[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the Borough of Lititz during codification 10-31-1978 by Ord. No. C-221, approved 10-31-1978; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Uniform construction code; property maintenance — See Ch. 36.
Installation of fire protection lines — See Ch. 118.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Art. I, General Standards, as amended, was superseded 12-27-2006 by Ord. No. C-481, approved 12-27-2006. For current provisions, see Ch. 36, Construction Code, Uniform; Property Maintenance, Art. I, Uniform Construction Code.
[Added 10-27-1987 by Ord. No. C-312, approved 10-27-1987]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCY
The occupancy or use of a building or structure or any portion thereof by persons for whom sleeping accommodations are provided, including but not limited to one- and two-family dwellings, lodging or rooming houses, dormitories, apartment buildings, hotels and single-family attached and detached dwellings.
It shall be the responsibility of the owner of each new and existing occupied residential occupancy unit to install smoke detectors in each such residential occupancy unit as hereinafter provided. Said smoke detectors shall be capable of sensing visible and invisible particles of combustion and providing a suitable audible alarm thereof; further, they shall be installed by 150 days after adoption of this article in the manner hereinafter provided. Failure to install smoke detectors as and where required by said date will subject the property owner to the penalties set forth in § 59-9 of the Code of the Borough of Lititz, Pennsylvania.
A. 
At least one smoke detector shall be installed to protect each sleeping area. A "sleeping area" is defined as the area or areas of the residential occupancy unit in which the bedrooms (or sleeping rooms) are located. Where bedrooms or rooms habitually used for sleeping are separated by other use areas (such as kitchens or living rooms, but not bathrooms or closets), they shall be considered as separate sleeping areas for the purpose of this section.
B. 
At least one smoke detector shall be installed at the head (top) of each stairway leading up to an occupied area.
A. 
In new residential occupancy units, smoke detectors shall be wired directly (hard wired) to the building's electrical system. In all existing residential occupancy units, it is preferred that the smoke detectors be wired directly (hard wired) to the building's electrical system; however, a monitored battery-powered unit is acceptable.
B. 
It shall be the responsibility of the homeowner(s) and landlord(s) and tenant(s) to maintain smoke detectors. Such maintenance shall include keeping smoke detectors serviceable by replacing batteries when necessary or by keeping them connected to an electrical source so that they remain capable of transmitting an audible signal in the presence of smoke. The removal or destruction of any smoke detector by any person, except an owner for the purpose of immediate replacement, is strictly forbidden.
At every change of occupancy of every residential occupancy unit occasioned by or incidental to a sale, lease or sublease of said unit, it shall be the duty of the grantor thereof (i.e., the seller, lessor or sublessor, as the case may be) to certify, before occupancy, to the new occupant that all smoke detectors, as required by this article or other applicable laws, are installed and in proper working condition.