The provisions of this article shall govern the minimum conditions of property and buildings to be used for human occupancy. Every building or structure occupied by humans, except as exempted by § 176-4D, and the premises on which it stands shall comply with the conditions herein prescribed as they may apply thereto.
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant or let to another for occupancy any dwelling unit or premises, for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply with the following requirements. The Director of Code Enforcement of the City of Troy and/or his/her designee shall cause periodic inspections to be made of dwelling premises to secure compliance with these requirements.
A.
Sanitation. All exterior property areas shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, free from any accumulation of rubbish or garbage.
B.
Grading and drainage. 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.
C.
Weeds.
[Amended 9-8-2016 by Ord. No. 60]
(1)
Premises and exterior property shall be maintained free from weeds or plant growth in excess of six inches. Noxious weeds shall be prohibited. Weeds shall be defined as all grasses, annual plants and vegetation, other than trees or shrubs provided; however, this term shall not include lawn grass, planted ornamental grasses, cultivated flowers and cultivated flower and vegetable gardens.
(2)
Upon failure of the owner or agent having charge of a property to cut and destroy weeds after service of notice of violation, they shall be subject to prosecution in accordance with § 176-12 and as prescribed by the authority having jurisdiction. Upon failure to comply with the notice of violation, and duly authorized employee of the jurisdiction or contractor hired by the jurisdiction shall be authorized to enter upon the property in violation and cut and destroy the weeds growing thereon, and the costs of such removal shall be paid by the owner or agent responsible for the property.
D.
Insect and rodent harborage. Every owner of a dwelling or multifamily dwelling shall be responsible for the extermination of insects, rodents, vermin, or other pests in all exterior areas of the premises; except that the occupant shall be responsible for such extermination in the exterior areas of the premises of a single-family dwelling. Whenever infestation exists in the shared or public parts of the premises of other than a single-family dwelling, extermination shall be the responsibility of the owner.
E.
Accessory structures. All accessory structures including detached garages shall be maintained structurally sound and in good repair.
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant, or let to another for occupancy, any dwelling or multifamily dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house, rooming unit, or portion thereof for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply with the following requirements.
A.
Foundations, walls and roof. Every foundation, exterior wall, roof, and all other exterior surfaces shall be maintained in a workmanlike state of maintenance and repair and shall be kept in such condition as to exclude rodents.
B.
Foundations. The foundation elements shall adequately support the building at all points.
C.
Exterior walls. All exterior walls, eaves, soffits, fascia, cornices, overhangs and trim 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 to the occupied spaces of the building.
[Amended 9-1-2011 by Ord. No. 5]
D.
Roofs. The roof shall be structurally sound, tight, and have no defects which might admit rain, and roof drainage shall be adequate to prevent rainwater from causing dampness in the walls or interior portion of the building.
E.
Stairs, porches and railings. Stairs and other exit facilities shall be adequate for safety, as provided in the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and shall comply with the following subsections.
F.
Structural safety. 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 Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, and shall be kept in sound condition and good repair.
G.
Handrails. When the Inspector deems it necessary for safety, every flight of stairs which is three risers or more high shall have handrails, which shall be located as required by the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, and every porch which is three risers or more high shall have handrails so located and of such as required by that code. Every handrail and balustrade shall be firmly fastened and shall be maintained in good condition.
H.
Windows, doors and hatchways. Every window, exterior door, and basement hatchway shall be substantially tight and shall be kept in sound condition and repair.
I.
Windows to be glazed. Every window sash shall be fully supplied with glass windowpanes (or an approved substitute), which are without open cracks or holes.
J.
Windows to be tight. Every window shall be in good condition and fit reasonably tight within its frame.
K.
Windows able to be opened. Every window, other than a fixed window, shall be capable of being easily opened and shall be held in position by window hardware.
L.
Door hardware. Every exterior door, door hinge, and door latch shall be maintained in good condition.
M.
Doors to fit in frame. Every exterior door, when closed, shall fit reasonably well within its frame.
N.
Window and door frames to fit in wall. 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 any dwelling or multifamily dwelling.
O.
Basement hatchways. Every basement hatchway shall be so constructed and maintained as to prevent the entrance of rodents, rain and surface drainage water into the dwelling or multifamily dwelling.
P.
Exit doors. Every door available as an exit shall be capable of being opened from the inside easily and without the use of a key.
Q.
Screening. Guards and screens shall be supplied for protection against rodents and insects in accordance with the following requirements:
(1)
Guards for basement windows. Every basement or cellar window which is openable shall be supplied with corrosive-resistive rodent-proof shields of not less than No. 22 U.S. gage perforated steel sheets, or No. 20 B&S gage aluminum, or No. 16 U.S. gage expanded metal or wire mesh screens, with not more than one-half-inch mesh openings, or with other material affording equivalent protection against the entry of rodents, including storm windows.
(2)
Insect screens. From May 1 to October 15 of each year, every door opening directly from any dwelling or multifamily dwelling unit to the outdoors and every window or other outside opening used for ventilation purposes shall be supplied with a screen of not less than 16 mesh per inch and every swinging screen door shall have a self-closing device in good working condition, except that no such screens shall be required for a dwelling unit on a floor above the fourth floor. After compliance with above in any one season, in two-family and multidwelling units, every occupant thereof shall be responsible for the maintenance and repair of said screens in their individual dwelling unit
R.
Exterior wood surfaces. Exterior wood surfaces of buildings and structures that are not inherently resistant to deterioration shall be periodically treated with a protective coating of paint or other suitable preservatives.
S.
Roof gutters and downspouts shall be maintained and anchored and kept in good working condition. No gutter shall be installed so that water is discharged onto a neighbor's property or City right-of-way.
[Added 9-1-2011 by Ord. No. 5]
T.
Gates. Exterior gates, gate assemblies, operator systems if provided, and hardware shall be maintained in good condition. Latches at all entrances shall tightly secure the gates.
[Added 9-8-2016 by Ord. No. 60]
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant, or let to another for occupancy, any dwelling, multifamily dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house, rooming unit, or portion thereof, for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply with the following requirements:
A.
Free from dampness. In every dwelling, multifamily dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house 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 Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.
B.
Structural members. The supporting structural members of every dwelling and multifamily dwelling used for human habitation shall be maintained structurally sound, showing no evidence of deterioration which would render them incapable of carrying the imposed loads, in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.
C.
Interior stairs and railings. Stairs shall be provided in every dwelling, multifamily dwelling, rooming and boardinghouse as required by the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.
D.
Maintained in good repair. All interior stairs of every structure used for human habitation shall be maintained in sound condition and good repair by replacing treads and risers that evidence excessive wear or are broken, warped or loose. Every inside stair shall be so constructed and maintained as to be safe to use and capable of supporting a load, as required by the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.
E.
Handrails. Every stairwell and every flight of stairs which is three risers or more high shall have handrails or railings located in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code. Every handrail or railing shall be firmly fastened and must be maintained in good condition. Properly balustraded railings, capable of bearing normally imposed loads, as required by the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, shall be placed on the open portions of stairs, balconies, landings and stairwells.
F.
Bathroom floors. 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.
G.
Sanitation. The interior of every dwelling and multifamily dwelling used for human habitation shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition free from any accumulation of rubbish or garbage. Rubbish, garbage, and other refuse may be properly kept inside temporary storage facilities as required under § 176-20J and K of this chapter.
H.
Insect and rodent harborage. Buildings used for human habitation shall be kept free from insect and rodent infestation, and where insects or rodents are found they shall be promptly exterminated by acceptable processes which will not be injurious to human health. After extermination, proper precautions shall be taken to prevent reinfestation.
I.
Extermination. Every owner of a dwelling or multifamily dwelling shall be responsible for the extermination of insects, rodents, vermin, or other pests whenever infestation exists in two or more of the dwelling units or in the shared or public parts of the structure.
J.
Extermination of single-dwelling limits. The occupant of a dwelling unit in a dwelling or multifamily dwelling shall be responsible for such extermination within the unit occupied by him/her whenever his/her dwelling unit is the only unit in the building that is infested.
K.
Responsibility of owner. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, whenever infestation of rodents is caused by failure of the owner to maintain any dwelling or multifamily dwelling in a rodent-proof condition, extermination of such rodents shall be the responsibility of the owner.
L.
Privacy doors. All one-family, two-family and multifamily buildings shall have doors on all bedrooms and bathrooms.
[Added 9-1-2011 by Ord. No. 5]
M.
Walls and ceilings. All interior surfaces and ceilings shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition and shall be free of any peeling and chipping paint.
[Added 9-1-2011 by Ord. No. 5]
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant, or let to another for occupancy, any dwelling, multifamily dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house, rooming unit or portion thereof, for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply with the following requirements:
A.
Safe continuous egress. Safe, continuous and unobstructed egress shall be provided from the interior of any dwelling, multifamily dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house or rooming unit to the exterior at street or grade level.
B.
Arrangement of exits. Exits shall be arranged, constructed and proportioned in conformity with the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, so that occupants may escape safely from the building in case of an emergency.
C.
One-family dwellings. In one-family dwellings, in addition to the primary exit from the building, there shall be provided a secondary exit or, in lieu thereof, one or more exit openings for emergency use.
D.
Two-family dwellings with horizontal separations. In two-family dwellings with horizontal separations, in addition to the primary exit from the building, there shall be provided a secondary exit from each dwelling unit. Such secondary exit shall conform to the requirements for a secondary exit of a two-story multiple dwelling in the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.
E.
Multiple dwellings. All multiple dwellings shall conform to the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code or multiple-residence requirements of the State of New York.
