No person shall occupy as owner-occupant or let to another for occupancy
any dwelling unit for the purpose of living therein, or premises, which does
not comply with the following requirements. The Housing Officer of the municipality
shall cause periodic inspections to be made of dwelling premises to secure
compliance with these requirements.
A.
All premises shall be graded and maintained so as to
prevent the accumulation of stagnant water thereon or within any building
or structure located thereon.
B.
Downspouts and rain leaders shall be so placed on all
structures that they will minimize the flow of excess water upon and across
any adjacent properties.
A.
All exterior property areas shall be kept free from species
of weeds or plant growth which are noxious or detrimental to the public health,
and grass shall not at any time exceed a height of 12 inches.
B.
Hedges, briars or any other growth planted for or intended
to be used for ornamental purposes, after the same have lost their ornamental
or useful purposes by reason of having been unkempt or untrimmed, shall be
ordered cut and removed by the Housing Officer.
All accessory structures, including detached garages, toolsheds, storage
sheds, fences or any other appurtenance to the main building, shall be maintained
at all times in a neat manner and in good repair and shall be effectively,
structurally sound.
No person shall keep or maintain on public or private property any motor
vehicle that is inoperable, that does not have a current license tag or current
inspection sticker and that has been left unattended for a period of 96 hours.
Such vehicle shall be classed as "junked" and shall be removed in accordance
with the provisions as hereinafter provided, except that antique cars shall
be identified by an antique license plate as issued by the State of Pennsylvania
and that an automobile in the process of being reconstructed for purposes
of qualifying as an antique car shall be registered with the Housing Officer
and the Police Department of Marple Township.
A.
Driveways and parking lots for all single and multiple
dwellings shall be installed in accordance with the provisions and specifications
of the Marple Township Building Code.[1] They shall be kept at all times in good repair and shall be effectively
weathertight and show no signs of deterioration or potholes. At no time will
parking be permissible on areas that do not have an impervious surface, constructed
in accordance with the provisions and specifications of the Marple Township
Building Code.
[Amended 5-9-1983 by Ord. No. 83-6]
B.
In the case of multiple dwellings, adequate parking lot
lighting shall be installed and maintained. Lighting shall have effective
shields placed so that tenants and adjacent neighbors shall not be disturbed
by any glare, and which shall be acceptable to the proper Township official.
A.
Every outside stair, every porch and every appurtenance
attached thereto shall be so constructed as to be safe to use and capable
of supporting the loads to which it is subjected as required by the Building
Code, and shall be kept in sound condition and good repair.
B.
Every stairwell and every flight of stairs, which is
more than two risers high, shall have handrails or railings located in accordance
with the provisions of the Building Code. Every handrail or railing shall
be firmly fastened and must be maintained in good condition. Properly balustraded
railing, capable of bearing normally imposed loads as required by the Building
Code, shall be placed on the open portions of stairs, balconies, landings
and stairwells.
A.
Every window sash shall be fully supplied with glass
windowpanes, or an approved substitute, which are without open cracks or holes.
Every window sash shall be in good condition and fit reasonably tightly within
its frame. Every window, other than a fixed window, shall be capable of being
easily opened and shall be held in position by window hardware. Every exterior
door, door hinge and door latch shall be maintained in good condition. Every
exterior door, when closed, shall fit reasonably well within its frame. Every
window, door and frame shall be constructed and maintained in such relation
to the adjacent wall construction so as to exclude rain as completely as possible
and to substantially exclude wind from entering the dwelling or multifamily
dwelling.
B.
Entrance doors to dwelling units, public rooms and hallways
in multiple-family dwellings shall be one-and-three-fourths-inch solid core
having a fire rating of at least 60 minutes. Front and rear entrance doors
and doors to public rooms and hallways in multiple-family dwellings shall
have installed an approved automatic-type door closure, which shall be operable
at all times.
In every dwelling, multidwelling, dwelling unit and rooming unit, cellars,
basements and crawl spaces shall be maintained reasonably free from dampness
to prevent conditions conducive to decay or deterioration of the structure,
as required by the Building Code.
All floors, flooring, baseboards and trim shall be free of wide cracks
and loose, warped, protruding and rotted sections which could constitute a
hazardous and unsanitary condition. Walls and ceilings must be free of holes,
large cracks, loose plaster and other structural material which could collapse
and become an accident hazard. Plaster, paint and other surface materials
shall be of such character as to be easily cleanable and reasonably smooth,
clean and tight.
Every toilet and bathroom floor surface shall be constructed and maintained
so as to be substantially impervious to water and so as to permit such floor
to be easily kept in a clean and sanitary condition.
