Chapter 156 – Housing Code

B. Acceptability Criteria. A living room, kitchen area, and bathroom shall be present, and the dwelling unit shall contain at least one sleeping or living/sleeping room of appropriate size for each two persons. Exterior doors and windows accessible from outside the unit shall be lockable. 4. Thermal Environment. A. Performance Requirement. The dwelling unit shall have and be capable of maintaining a thermal environment healthy for the human body. B. Acceptability Criteria. The dwelling unit shall contain safe heating and/or cooling facilities which are in proper operating condition and can provide adequate heat and/or cooling to each room in the dwelling unit appropriate for the climate to assure a healthy living environment. Unvented room heaters which burn gas, oil, or kerosene are unacceptable. 5. Illumination and Electricity. A. Performance Requirement. Each room shall have adequate natural or artificial illumination to permit normal indoor activities and to support the health and safety of occupants. Sufficient electrical sources shall be provided to permit use of essential electrical appliances while assuring safety from fire. B. Acceptability Criteria. Living and sleeping rooms shall include at least one window. A ceiling- or wall-type light fixture shall be present and working in the bathroom and kitchen area. At least two electrical outlets, one of which may be an overhead light, shall be present and operable in the living area, kitchen area, and each bedroom area. 6. Structure and Materials. A. Performance Requirement. The dwelling unit shall be structurally sound so as not to pose any threat to the health and safety of the occupants and so as to protect the occupants from the environment. B. Acceptability Criteria. Ceilings, walls, and floors shall not have any serious defects, such as severe bulging or leaning, large holes, loose surface materials, severe buckling or noticeable movement under walking stress, missing parts or other serious damage. The roof structure shall be firm, and the roof shall be weather-tight. The exterior wall structure and exterior wall surface shall not have any serious defects, such as serious leaning, buckling, sagging, cracks or holes, loose siding, or other serious damage. The condition and equipment of interior and exterior stairways, halls, porches, and walkways shall be such as not to present a danger of tripping or falling. Elevators shall be maintained in safe and operating condition. In the case of manufactured housing, the housing shall be securely anchored by a tie-down device which distributes and transfers the load posed by the unit to appropriate ground anchors so as to resist wind overturning and sliding. 7. Interior Air Quality. A. Performance Requirement. The dwelling unit shall be free of pollutants in the air at levels which threaten the health of the occupants. B. Acceptability Criteria. Dwelling units shall be free from dangerous levels of air pollution from carbon monoxide, sanitary sewer gas, fuel gas, dust, and other harmful air pollutants. Air circulation shall be adequate throughout the unit. Bathroom areas shall have at least one openable window or other adequate exhaust ventilation.