No person shall occupy as owner-occupant, or
let to another for occupancy, any dwelling unit for the purpose of
living, sleeping, cooking or eating therein which does not comply
with the following requirements:
A.
Sanitary facilities. The following minimum sanitary
facilities shall be supplied and maintained in sanitary, safe, working
condition.
B.
Water closet. Every dwelling unit shall contain within
its walls a room, separate from the habitable rooms, which affords
privacy and which is equipped with a water closet.
C.
Lavatory sink. Every dwelling unit shall contain a
lavatory sink, which shall be located in the same room with the water
closet.
D.
Bathtub or shower. Every dwelling unit shall contain
a room which affords privacy to a person in said room and which is
equipped with a bathtub or shower.
E.
Kitchen sink. Every dwelling unit shall contain a kitchen sink apart from the lavatory sink required under Subsection C.
F.
Water and sewer system. Every kitchen sink, lavatory sink, bathtub or shower and water closet required under the provisions of Subsection A shall be properly connected to either a public water and sewer system or to an approved private water and sewer system. All sinks, lavatory and kitchen, bathtubs and showers shall be supplied with hot and cold running water.
G.
Water-heating facilities. Every dwelling unit shall be supplied with water-heating facilities, which are installed in an approved manner, properly maintained, and properly connected with hot water lines to the fixtures required to be supplied with hot water under Subsection F. Water-heating facilities shall be capable of heating water to such a temperature as to permit a reasonable amount of water to be drawn at every required kitchen sink, lavatory sink, bathtub, shower and laundry facility, or other similar units, at a temperature of not less than 130° F. at any time needed.
H.
Heating facilities. Every dwelling or multifamily
dwelling shall have heating facilities, and the owner of the heating
facilities shall be required to see that they are properly installed,
safely maintained and in good working condition and that they are
capable of safely and adequately heating all habitable rooms, bathrooms
and toilet rooms located therein to a temperature of at least an average
of 70° F. with an outside temperature of 10° below zero. The
owner shall maintain a minimum average room temperature of 70°
F. in all habitable rooms including bathrooms and toilet rooms, when
rented, when the outside temperature falls below 55° F.
I.
Operation of heating facilities and incinerators. Every heating or water-heating facility and incinerator shall be installed and shall operate in accordance with the requirements of the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code or Chapter 109, Air Pollution, of this Code, or any air pollution code of the County of Rensselaer.
J.
Rubbish storage facilities. Every dwelling, multifamily
dwelling and dwelling unit shall be supplied with approved containers
and covers for storage (pending collection) of rubbish, and the removal
of same shall be in accordance with adopted codes and ordinances of
the City of Troy[1].
K.
Garbage storage or disposal facilities. Every dwelling or multifamily dwelling and every dwelling unit shall be supplied with an approved garbage disposal facility, which may be an adequate mechanical garbage disposal unit (mechanical sink grinder) in each dwelling unit or any methods as defined in Chapter 247, Solid Waste, Article I, of this Code.
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant or
let to another for occupancy any dwelling, multifamily dwelling, dwelling
unit, rooming house, or rooming unit for the purpose of living, sleeping,
cooking or eating therein, which does not comply with the following
requirements:
A.
Facilities and equipment. All required equipment and
all building space and parts in every dwelling and multifamily dwelling
shall be constructed and maintained so as to properly and safely perform
their intended function in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform
Fire Prevention and Building Code.
B.
Maintained clean and sanitary. All housing facilities
shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition by the occupants
so as not to breed insects and rodents or produce dangerous or offensive
gases or odors.
C.
Plumbing fixtures. In buildings and structures used
for human habitation, water lines, plumbing fixtures, vents and drains
shall be properly installed, connected and maintained in working order
and shall be kept free from obstructions, leaks and defects and capable
of performing the function for which they are designed. All repairs
and installations shall be made in accordance with the provisions
of the Plumbing Code adopted by the City of Troy.[1]
D.
Plumbing systems. In buildings and structures used
for human habitation, every plumbing stack, waste and sewer line shall
be so installed and maintained as to function properly and shall be
kept free from obstructions, leaks and defects to prevent structural
deterioration or health hazards. All repairs and installations shall
be made in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Fire Prevention
and Building Code or the Plumbing Code of the City of Troy.
E.
Heating equipment. Every space heating, cooking, and
water-heating device located in a dwelling or multifamily dwelling
shall be properly installed, connected and maintained and shall be
capable of performing the function for which it was designated in
accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Fire Prevention and
Building Code. The use of any portable kerosene heater in the City
of Troy is hereby prohibited, pursuant to the provisions of § 239(g)
of the Real Property Law of the State of New York.
F.
Shutoff valves. An easily accessible shutoff valve
or cock shall be provided in the gas-piping system in close proximity
to, and ahead of, every outlet for a gas appliance.
G.
H.
Correction of defective system. Where it is found,
in the opinion of the City's Inspector, that the electrical system
in a building constitutes a hazard to the occupants or the building
by reason of inadequate service, improper fusing, insufficient outlets,
improper wiring or installation, deterioration or damage, or for similar
reasons, he/she shall require the defects to be corrected to eliminate
the hazard.
No person shall occupy, or let to another for
occupancy, any dwelling unit, for the purpose of living therein, which
does not comply with the following requirements:
A.
Minimum ceiling heights. Habitable rooms in existing buildings, except as provided in § 176-4D, shall have a clear ceiling height of not less than 7 1/3 feet, except that in attics or top half-stories the ceiling height shall be not less than seven feet over not less than 1/3 of the area when used for sleeping, study or similar activity. In calculating the floor area of such rooms, only those portions of the floor area of the room having a clear ceiling height of five feet or more may be included.
B.
Required space in dwelling units. Every dwelling unit
shall contain a minimum gross floor area of not less than 150 square
feet for the first occupant and 100 square feet for each additional
occupant. The floor area shall be calculated on the basis of the total
area of all habitable rooms.
C.
Required space in sleeping rooms. In every dwelling
unit, every room occupied for sleeping purposes by one occupant shall
have a minimum gross floor area of at least 70 square feet. Every
room occupied for sleeping purposes by more than one occupant shall
contain at least 50 square feet of floor area for each occupant thereof.
D.
Access limitation of dwelling unit to commercial uses.
No habitable room, bathroom or water closet compartment which is accessory
to a dwelling unit shall open directly into or shall be used in conjunction
with a food store, barber or beauty shop, doctor's or dentist's examination
or treatment room, or similar room used for public purposes.
E.
Location of bath and second sleeping room. No residence
building or dwelling unit containing two or more sleeping rooms shall
have such room arrangement that access to a bathroom or water closet
compartment intended for use by occupants of more than one sleeping
room can be had only by going through another sleeping room; nor shall
the room arrangement be such that access to a sleeping room can be
had only by going through another sleeping room or a bathroom or water
closet compartment. Existing one-family dwellings where no lodgers
are occupants may be exempt from the requirement concerning access
through a first sleeping room.
F.
Occupancy of dwelling units below grade. No dwelling
unit partially below grade shall be used for living purposes unless:
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant, or
let to another for occupancy, any dwelling, multifamily dwelling,
dwelling unit, rooming house or rooming unit, for the purpose of living
therein, which does not comply with the following requirements:
A.
Natural light in habitable rooms. Every habitable
room shall have at least one window of approved size facing directly
to the outdoors or to a court. The minimum total window area, measured
between stops, for every habitable room shall be 10% of the floor
area of such room, except in kitchens where artificial light may be
provided in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Fire Prevention
and Building Code. Whenever walls or other portions of a structure
face a window of any room, and such obstructions are located less
than three feet from the window and extend to a level above that of
the ceiling of the room, such a window shall not be deemed to face
directly to the outdoors nor to a court and shall not be included
as contributing to the required minimum total window area for the
room.
B.
Light in nonhabitable work space. Every laundry, furnace
room, and all similar nonhabitable work spaces located in a dwelling
or multifamily dwelling shall have one supplied electric light fixture
available at all times.
C.
Light in common halls and stairways. Every common
hall and inside stairway in every dwelling, other than one-family
dwelling, shall be adequately lighted at all times with an illumination
of at least five lumens per square foot in the darkest portion of
stairs and passageways.
D.
Electric outlets required. Where there is electric
service available to the building or structure, every habitable room
of a dwelling or multifamily dwelling shall contain at least two separate
and remote electric wall-type convenience outlets. In kitchens, three
separate and remote electric wall-type convenience outlets, one of
which must be an appliance circuit. Every public hall, water closet
compartment, bathroom, laundry room or furnace room shall contain
at least one wall-type electric convenience outlet. Sleeping rooms
must contain at least one wall-type electric convenience outlet.
E.
Adequate ventilation. Every habitable room shall have at least one window which can be easily opened or such other device that will adequately ventilate the room. The total openable window area in every habitable room shall be equal to at least 45% of the minimum window area size required in § 176-23A, except where mechanical ventilation is provided in accordance with provisions of the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.
F.
Ventilation and light in bathroom and water closet. Every bathroom and water closet compartment shall comply with the ventilation requirements for habitable rooms as required by Subsections A and E, except that no window shall be required in bathrooms or water closet compartments equipped with an approved ventilation system. Every habitable room, kitchen, public hall, water closet compartment, bathroom, laundry room, or furnace room shall contain at least one electric light fixture.
[Amended 3-6-1980; 10-2-1980]
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant, or
shall let to another for occupancy, any dwelling, multifamily dwelling,
dwelling unit, rooming house, rooming unit, lodging house or lodging
unit which does not comply with the applicable provisions of the Uniform
Fire Prevention and Building Code and the following additional requirements
for safety from fire.
A.
Storage of flammable liquids prohibited. No dwelling,
multifamily dwelling, dwelling unit, or rooming unit shall be located
within a building containing any establishment involved in handling,
dispensing or storing flammable liquids with a flash point of 110°
F. or lower.
B.
Cooking and heating equipment. All cooking and heating
equipment, components and accessories in every heating, cooking, and
water-heating device shall be maintained free from leaks and obstructions
and kept functioning properly so as to be free from fire, health and
accident hazards. All installations and repairs shall be made in accordance
with the provisions of the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code
or other laws or ordinances of the City of Troy applicable thereto.
Portable cooking equipment employing flame is prohibited.
A.
At least one single-station smoke-detecting alarm
device, located on or near the ceiling, shall be installed:
(1)
Adjacent to sleeping spaces within rented dwelling
units, and
(2)
In sleeping rooms for transient occupancies (hotels,
motels, lodging houses and dormitory buildings, as herein defined);
except that such devices shall not be required for transient occupancies
in buildings where:
(a)
A fire- and smoke-detecting system (total coverage)
is required by the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and is
installed;
(b)
A sprinkler system (total coverage) is installed
in accordance with said code; or
(c)
Smoke-detecting alarm devices are installed
in all corridors, hallways, stairways and other exitways of the building,
and heat detectors are installed in furnace rooms, refuse rooms, storage
rooms, janitor's closets, lounges, garages, laundry rooms, mechanical
rooms, kitchens, and other similar ancillary spaces, and in cellars
adjacent to any interior stairways, and activation of any one of the
detectors shall cause an alarm to be sounded throughout the entire
building.
B.
A single-station smoke-detecting alarm device is herein
defined as an assembly comprised of a photoelectric or ionization
type of smoke detector in which the control equipment and audible
alarm is in one unit and which, upon detection of smoke, activates
the alarm.
C.
A single-station smoke-detecting alarm device shall
be maintained so that under normal conditions of use the device will
not be a danger to health and welfare and will not create excessive
noise or otherwise become a nuisance.
D.
A single-station smoke-detecting alarm device shall
be approved by Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.
E.
A single-station smoke-detecting alarm device shall
be designed and installed so as to avoid dead air space, detect smoke
and activate the alarm, be reasonably free from false alarm, and provide
indication that the alarm is energized.
F.
The alarm shall be clearly audible in adjacent sleeping
spaces with intervening doors closed.
H.
The single-station smoke-detecting alarm device may
be directly wired into a lighting circuit or be cord-connected to
an electrical outlet or be battery-powered.
