[CC §18.600; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
Nothing in this Chapter shall be interpreted to permit the establishment
of new rooming houses in the City of St. John after March 18, 1963.
[CC §18.610; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974; Ord. No. 276, 9-15-1986]
A "rooming house" is defined as a building
where lodging is provided for compensation to two (2) or more persons,
pursuant to previous arrangements, including sleeping rooms, boarding
houses, hotels and private clubs.
[CC §18.620; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
It shall be unlawful to operate a lodging, rooming or boarding
house within the City of St. John without first having obtained a
license as provided for in this Chapter.
[CC §18.630; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
Every operator of an existing lodging, rooming or boarding house
shall file an application with the City Clerk of the City of St. John
for a license. Such application shall state the address of the building
so used, the number of stories, total number of rooms in the structure
and the total number of rooms to be rented, maximum number of paying
guests that will occupy any one (1) room and other pertinent information,
such as type of construction of the structure, number of stairways,
exits, and facilities that are provided for safety measures.
[CC §18.640; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
Upon filing of such application, the City Clerk shall furnish
all pertinent data to the Building Inspector and the Health Officer
who shall make a thorough inspection of the facilities and prepare
a written report thereon regarding whether the facilities conform
to the requirements of this Chapter and all other requirements of
the ordinances of the City of St. John.
[CC §18.650; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
If the Building Inspector and the Health Officer approve the
facilities for use of lodging, rooming or boarding house, the City
Clerk may issue the applicant a license therefor, a copy of which
shall be posted in a prominent position in the hallway of the structure.
The operator of any lodging, rooming or boarding house shall apply
for a renewal of such license and permit on or before the first (1st)
day of January of each calendar year.
[CC §18.660; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
In addition to the initial inspection, after the passage of
this Chapter, of the facilities for lodging, rooming and boarding
house purposes, the Building Inspector and Health Officer shall make
annual inspections of the facilities. Whenever, upon such inspection
of any rooming house, the Officials shall find that the conditions
or practices which exist are in violation of any provision of this
Chapter or of any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, the
Official shall give notice in writing to the operator of such rooming
house that unless such conditions or practices are corrected within
a reasonable time, not to exceed thirty (30) days, the operator's
rooming house license will be suspended. At the end of such period,
the Official shall reinspect such rooming house, and if he finds that
such conditions or practices have not been corrected, he shall give
notice, in writing, to the operator that the latter's license has
been suspended. Upon receipt of notice of such suspension, such operator
shall immediately cease the operation of such rooming house, and no
person shall occupy for sleeping or living purposes any rooming unit
therein.
[CC §18.665; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
Any person whose permit to operate a boarding house has been
suspended or who has received notice from the Officials that his permit
is to be suspended unless existing conditions or practices at his
rooming house are corrected, may request and shall be granted a hearing
on the matter before the City Manager, provided however, that if no
petition for such hearing is filed within ten (10) days following
the receipt of notice of suspension, such permit shall be deemed to
have been automatically revoked.
[CC §18.670; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
A.
The
following minimum standards or requirements shall be met before any
license shall be issued for the operation of a lodging, rooming or
boarding house, and shall thereafter be conformed to at all times:
1.
Every room occupied for sleeping purposes by one (1) person shall
contain at least seventy (70) square feet of floor space, and every
room occupied for sleeping purposes for more than one (1) person shall
contain an additional fifty (50) square feet of floor space for each
occupant thereof.
2.
At least one (1) flush water closet, lavatory basin and bath and
tub or shower, properly connected to a water and sewer system approved
by the Building Inspector, and in good working condition, shall be
supplied for each eight (8) persons or fraction thereof, residing
within a rooming house, including members of the proprietor's family
whether they share the use of such facilities or not. All such facilities
shall be located within the dwelling as to be reasonably accessible
from a common hall or passage to all persons sharing such facilities.
Every lavatory basin and bath tub or shower shall be supplied with
hot water at all times and no such facilities shall be located in
a basement, except by written approval of the Health Officer.
3.
Every proprietor of a rooming house shall change supplies, bed linens
and towels at least once each week, and prior to the letting of any
room to a new occupant. The proprietor shall be responsible for the
maintenance of all supplied bedding in a clean and sanitary condition.
4.
Every rooming unit shall have safe, unobstructed means of egress
leading to open space at ground level. Every sleeping room shall have
at least one (1) outside window, and the proprietor shall provide
adequate screens for all windows and doors. The proprietor of every
rooming house shall provide heat during the cold weather, normally
after October fifteenth (15th), and until warm weather begins, normally
around April fifteenth (15th), of each year.
5.
The entire premises shall be kept in a clean sanitary condition and
no accumulation of dirt or filth in any lodging, rooming or boarding
house shall be permitted, and all measures necessary for the control
of rats, flies, mosquitoes and similar pests shall be taken.
6.
All stairways, halls and passageways shall be kept adequately lighted
at night and exit lights shall be installed and kept in operation
to insure ready readability indicating the direction of the nearest
exit.
7.
No cooking in rooms shall be permitted except for central cooking
facilities. No hot plates or other cooking facilities shall be maintained
in sleeping quarters.
[CC §18.680; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
The minimum fee to be paid to the City for any license as required
in this Chapter shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00). This fee shall
include the cost of the initial inspection and annual inspection,
and the license shall be valid for a period of one (1) calendar year.
All fees paid to the City Clerk shall then be deposited and credited
to the General Revenue of the City.
[CC §18.690; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
Any person, firm, corporation, or the agent, officer or servant
thereof who shall offer to let rooms by public and/or other announcement,
shall under the terms of this Chapter, be operating a lodging, rooming
or boarding house.
[CC §18.695; Ord. No. 25, 10-7-1974]
A.
It
shall be the duty of the Building Inspector and Health Officer to
enforce the provisions of this Chapter.
B.
The
owner or general agent of a building or premises where a violation
of any of the provisions of this Chapter have been committed or shall
exist, or the owner or general agent, lessee or tenant of any part
of the building or premises in which such violation has been committed
or shall exist, or the general agent, architect, builder, contractor
or any other person who commits, takes part or assists in any such
violation, or who maintains any building or premises in which such
violation shall exist, shall upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor,
punishable by a fine of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) for each
and every day that such violation continues, but if the violation
be willful, upon conviction thereof, the punishment shall be a fine
of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more than one thousand
dollars ($1,000.00), or imprisonment for ninety (90) days, or by both
such fine and imprisonment, for each and every day that such violation
shall continue, and each twenty-four (24) hours of maintenance of
prohibited conditions shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.
[Ord. No. 1014 §1, 7-15-2013]
