This article, Housing Requirements, in its entirety shall apply
to all dwellings, and dwelling units for the purpose of living, sleeping,
cooking, or eating meals therein, and as applicable, pursuant to the
State Building Code if any in effect at the time the structure, addition,
or portion thereof was/is constructed.
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant or let to another for
occupancy any dwelling or dwelling unit for the purpose of living,
sleeping, cooking, or eating meals therein which does not comply with
the following requirements:
A. Bath. Every dwelling unit shall contain a bath which shall be contained
within a toilet room or within a separate room which affords privacy
to a person using such facility.
B. Carbon monoxide detection and smoke detection.
(1) Carbon monoxide detectors shall be installed and maintained in a
good and operable condition at all times pursuant to 2007 Wisconsin
Act 205 and State Building Codes §§ SPS 321.097
and SPS 362.1200, Wis. Adm. Code. (Note: These codes differentiate
and have different requirements and compliance dates for structures/facilities
that were reviewed and/or constructed prior to October 1, 2008, and
those that are reviewed and constructed on or after October 1, 2008.)
(2) Smoke detectors shall be provided by the owners of residential occupancies.
(a) Owners shall install at least one smoke detector in the following
locations:
[2] At the head of every open stairway;
[3] At the door to each floor level leading to every enclosed stairway;
and
[4] Either in each sleeping area of each living unit or elsewhere in
the unit within six feet from the doorway of each sleeping area and
not within a kitchen.
(b) In addition, smoke detection installations shall be provided pursuant
to § 101.645(3), Wis. Stats., and § SPS 321.09
and Chs. SPS 328 and SPS 362, Wis. Adm. Code, as applicable.
C. Connection to water and sewer system. Every kitchen sink, toilet,
lavatory basin, and bath shall be in good working condition and properly
connected to an approved water and sewer system.
D. Exits, doors and hallways. Every dwelling unit shall have exits which
conform to the exit requirements of the Village of Bellevue Building
Code, if any, and State Building Codes § SPS 321.03, Wis.
Adm. Code, for one and two-family dwellings and Ch. SPS 362, Wis.
Adm. Code, for three or more family dwellings and commercial buildings,
as applicable. Every exit, door, and hallway shall also comply with
the following requirements:
(1) It shall be kept in good repair.
(2) It shall be unobstructed at all times.
(3) Exterior doors shall be weather stripped to avoid air infiltration,
have a threshold, have no holes, have all trim intact, and shall be
lockable. Doors shall not be secured with hardware or other means
that would prevent a person from exiting a building without the use
of keys, tools, special knowledge or effort.
(4) All interior doors shall have no holes, have all trim intact, and
be openable without the use of a key. This requirement does not preclude
the use of a bathroom or bedroom privacy lock.
E. Hot and cold water supply to bath and sinks. Every bath, kitchen
sink, and lavatory required under this chapter shall be properly connected
with both hot and cold water lines.
F. Kitchen sink and lavatory. Every dwelling unit shall contain an approved
kitchen sink. Every dwelling unit shall contain a lavatory or wash
basin in or adjacent to the toilet room.
G. Plumbing. All plumbing, plumbing equipment, and plumbing fixtures
and the installation thereof shall comply with the Plumbing Codes
of the Village and State.
(1) Any tub, shower, toilet, sink, wash machine, or laundry sink that
drains across a basement floor to a floor drain are prohibited.
(2) All sump pumps connected to the sanitary sewer shall be prohibited.
(3) The water pressure at all fixtures and appliances shall meet or exceed
the minimum required pursuant to the manufacturer's specification,
Village, if any, and State Plumbing Code.
(4) Pressure reducing valves shall be installed wherever water pressure
exceeds 80 psi maximum pursuant to the manufacturer's specification,
Village, if any, and State Plumbing Code.
H. Solid waste and recycling. Every dwelling and every dwelling unit shall be provided with adequate facilities for the storing of solid waste and recycling. Such facilities shall comply with the provisions of Chapter
391, Solid Waste and Recycling, of this Code. Every dwelling unit located on premises with two or more additional dwelling units shall have such facilities supplied.
I. Toilet. Every dwelling unit shall contain a toilet, which shall be
placed in a separate room enclosed with partitions which extend to
the ceiling which affords privacy to the user, typically a toilet
room or bathroom.
J. Water heating facilities. Every dwelling shall have supplied water heating facilities which are properly installed and maintained in reasonably good working condition, are properly connected with the hot water lines required under Subsection
E of this section, and are capable of heating water to such a temperature as to permit an adequate amount of water to be drawn at every required hot water outlet and appliance at a temperature of not less than 110° F. and not more than 125° F. Such supplied water heating facilities shall be capable of meeting these requirements when the dwelling or dwelling unit heating facilities are not in operation.
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. Dwelling unit to be occupied by one family. No dwelling unit shall
be occupied by more than one family.
B. Minimum floor area for dwelling unit. The Village of Bellevue zoning
district in which the dwelling or dwelling unit for the purpose of
living, sleeping, cooking, or eating meals lies shall determine the
minimum square foot unit size requirement. Additionally, for the purpose
of determining the minimum floor area requirement for each occupant
living within, 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. To give example, if the minimum unit size requirement for
a two-bedroom apartment is 850 square feet, the maximum family size
permitted to dwell within would be limited to eight individuals based
on minimum floor area per occupant. Nine occupants would require an
additional 100 square feet of habitable living space.
C. Minimum floor area for sleeping purposes. Every room occupied by
one person for sleeping purposes shall contain at least 70 square
feet of floor space and 490 cubic feet of air space, and every room
occupied by more than one person for sleeping purposes shall contain
at least 60 square feet of floor space and 400 cubic feet of air space
for each occupant thereof, provided these requirements shall be reduced
by 1/2 for children under 12 years of age.
D. Arrangement of sleeping, bath, and toilet rooms. No dwelling or dwelling
unit containing two or more sleeping rooms shall be so arranged that
access to a bathroom or toilet room intended for use by the occupants
of more than one sleeping room can be had only by going through another
sleeping room, 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 toilet room.
E. When basement and ground floor space may be habitable. No basement
or ground floor space shall be used as a sleeping room or dwelling
unit unless such sleeping room or dwelling unit is in conformity with
existing Village and State Building Codes, as applicable, and complies
with the following requirements:
(1) The total window area in each room shall be at least equal to the minimum window area required in §
258-15A or
B, as applicable, of this chapter.
(2) Such required minimum window area shall be located entirely above
the grade of the adjoining ground.
(3) The total openable window area in each bathroom and toilet room shall be at least equal to the minimum required under §
258-15E(1) or
(2), as applicable, of this chapter, unless there is supplied some other approved ventilating device.
(4) Every habitable room in a basement or ground floor shall be at least
seven feet high from the floor to the ceiling, and the ceiling shall
be at least four feet above the outside grade level of the ground.
The walls and floors shall be damp-proof and waterproof.
(a)
Exception. Basement and ground floor bedrooms shall be permitted
where the ceiling is less than four feet above the outside grade,
provided they comply with all regulations contained herein and also
with the Village, if any, and State Building Code(s) § SPS
321.03 for one and two-family dwellings and Ch. SPS 362, Wis. Adm.
Code, for three or more family dwellings at the time of construction
and occupancy. The foregoing include specific requirements for minimum
floor space, ceiling height, windows and natural light, heating and
ventilation, electric and lighting, doors, and means of egress.
(5) Basements and ground floors shall not contain or be utilized for
habitable rooms or spaces except in compliance with this chapter,
Village of Bellevue Building Codes, if any, and State Building Codes
§ SPS 321.03 for one and two-family dwellings and Ch. SPS
362, Wis. Adm. Code, for three or more family dwellings and commercial
buildings, as applicable. (Note: Among other important items, these
sections include required exiting specifications.)
(6) Habitable spaces, rooms, or areas constructed in a basement or ground
floor without a local building permit or in violation of Village,
if any, and State Building Code(s) are illegal and shall not be permissible
as habitable spaces, rooms, or areas.
F. Occupants to have access to sanitary facilities. Every occupant of
every dwelling shall have unrestricted access to a toilet and bath
and to a kitchen sink or lavatory located within that dwelling.
G. Ceiling height with respect to floor area. At least 1/2 of the floor
area of every habitable room shall have a ceiling height of at least
seven feet, and the floor area of that part of any room where the
ceiling height is less than five feet shall not be considered in computing
the total floor area of the room for the purpose of determining the
maximum permissible occupancy thereof.