City of East Orange, NJ Basic Facilities for Residences

Every dwelling unit shall have a bathroom containing a toilet, washbasin, bathtub or shower, shall be equipped with private kitchen facilities and shall comply with such other requirements as are set forth elsewhere in this chapter. Where there are more than eight occupants, the unit shall have two bathrooms.

§ 159-89 Bathrooms in independent rooming units.

Bathrooms containing all facilities required under § 159-104 shall be provided for occupants of independent rooming units in accordance with § 159-108.

§ 159-90 Cooking facilities in independent rooming units restricted.

No cooking facilities shall be permitted in independent rooming units except incidental cooking where there are minimum sanitary facilities as required under § 159-93.

§ 159-91 Registration of incidental cooking units.

All incidental cooking units in independent rooming units shall, prior to installation (if installed after the effective date of this chapter) or prior to being used (if installed before December 2, 1963), be registered with the Public Officer on forms showing the location of each unit, the nature of the cooking facilities and such other information as the Public Officer may require. Where located as part of an establishment subject to licensing, then the registration shall not be required.

§ 159-92 Incidental cooking in room of single-family dwelling.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this chapter, incidental cooking shall be permitted in one room of a single-family dwelling, provided that the owner thereof conforms to the registration requirements under § 159-91 and complies with § 159-93; provided, further, that if, after inspection, the Public Officer shall determine that by reason of the remoteness of the location of the room or any limitations as to accessibility to the existing means of egress, additional means of egress are necessary for the safety of the occupants of the premises, then the owner shall provide such additional means of egress or remove the incidental cooking facilities; and provided, further, that the room shall comply with the occupancy requirements of §§ 159-142 and 159-143.

§ 159-93 Cooking facilities: minimum requirements.

On and after January 1, 1962, no cooking, including incidental cooking, shall be permitted in any independent rooming unit or dwelling unit unless there be minimum sanitary facilities, except as provided in § 159-182. Such facilities shall include:

Kitchen sink of nonabsorbent impervious material and drainboard of appropriate materials, such sink to be connected to the hot and cold water lines.

A waterproof washable container for garbage disposal equipped with a lid or cover to prevent infestation.

Appropriate facilities for storage of food and either gas or electric refrigeration.

Means of ventilation sufficient to remove cooking odors to exterior of premises.

Flooring in compliance with § 159-75.

An operative stove containing at least four burners and an oven, except that in an efficiency apartment as defined in § 159-134 an operative stove containing at least two burners and an oven shall be sufficient.

[Added 2-22-1982 by Ord. No. 5-1982]

§ 159-94 Community kitchens.

Cooking facilities serving more than one dwelling unit or independent rooming unit, or combination thereof, shall not be permitted, except nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the operation of establishments subject to licensing.

§ 159-95 Second means of egress generally.

There shall be a second means of egress for all dwelling units (except in single-family dwellings) located in basements or above the first-story level of any structure.

§ 159-96 Second means of egress for basement dwelling units.

There shall be a second means of egress for all basement dwelling units, which shall be either a second door, self-closing and fireproof, located independently of and remote from the primary means of egress and leading directly to adjacent outside ground area, or a window, easy to open, no more than four feet above the floor, with an opening of no less than 2 1/2 feet in width and three feet in height. No screens, storm windows or other barriers shall be placed or installed proximate to such means of egress which shall impede its use in case of emergency.

§ 159-97 Second means of egress for independent rooming units.

Independent rooming units shall, except in single-family dwellings, have a door opening directly into a common hallway or areaway. Any independent rooming unit located in the basement or at ground level of a dwelling shall be provided with a second means of egress with the same requirements as provided in § 159-96. Where there is an independent rooming unit located above the first story, a common hallway or areaway shall have two means of egress remote from each other and conforming to the requirements of Chapter 125, Construction Codes, Uniform.

§ 159-98 Fire exit facilities.

Every building and every story above the first therein shall have at least two means of exit remote from each other; one of these shall open to a street or fireproof passage leading to a street and one may open to a yard or other space deemed safe by the Public Officer and of sufficient area to accommodate all persons in the building, and access to every such exit shall be provided by a self-closing fireproof door at floor level. For exits from common areas such as hallways, the fire escape should be stair type and be continuous to the ground.

The following shall be exempt from the provisions of this section: one-family, two-family and three-family dwellings, lodging houses, rooming houses, boardinghomes and buildings or stories containing only independent dwelling units or dwelling units with a second means of egress directly to the outside.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: As to lodging houses, boardinghouses, nursing homes and child-care centers, see Part 4 of this chapter.

§ 159-99 Door as part of means of egress.

Any door in the path of egress shall be at least 30 inches in width with a minimum height of four feet, shall open in the direction of exit travel and shall be accessible and free from obstructions from common hallways or areaways.

§ 159-100 Location and number of exits.

Where two or more exits are required, each exit shall be as remote as practicable from the other exit or exits. All the exits shall be of such number and so located that the distance of travel from the door of each rooming unit or dwelling unit on each floor shall not exceed 50 feet, except in buildings of fireproof construction or buildings equipped with automatic sprinkler systems throughout, in which buildings the maximum distance of travel from the door of any unit to the nearest exit shall not exceed 100 feet, provided that two of the exits shall be at least 50 feet apart.

§ 159-101 Locks, buzzers and intercom systems.

Every building containing four or more dwelling units shall be provided with:

(1)

Self-locking doors at every entranceway providing access to each dwelling unit from any hallway or other common area.

(2)

Self-locking and self-closing doors at every entranceway providing access to each building from the exterior thereof, except as hereinafter provided.

Except in wood-frame detached buildings, every building containing four or more dwelling units shall be provided with either:

(1)

A self-closing and self-locking main entranceway door to the exterior thereof, which shall be opened only by a key from the outside and by an electrical control system operable from each dwelling unit; or

(2)

A peephole in the front door of each dwelling unit; or

(3)

A doorman at the main entranceway door to the exterior thereof.

All locks, self-locking and self-closing doors and electrical control systems, such as buzzers, bells or intercom systems, shall be maintained in good and operable condition at all times.

All entrance doors to multiple-dwelling units shall be equipped with a medium-duty deadlatching lockset (Series 160, FF-H-106a, minimum, with a minimum 11/16 inch by 1/2 inch with 1/2 minimum throw latchbolt with automatic deadlocking plunger) or with a deadbolt lock separate from the latch set.

[Added 2-26-2018 by Ord. No. 3-2018]

In all multiple-dwelling-unit buildings, each dwelling unit's doors shall be self-closing.

[Added 2-26-2018 by Ord. No. 3-2018]

In all multiple-dwelling-unit buildings, each dwelling unit's entrance doors shall be equipped with a chain door lock so as to permit partial opening of the door and a viewing device installed to enable a person on the inside of the entrance door to view a person immediately outside.

[Added 2-26-2018 by Ord. No. 3-2018]

In all one-family and multiple-dwelling-unit buildings, deadbolt and key locks are not permitted on bathroom or bedroom doors. Privacy locks only shall be permitted on bathroom and bedroom doors in all one-family and multiple-dwelling-unit buildings.

[Added 2-26-2018 by Ord. No. 3-2018]