than 15 feet distant from a fixture.
(b)
Incandescent lighting shall be based on not
less than 1/4 watt per square foot of floor area, except that each
fixture shall have a lamp or lamps with a total of not less than 25
watts.
(c)
Fluorescent lighting shall be based on not less
than 1/10 watt per square foot floor area, except that each fixture
shall have a lamp or lamps of a total of not less than 15 watts.
(d)
Where under these formulas the calculated wattage
does not correspond to that of a standard lamp, the next larger size
shall be used.
(3) Public spaces shall be provided with either natural
ventilation, conforming to the requirements for habitable space or
with mechanical ventilation.
Toilet rooms and bathrooms shall meet the following
requirements:
A. Toilet rooms and bathrooms in one- and two-family
dwellings shall have provisions for privacy.
B. Toilet rooms and bathrooms for dwelling units in multiple
dwellings shall be located within the dwelling units and shall be
accessible from any sleeping room without passing through any other
sleeping room.
C. Unless located within dwelling units or directly connected
with sleeping rooms, toilet rooms and bathrooms in multiple dwellings
shall be provided in each story containing habitable space and shall
be accessible thereto.
D. Toilet rooms for employees in multiple dwellings shall
be in separate rooms for each sex where there are five or more employees,
shall be readily accessible to the employees and shall not open directly
into any public kitchen or other public space used for the cooking
or preparation of food.
E. In one- and two-family dwellings, bathrooms and toilet
rooms shall be provided with floors of moisture resistant material.
F. In multiple dwellings, floors of bathrooms, toilet
rooms and similar spaces shall be waterproof; the waterproofing shall
extend six inches or more above the floor, except at doors, so that
floors can be flushed or washed without leaking.
Nonhabitable space shall meet the following
requirements:
A. Height. Nonhabitable space, except crawl spaces and
attics, in multiple dwellings shall have a minimum height of seven
feet measured from the floor to the ceiling.
B. Light and ventilation:
(1) Kitchenettes, bathrooms and toilet rooms shall be
provided with artificial light appropriate for the use of such rooms.
(2) Laundry rooms, furnace rooms and similar nonhabitable
space shall be provided with artificial light appropriate for the
intended use of such rooms.
(3) Stairs shall be provided with artificial light to
allow safe ascent and descent.
(4) Kitchenettes, bathrooms and toilet rooms shall be
provided with ventilation in accordance with either of the following:
(a)
Natural ventilation as required for habitable
space, except that the openable areas shall be not less than 1 1/2
square feet for bathrooms or toilet rooms and not less than three
square feet for kitchenettes; or
(b)
Mechanical ventilation exhausting not less than
25 c.i.m. for bathrooms and toilet rooms and not less than 100 c.i.m.
for kitchenettes.
(5) Spaces in multiple dwellings which contain central
heat-producing, air-conditioning and other equipment shall be ventilated
to the outer air, and air from these shall not be recirculated to
other parts of the building.
(6) Ventilation shall be provided in unheated attics,
spaces below flat roofs and crawl spaces. The location and net areas
of ventilation openings shall be such as to minimize deterioration
of structural members from condensation or other causes, in conformity
with generally accepted standards.