In kitchens, cabinets and/or shelves shall be provided for the
storage of eating, drinking and cooking equipment and utensils and
for the storage of food that does not require refrigeration. Adequate
counter space for the preparation of food shall also be provided.
Cabinets, shelves and counters shall be of sound construction furnished
with surfaces that are easily cleanable and that will not impart any
toxic or deleterious effect to food.
Building entrance doors and other exterior exit doors shall
be equipped with heavy-duty locksets with auxiliary latch bolts to
prevent the latch from being manipulated by means other than a key.
Latch sets shall have stopwork in the inside cylinder controlled by
a master key only.
All buildings containing eight or more dwelling units shall
be provided with an intercommunication system located at the door
giving access to the main entrance hall or lobby and permitting such
dwelling unit occupant to release the locking mechanism of said door
from the dwelling unit; provided, however, that all such buildings
constructed hereafter shall be provided with devices for voice communication
between the occupant of each dwelling unit and a person outside the
door to the main entrance hall or lobby.
No person shall direct or divert the flow of any surface drainage
in or on any court, yard, area or the premises of any habitable building
or on the property of others.
No person shall occupy or let to another for occupancy any dwelling
or dwelling unit, for the purpose of living therein, which does not
comply with the following requirements:
A. Every dwelling unit shall contain at least 150 square feet of floor
space for the first occupant thereof and at least 100 additional square
feet of floor space for every additional occupant thereof, the floor
space to be calculated on the basis of total habitable room area.
B. In every dwelling unit of two or more rooms, every room occupied
for sleeping purposes by one occupant shall contain at least 70 square
feet of floor space, and every room occupied for sleeping purposes
by more than one occupant shall contain at least 50 square feet of
floor space for each occupant thereof.
C. No dwelling or dwelling unit containing two or more sleeping rooms
shall have such room arrangements 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
or public hallway, nor shall room arrangements 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 or public hallway.
D. The floor area of every habitable room shall have a ceiling height
of at least seven feet six inches, except that in any habitable room
under a sloping ceiling, at least 1/2 of the floor area of every habitable
room shall have a ceiling height of at least seven feet six inches,
and the floor area of that part of any room where the ceiling height
is less than five feet shall not be considered as part of the floor
area in computing the total floor area of the room for the purpose
of determining the maximum permissible occupancy thereof.
E. No cellar space shall be used as a habitable room or dwelling unit.
F. No basement space shall be used as a habitable room or dwelling unit
unless:
(1) The floor and walls are impervious to leakage of underground and
surface runoff water and are insulated against dampness.
(2) The total window area in each habitable room is at least equal to
the minimum window sizes required in these regulations and such required
window area is located entirely above the grade of the ground adjoining
such window area.
(3) The total openable window area in each room is equal to at least
the minimum as required in these regulations, except where there is
provided another mechanical device affording adequate ventilation
and approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Housing and
Buildings.
[Amended 7-18-1996 by L.L. No. 5-1996]
(4) There are no pipes, ducts or other obstructions less than six feet
eight inches above the floor level which interfere with the normal
use of the room or area.
G. All legal nonconforming dwelling units which are in use and constructed prior to the introduction of the Multiple Residence Law of 1951 shall be exempt from complying with Subsections
A,
B,
C,
D and
F of this section. However, upon rerental of the dwelling units, it shall be the responsibility of the landlord, owner or agent or any other representative or any other responsible party at the time of the rerental to comply with all subsections as specified in this section.