The provisions of this article shall govern the minimum conditions of property and buildings. Every building or structure occupied by humans, except as exempted by § 271-8, and the premises on which it stands shall comply with the conditions herein prescribed as they may apply thereto.
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant or
let to another for occupancy any structure or premises which does
not comply with the following requirements. The Building Official
of the municipality shall cause periodic inspections to be made of
all premises to secure compliance with these requirements.
A.
Sanitation. All exterior property areas shall be maintained
in a clean and sanitary condition free from any accumulation of rubbish
or garbage.
B.
Grading and drainage. All premises shall be graded
and maintained so as to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water
thereon or within any building or structure located thereon.
C.
Noxious weeds. All exterior property areas shall be
kept free from species of weeds or plant growth which are noxious
or detrimental to the public health.
D.
Insect and rodent harborage. Every owner of a structure
or property shall be responsible for the extermination of insects,
rodents, vermin or other pests in all exterior areas of the premises,
except that the occupant shall be responsible for such extermination
in the exterior areas of the premises of a single-family dwelling.
Whenever infestation exists in the shared or public parts of the premises
of other than a single-family dwelling, extermination shall be the
responsibility of the owner.
E.
Accessory structures. All accessory structures, including
detached garages, shall be maintained structurally sound and in good
repair.
F.
Motor vehicles. No motor vehicle in a residential
district shall at any time be in a state of any major disassembly,
disrepair or shall it be in the process of being stripped or dismantled.
At no time shall any vehicle of any type undergo major overhaul, including
body work, in a residential district.
G.
Fences All fences shall be of approved materials and
kept in sound condition and repair.
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant or
let to another for occupancy any structure or portion thereof which
does not comply with the following requirements:
A.
Foundations, walls and roof. Every foundation, exterior
wall, roof and all other exterior surfaces shall be maintained in
a workmanlike state of maintenance and repair and shall be kept in
such condition as to exclude rodents.
(1)
Foundations. The foundation elements shall adequately
support the building at all points.
(2)
Exterior walls. Every exterior wall shall be free
of holes, breaks, loose or rotting boards or timbers and any other
conditions which might admit rain or dampness to the interior portions
of the walls or to the occupied spaces of the building. All exposed
surfaces thereof shall be maintained to eliminate conditions reflective
of deterioration or inadequate maintenance, such as loose shingles,
blistered or peeling paint, to the end that the property itself may
be preserved, safety hazards eliminated and adjoining properties and
the neighborhood protected from blighting influences. All exposed
surfaces thereof shall be protected against weathering or deterioration
by a suitable protective coating appropriate for the particular material
involved.
(3)
Roofs. The roof shall be structurally sound, tight
and have no defects which might admit rain, and roof drainage shall
be adequate to prevent rainwater from causing dampness in the walls
or interior portion of the building. All leaders, gutters and downspouts
shall be maintained in a state of good repair and adequate to carry
off water from the building.
B.
Stairs, porches and railings. Stairs and other exit
facilities shall be adequate for safety, as provided in the uniform
construction codes, and shall comply with the following:
(1)
Structural safety. Every outside stair, every porch
and every appurtenance attached thereto shall be so constructed as
to be safe to use and capable of supporting the loads to which it
is subjected as required by the uniform construction codes and shall
be kept in sound condition and good repair.
(2)
Handrails. For safety, every flight of stairs which
is more than three risers high shall have handrails which shall be
located as required by the uniform construction codes; and every porch
which is more than three risers high shall have handrails so located
and of such design as required by the uniform construction codes.
Every handrail and balustrade shall be firmly fastened and shall be
maintained in good condition.
C.
Windows, doors and hatchways. Every window, exterior
door and basement hatchway shall be substantially tight and shall
be kept in sound condition and repair.
(1)
Windows to be glazed. Every window sash shall be fully
supplied with glass window panes or an approved substitute which are
without open cracks or holes.
(2)
Windows to be tight. Every window sash shall be in
good condition and fit reasonably tight within its frame.
(3)
Windows to be openable. Every window, other than a
bed window, shall be capable of being easily opened and shall be held
in position by window hardware.
(4)
Doorbells. The main entrance door shall be equipped
with a doorbell, capable of signaling each unit within the structure,
and shall be maintained in working order.
(5)
Door hardware. Every exterior door, door hinge and
door latch shall be maintained in good condition.
(6)
Doors to fit in frame. Every exterior door, when closed,
shall fit reasonably well within its frame.
(7)
Window and door frames to fit in wall. Every window,
door and frame shall be constructed and maintained in such relation
to the adjacent wall construction so as to exclude rain as completely
as possible and to substantially exclude wind from entering the dwelling
or structure.
(8)
Basement hatchways. Every basement hatchway shall
be so constructed and maintained as to prevent the entrance of rodents,
rain and surface drainage water into the dwelling or structure.
(9)
Exit doors. Every door available as an exit shall
be capable of being opened from the inside easily and free from obstructions
and blockages.
D.
Screening. Guards and screens shall be supplied for
protection against rodents in accordance with the following requirements:
(1)
Guards for basement windows. Every basement or cellar
window which is openable shall be supplied with corrosion-resistive
rodentproof shields of not less than No. 22 U.S. gage perforated steel
sheets, or No. 20 B&S gage aluminum or No. 16 U.S. gage expanded
metal or wire mesh screens with not more than one-half-inch mesh openings
or with other material affording equivalent protection against the
entry of rodents, including storm windows.
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant or
let to another for occupancy any structure or portion thereof which
does not comply with the following requirements:
A.
Free from dampness. In every building, cellars, basements
and crawl spaces shall be maintained reasonably free from dampness
to prevent conditions conducive to decay or deterioration of the structure
as required by the uniform construction codes.
B.
Structural members. The supporting structural members
of every building shall be maintained structurally sound, showing
no evidence of deterioration which would render them incapable of
carrying the imposed loads in accordance with the provisions of the
uniform construction codes.
C.
Interior stairs and railings. Stairs shall be provided
in every structure as required by the uniform construction codes.
(1)
Maintained in good repair. All interior stairs of
every structure shall be maintained in sound condition and good repair
by replacing treads and risers that evidence excessive wear or are
broken, warped or loose. Every inside stair shall be so constructed
and maintained as to be safe to use and capable of supporting a load
as required by the provisions of the uniform construction codes.
(2)
Handrails. Every stairwell and every flight of stairs
which is more than three risers high shall have handrails or railings
located in accordance with the provisions of the uniform construction
codes. Every handrail or railing shall be firmly fastened and must
be maintained in good condition. Properly balustrated railings, capable
of bearing normally imposed loads as required by the uniform construction
codes, shall be placed on the open portions of stairs, balconies,
landings and stairwells.
D.
Bathroom and kitchen floors. Every toilet, bathroom
and kitchen floor surface shall be constructed and maintained so as
to be substantially impervious to water and so as to permit such floor
to be easily kept in a clean and sanitary condition.
E.
Sanitation. The interior of every dwelling and structure shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition free from any accumulation of rubbish or garbage. Rubbish, garbage and other refuse shall be properly kept inside temporary storage facilities as required under § 271-29D and E of this chapter.
F.
Insect and rodent harborage. Buildings shall be kept
free from insect and rodent infestation, and where insects or rodents
are found, they shall be promptly exterminated by acceptable processes
which will not be injurious to human health. After extermination,
proper precautions shall be taken to prevent reinfestation.
(1)
Extermination from buildings. Every owner of a dwelling
or multifamily dwelling shall be responsible for the extermination
of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests whenever infestation exists
in two or more of the dwelling units or in the shared or public parts
of the structure.
(2)
Extermination from single dwelling units. The occupant
of a dwelling unit in a dwelling or multifamily dwelling shall be
responsible for such extermination within the unit occupied by him
whenever his dwelling unit is the only unit in the building that is
infested.
(3)
Responsibility of owner. Notwithstanding the foregoing
provisions, whenever infestation of rodents is caused by failure of
the owner to maintain any dwelling or multifamily dwelling in a rodentproof
condition, extermination of such rodents shall be the responsibility
of the owner.
G.
Interior walls, ceilings and floors. All interior
walls, ceilings and floors shall be structurally sound, in good repair,
free from defects, clean and painted.
H.
Door hardware. Every exterior door, door hinge and
door latch shall be maintained in good condition.
I.
Doors to fit in frame. Every exterior door, when closed,
shall fit reasonably well within its frame.
