(a) Rooming Houses. No person shall operate a rooming house or shall occupy or let to another for occupancy any rooming unit in any rooming house except in compliance with the provisions of every section of this article; except the provisions of Section 1753.08
and Section 1753.12
, and in compliance with the following provisions:
(1) No person shall operate a rooming house unless he holds a valid rooming house permit issued by the Housing Officer in the name of the operator and for the specific dwelling or dwelling unit. The operator shall apply to the Housing Officer for such permit which shall be issued by the Housing Officer upon compliance by the operator with the applicable provisions of this article and with any rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto. This permit shall be displayed in a conspicuous place within the rooming house, at all times. No such permit shall be transferable. Every person holding such a permit shall give notice in writing to the Housing Officer within twenty-four hours after having sold, transferred, given away or otherwise disposed of ownership, interest in or control of any rooming house. Such notice shall include the name and address of the person succeeding to the ownership or control of such rooming house. Every rooming house permit shall expire at the end of one year following its date of issuance, unless sooner suspended or revoked as hereinafter provided.
(2) Any person whose application for a permit to operate a rooming house has been denied may request and shall be granted a hearing on the matter before the Housing Officer, under the procedure provided by Section 1753.05
.
(3) Whenever, upon inspection of any rooming house, the Housing Officer finds that conditions or practices exist which are in violation of any provision of this article or of any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, the Housing Officer shall give notice in writing to the operator of such rooming house that unless such conditions or practices are corrected within a reasonable period to be determined by the Housing Officer, the operator's rooming house permit will be suspended. At the end of such period the Housing Officer shall reinspect such rooming house and, if he finds that such conditions or practices have not been corrected, he shall give notice in writing to the operator that the latter's permit has been suspended. Upon receipt of notice of suspension, such operator shall immediately cease operation of such rooming house and no person shall occupy for sleeping or living purposes any rooming unit therein.
(4) Any person whose permit to operate a rooming house has been suspended or who has received notice from the Housing Officer that his permit is to be suspended unless existing conditions or practices at his rooming house are corrected, may request and shall be granted a hearing on the matter before the Housing Officer, under the procedure provided by Section 1753.05
; provided, that if no petition for such hearing is filed within ten days following the day on which such permit was suspended, such permit shall be deemed to have been automatically revoked.
(5) At least one flush water closet, lavatory basin, and bathtub or shower, properly connected to a water and sewer system approved by the Housing Officer and in good working condition, shall be supplied for each eight persons or fraction thereof residing within a rooming house, including members of the operator's family wherever they share the use of such facilities; provided, that in a rooming house where rooms are let only to males, flush urinals may be substituted for no more than half the required number of water closets. All such facilities shall be so located within the dwelling as to be reasonably accessible from a common hall or passageway to all persons sharing such facilities. Every lavatory basin and bathtub or shower shall be supplied with hot water at all times. No such facilities shall be located in a basement, except by written approval of the Housing Officer.
(6) The operator of every rooming house shall change supplied bed linen and towels therein at least once each week and prior to the letting of any room to any occupant. The operator shall be responsible for the maintenance of all supplied bedding in a clean and sanitary manner.
(7) Every room occupied for sleeping purposes by one person shall contain at least seventy square feet of floor space, and every room occupied for sleeping purposes by more than one person shall contain at least fifty square feet of floor space for each occupant thereof.
(8) Every rooming unit shall have safe, unobstructed means of egress leading to safe and open space at ground level, as required by the laws of the State and the City.
(9) The operator of every rooming house shall be responsible for the sanitary maintenance of all walls, floors and ceilings and for the maintenance of sanitary conditions in every other part of the rooming house; and he shall further be responsible for the sanitary maintenance of the entire premises where the entire structure or building is leased or occupied by the operator.
(b) Hotels. Every provision of this article shall apply to hotels; except to the extent that any such provision may be found in conflict with the laws of this State or with the lawful regulations of any State board or agency.
(1978 Code Sec. 5-50)