(a) All housing used as human habitation, or held out for use as human habitation, should comply with all of the minimum standards of fitness for human habitation set forth as sections 8-119 through 8-126, inclusive, of this article, and any housing which does not so comply is considered substandard.
(b) No person shall occupy as owner-occupant, or let to another for occupancy or use as a human habitation, any housing which is unfit for human habitation as provided below.
(c) The Town Council hereby finds that existence of any one of the following conditions renders housing unfit for human habitation:
(1) Interior walls or vertical studs which seriously list, lean or buckle to such an extent as to render the building unsafe;
(2) Supporting member or members which show 33 percent or more damage or deterioration, or nonsupporting, enclosing or outside wall or covering which shows 50 percent or more of damage or deterioration;
(3) Floors or roof which have improperly distributed loads, which are overloaded, or which have insufficient strength to be reasonably safe for the purpose used;
(4) Such damage by fire, wind, water or other causes as to render the building unsafe or dangerous to the health, safety, or morals of the occupants or other people in the town;
(5) Dilapidation, decay, unsanitary conditions or disrepair which is dangerous to the health, safety or morals of the occupants or other people in the town;
(6) The means of exit or escape in case of fire, accident or other calamity is blocked, structurally unsafe, or otherwise insufficient;
(7) Defects significantly increasing hazards of fire, accident or other calamity;
(8) Lack of adequate ventilation, light, heating or sanitary facilities required by this article to such an extent as to endanger the health, safety, morals or general welfare of the occupants or other residents of the town;
(9) Lack of proper electrical, heating or plumbing facilities required by this article which constitute a health or safety hazard;
(11) Lack of an operable smoke detector or an operable carbon monoxide detector, as required by section 8-126 and state law;
(12) Any combination of other conditions that are substandard under this article which, in the judgment of the inspector, renders any housing dangerous or injurious to the health, safety or morals of the occupants of the housing, the occupants of neighboring housing, or other residents of the town, including, but not limited to, defects therein increasing the hazards of fire, accident, or other calamities; lack of adequate ventilation, light or sanitary facilities; dilapidation disrepair; structural defects; or uncleanliness.
(Code 1982, § 5-202; Ord. No. 96-012, 11-14-1996; Ord. No. 2011-Code-04, 6-16-2011)