In each dwelling unit or individual apartment within buildings used
as multiple dwellings, or in any other dwelling units which are not occupied
by the owner or owners, there shall be provided and installed by the owner
of the building a minimum of one (1) automatic smoke detector for each two
hundred fifty (250) square feet of space or less which, when activated, provides
an alarm suitable to warn the occupants therein, and said detector shall also
be required to have Underwriters Laboratories Listing.
In all commercially and all other nonresidentially used buildings, there
shall be provided and installed by the owner of the building a minimum of
one (1) automatic smoke detector for each commercial business unit therein,
per floor, for each five hundred (500) square feet of space or less which,
when activated, provides an alarm suitable to warn the occupants therein,
and said detector shall be required to have Underwriters Laboratories Listing.
In all existing buildings, the proper number of smoke detectors shall
be installed not later than six (6) months after the date of the enactment
of this chapter.
In all newly constructed buildings to be occupied subsequent to the
enactment of this chapter, the proper number of smoke detectors (per unit)
shall be installed prior to the occupancy of the building or any part thereof.
Annual certification of the operability of each smoke detector in a
commercially used building, dwelling unit or individual apartment within buildings
used as multiple dwellings or in any other dwelling units or other buildings
which are not occupied by the owner or owners shall be made by the owner or
landlord or his agent. Such certification shall be verified by means of a
certification card executed by both the landlord or his agent and the tenant
of the dwelling unit, said card to be registered with the Borough of Mount
Oliver Office at 150 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15210 during
the months of May and June of each year. Said registration must be accomplished
each and every year, on or before June 30. It shall be the duty of the landlord
or his agent to procure said certification cards at the aforementioned borough
office.
It shall be the duty of the tenant in each dwelling unit or individual
apartment within buildings used as multiple dwellings or in any other dwelling
units which are not occupied by the owner or owners, commercially used units
or other buildings to periodically, but in no event more than annually, test
the automatic smoke detector to ensure its operability. If the automatic smoke
detector is nonoperable, it shall be the duty of the tenant to inform the
landlord, and said landlord shall be responsible for all cost of replacement,
repair and/or maintenance of the automatic smoke detector in order to keep
said automatic smoke detector properly operable.
All persons being owners of real estate upon which a building is erected
shall, upon violation of the provisions of this chapter and upon conviction
thereof, be subject to a penalty as imposed by a District Justice of not more
than one thousand dollars ($1,000.) plus costs of prosecution and, in default
of payment of such fine and costs, imprisonment for not more than thirty (30)
days.