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.