(a) Structural Safety. All dwellings and all parts thereof, both exterior and interior shall be maintained in good repair and shall be capable of performing the function for which such structure or part of any feature thereof was designed or intended to be used.
(1) Every foundation, chimney, roof, floor, exterior and interior wall, ceiling, inside and outside stair, and every appurtenance thereto, shall be safe to use and capable of supporting the loads that normal use may cause to be placed thereon, and shall be kept in sound condition and good repair. Every inside and outside stair or step shall have uniform risers and treads. The Housing Inspector may require a handrail for each stair if deemed necessary.
(2) Every foundation, roof and exterior wall, door and window shall be reasonably weathertight and damp free and shall be kept in sound condition and good repair. All buckled, rotted or decayed walls, doors, windows, porches, floors, steps, railings, soffits, posts, sills, trim and their missing members shall be replaced and put in good condition. All exterior wood surfaces, exterior unfinished surfaces, transite, sheet metal, previously painted masonry or other surfaces shall be protected from the elements and decay by paint or by other protective coating or treatment and shall conform and match the existing paint or surface covering. The exterior surfacing shall be reasonably free of flaking, blistering, crumbling, decay, or other physical deterioration.
(3) Every premises shall be properly graded, drained and reasonably free of standing water.
(4) Unless other provisions are made, roof gutters, leaders and downspouts shall be provided and maintained in good working condition. No gutter system shall be connected to the City’s sanitary sewer.
(5) Every window, exterior door and basement hatchway or stairway shall be weathertight, watertight and rodent-proof and shall be in good working condition and repair.
(b) Mechanical Soundness of Plumbing. All plumbing shall be properly installed and maintained in sanitary condition and be free from defects, leaks and obstructions.
(c) Safe Ingress and Egress of Dwellings. Every dwelling unit shall have at least one unobstructed means of ingress and egress leading to a safe open space at ground level and to a public street or alley. Where there is more than one dwelling unit on a second story or where there are more than two stories, a minimum of two approved exitways shall be provided for every occupied story above or below the first story. However, a second story may be serviced by a single stairway if such stairway is enclosed by one-hour fire rated materials, the second story does not exceed 2,400 square feet in floor area and the distance from the dwelling unit to the stairway is less than fifty feet.
(Ord. 2001-68. Passed 5-7-01.)
(d) Installation of Smoke Detectors.
(1) The installation of smoke alarms in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 1301:7-7 of the Ohio Administrative Code, also known as the Ohio Fire Code, is hereby required for all single and multiple occupancy residential dwellings constructed subsequent to the effective date of this section.
(2) Without limiting the foregoing requirement, all existing residential structures, at the time of any change of ownership and/or when a structural change or repair is made in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000), whichever occurs first after the effective date of this Section, shall have installed therein a minimum of one smoke alarm per dwelling unit level (i.e., one per floor plus one in any basement).
(3) The installation, placement, maintenance and testing of smoke alarms required by this Section shall be in accordance with applicable requirements of the Ohio Fire Code. The Ashtabula City Division of Planning & Community Development shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the Fire Division to inspect the installation of the smoke alarms required by this Section. Violations discovered by a Housing Inspector shall be referred to the Fire Prevention Bureau for enforcement.
(4) In addition to any other penalties permitted or required by law, an owner or other person in control of a dwelling unit determined to be in violation of this Section shall pay a civil penalty to the City of Ashtabula of $50.00 per dwelling unit for each day such violation continues.
(5) Nothing in this Section shall be deemed to supersede or amend any requirement of the Ohio Fire Code for an additional fire alarm system or systems.
(Ord. 2014-02. Passed 1-6-14.)