[1975 Code § 128-5]
No person, firm or corporation shall manage, conduct or operate
the business of keeping a boardinghouse or rooming house or rooming
unit, as defined in this chapter, without first having obtained a
license therefor in the manner herein provided.
[1975 Code § 128-6]
a.
An application for a license to manage, conduct and carry on the
business of a boardinghouse, rooming house or rooming unit shall be
made in writing, under oath, signed by the operator, to the Board
of Health on such form or forms as may be provided by the Board of
Health, and shall set forth the following:
1.
Full name and address of the proprietor or operator of such boardinghouse,
rooming house or rooming unit.
2.
Full name of the owner of the premises and his address.
3.
Location of the boardinghouse, rooming house or rooming unit.
4.
The number and location of bedrooms to be used for boarding and rooming
and the size of each room.
5.
Statement as to the number of baths and toilets and their location
in such boardinghouse, rooming house or rooming unit.
b.
Such applications shall be referred to the Health Officer for inspection
and report. The Board of Health may request an investigation of the
applicant by the Police Department. If the report of the Health Officer
or the Police Department discloses a violation of this chapter or
undesirable history, no license shall be issued. If the report of
the Health Officer discloses no violation of this chapter and the
report of the Police Department is favorable, a license may be issued
by the Board of Health, which license shall be for the calendar year.
c.
All applications for renewal of licenses shall be made by November
15 of the year preceding the license year.
[1975 Code § 128-7]
[1975 Code § 128-8]
All licenses shall be for the calendar year and shall expire
on December 31 of the year of issue, unless surrendered or revoked
prior thereto. Surrender or revocation of any license prior to December
31 of the year of issue shall not entitle the holder of such license
to reimbursement for any pro rata portion thereof. The license fees
hereinabove fixed for issuance of such license are imposed for the
purpose of regulation and not for revenue.
[1975 Code § 128-9]
Each building licensed as a boardinghouse, rooming house or
rooming unit under the terms of this section may be inspected as often
as the Board of Health may deem it necessary. If any of the inspections
discloses a condition existing in the building tending to create a
violation of this section and such condition is not corrected within
10 days after notice in writing to the owner or operator of the business,
the Board of Health may take summary action.
[1975 Code § 128-10]
a.
No room in any boardinghouse or rooming house or rooming unit shall
be so overcrowded that there shall be afforded less than 300 cubic
feet of air space to each child under 12 years of age nor less than
450 cubic feet of air space to each person over the age of 12 years.
No greater number of occupants than thus established shall be permitted
to sleep in any one room.
b.
Every sleeping room in a boardinghouse, rooming house or rooming
unit in the Borough shall have a clear height between floor and ceiling
of not less than seven feet. Its least horizontal dimension shall
not be less than seven feet and it shall have a floor area not smaller
than 60 square feet per person.
[1975 Code § 128-11]
Every room used for sleeping purposes in a boardinghouse, rooming
house or rooming unit shall have a window placed in an outside wall,
such window constructed so that it can be opened easily by the occupant
of the room. All windows in toilet rooms, sleeping rooms, dining rooms
and kitchens of a boardinghouse, rooming house or rooming unit shall
have placed on the outside of such windows a full-length screen of
a size mesh to exclude mosquitoes and kept in good repair, to be placed
on May 1 each year and remain thereon until November 1 of the same
year. Doorways leading to the outside shall be screened in the same
manner between May 1 and November 1.
[1975 Code § 128-12]
In every boardinghouse, rooming house and rooming unit, there
shall be toilets and baths. All doors on toilet rooms and bathrooms
shall be equipped with self-closing springs or other devices to close
the door, and the doors shall be kept closed. On each toilet room
door, there shall be a locking device on the inside of the door so
that privacy can be had by the user of the room.
[1975 Code § 128-13]
Washed, clean sheets and pillow cases shall be provided each
week for each bed occupied in all boardinghouses, rooming houses and
rooming units.
[1975 Code § 128-14]
Adequate lighting of at least 10 candlepower of illumination
shall be provided over the entrance, in the entrance hall and in all
interior halls of all boardinghouses and rooming houses.
[1975 Code § 128-15]
a.
In every boardinghouse, rooming house and rooming unit, all wool,
cotton or other coarse rugs or floor covering shall be cleaned thoroughly
once a week.
b.
All exposed wooden floor or impervious floor covering shall be washed
thoroughly with hot water and soap or detergent once a week or cleansed
by other methods approved by the Health Officer.
[1975 Code § 128-16]
a.
In every rooming house and boardinghouse, all garbage or rubbish
that accumulates shall be placed daily in metal containers with tight-fitting
lids, on the outside of the building, and the lids shall be kept on
the garbage containers at all times except when garbage is being placed
in the container or when it is being dumped.
b.
Garbage pails shall be cleaned thoroughly by washing at least once
a week or more often if deemed necessary by the Health Officer.
[1975 Code § 128-17]
All boardinghouses, rooming houses and rooming units shall be
provided with sufficient heat in any occupied part of such building
to maintain at all times between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00
p.m. a minimum temperature of seventy degrees Fahrenheit (70°
F.). The supply of heat hereinabove required shall be furnished for
or to all buildings or parts thereof used for dwelling purposes from
October 1 in each year to May 1 of the succeeding year.
[1975 Code § 128-18]
All boardinghouses, rooming houses and rooming units shall be
kept free and clean of and shall not harbor flies, mosquitoes, bedbugs,
cockroaches, ants, mice, rats or other insects or vermin.
[1975 Code § 128-19]
The exterior grounds of all boardinghouses and rooming houses
and of dwellings containing rooming units shall be kept clean and
orderly and free of litter and rubbish.
[1975 Code § 128-20]
There shall not be kept, maintained or harbored any cat, dog
or other animal in the house or on the grounds of any boardinghouse
or rooming house in the Borough, nor shall any parakeet, parrot, pigeon,
chicken or other fowl or bird be kept, maintained or harbored in or
on the grounds of any boardinghouse or rooming house unless the person,
firm or corporation shall have received a written permit from the
Health Officer for the keeping of such animal, bird or fowl.
[1975 Code § 128-21]
a.
No gas, coal, oil, kerosene or electric range or stove or any other
apparatus or appliance shall be used for the cooking or preparation
of food or shall be kept or installed in any room in any boardinghouse
or rooming house which is occupied or is intended, arranged or designed
to be occupied for sleeping purposes, nor shall any food be cooked
or otherwise be prepared or stored in any room in any boardinghouse
or rooming house, which room is occupied or intended, arranged or
designed to be occupied for sleeping quarters. However, this section
shall not apply to an owner who maintains his home as a separate unit
for himself and his family in any such boarding or rooming house.
b.
It shall be unlawful for the lessee, proprietor or operator of any
boardinghouse or rooming house to let, underlet, rent or permit any
boardinghouse or rooming house or any part thereof for the purpose
of being occupied by any person or persons with the privilege of installing
in any room which is occupied or intended, arranged or designed to
be occupied as a sleeping room any gas, coal, kerosene, oil or electric
range or stove or any other apparatus or appliance to be used for
the purpose of cooking, storing or preparing foods.
[1975 Code § 128-22]
Each boardinghouse and rooming house shall keep a day book showing
the name and permanent address of each guest and the room occupied
by each guest. Such day book shall be available for inspection at
all times by the Health Officer.
[1975 Code § 128-23]
The copy of this chapter shall be posted in a conspicuous place
in every boardinghouse or rooming house which houses four or more
persons. A copy of this chapter shall be furnished by the Board of
Health.
