City of Lebanon, PA Rooming Houses and Boarding Houses

[Ord. 30-1994, 95 § 2, passed 1-23-1995]

Standards and procedures for rooming houses and boarding houses licensed on or after February 28, 1995, are as follows:

Minimum standards required. No owner, operator, or other person shall occupy or let to another person any rooming house/boarding house or sleeping unit which does not comply with the following minimum standards for rooming houses/boarding houses, and no rooming house/boarding house or sleeping unit or any premises containing such areas shall fail to comply with the following minimum standards for rooming houses/boarding houses.

(b)

Operating permit required. No person shall operate a rooming house/boarding house or shall let to another for occupancy any sleeping unit in any rooming house/boarding house, unless he first applies for and receives a non-transferable permit to operate such rooming house/boarding house. Such permit must be renewed prior to March 1 of each year.

(c)

Application. Application for a permit to operate a rooming house/boarding house or sleeping unit shall be made on forms prepared and provided by the Director of the Department of Public Safety. A fee of $45 shall be paid upon filing said application.

[Amended by Ord. 47-2002, 03 § 1, passed 12-16-2002]

(d)

Inspection. It shall be the duty of the enforcement official to conduct an inspection of the premises to insure compliance with the minimum standards and conditions set forth herein. No operating permit shall be granted until such inspection is made and approval by the Sanitation-Housing Inspector, hereinafter referred to as the enforcement official.

(e)

Permit and fee. If the enforcement official deems a permit shall be issued, a permit fee of $75 per building shall be paid and renewed annually.

[Amended by Ord. 47-2002, 03 § 1, passed 12-16-2002]

(f)

Compliance with other minimum standards. Every rooming house/boarding house and every sleeping unit shall be in compliance with the minimum standards set forth by Article Three, Four (excluding Sections PM-404.1, 404.2, and 404.5), Five (excluding Section PM-501.2), Six, and Seven of the BOCA Basic Property Maintenance Code, and the City Smoke Detector Ordinance Article 1514 of the Codified Ordinances, as amended.

(g)

Required facilities. At least one water closet, one lavatory and one shower stall shall be supplied for each two sleeping units. As an alternative a private half bath (water closet and lavatory) shall be supplied for each sleeping unit. In this case a shower stall shall be supplied for each four sleeping units. Each sleeping unit shall have a separate electric circuit or circuits as required by the National Electrical Code.

(h)

Area for sleeping purposes. Every room occupied for sleeping purposes shall contain at least 100 square feet of floor area.

(i)

Ceiling height. Ceiling heights shall be not less than eight feet.

(j)

Linen supplied. The operator of every boarding house shall be responsible to supply bedding in a clean and sanitary manner; all bed linen and towels shall be changed at least once each week and prior to the letting of any room to any occupant.

(k)

Conversions. In the Central Business District zone, conversions are only permitted above the first floor above said commercial uses on the first floor. If the upper floor of a building contains a residential dwelling unit, no non-residential use shall be permitted on that floor.

(l)

Garbage and refuse. Garbage and refuse pickup and other utility areas shall be provided and shall be located so as not to detract from the aesthetic character of the neighborhood and shall be enclosed and shielded from view by fencing, walls, or shrubbery (of at least five feet in height) around the perimeter. Planted material or fences shall meet the standards for buffering of parking areas specified above.

(m)

Basement or cellar units. Basement or cellar sleeping units shall be permitted only if all exterior walls of the sleeping unit are at least four feet above the average finished grade level of the adjoining ground.

(n)

Single-family dwelling appearance. Except for dwellings in combination with commercial or office uses in commercial zoning districts, the appearance of a single-family dwelling unit shall be maintained for the rooming house/boarding house structure. Necessary changes in the number or placement of windows to provide adequate light and air will be allowed, but shall be minimized; any changes which occur shall be of one manner consistent with the architectural character of the dwelling.

(o)

Off-street parking. Off-street parking shall be provided as follows: One space per five rooms plus one space for the resident owner or resident manager of the property.

(p)

Notice of violation; permit revocation; hearing. Whenever, upon the inspection, the enforcement officer finds any conditions or practices in violation of these provisions, notice in writing of such violation shall be given to the operator of such rooming house/boarding house that, unless such conditions and/or practices are corrected within the time specified for compliance, the operator's permit shall be revoked. The operator may request and be granted a hearing, on any violations, before the Board of Appeal under the provisions of the Property Maintenance Code, PM-110.0; as amended.