No person shall occupy as owner-occupant or shall let or hold out to another for occupancy any dwelling or dwelling units, for the purpose of living therein, which is not safe, clean, sanitary, and fit for human occupancy or habitation, and which does not comply with the particular requirements of §§ 152.004 and 152.007 and this section.
(A) The foundation, exterior walls, and exterior roof shall be substantially watertight and protected against rodents and shall be kept in sound condition and repair:
(1) The foundation elements shall adequately support the building at all points;
(2) 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 exterior spaces of the dwelling;
(3) The roof shall be tight and have no defects which admit rain and roof drainage shall be adequate to prevent rain water from causing dampness in the walls;
(4) The dwelling shall be in a rat-stopped condition and adequately protected against the entry of other rodents; and
(5) All cornices, rustication, quoins, moldings, belt courses, lintels, sills, oriel windows, pediments, and similar projections shall be kept in good repair and free from cracks and defects which make them hazardous and dangerous.
(B) Every floor, interior wall, and ceiling shall be adequately protected against the passage of rodents, and shall be kept in sound condition and good repair:
(1) Every floor shall be free of holes and wide cracks which might admit rodents or which constitute a possible accident hazard;
(2) Every floor shall be free of loose, warped, protruding, or rotting floorboards;
(3) Every interior wall and ceiling shall be free of holes and large cracks;
(4) Every interior wall and ceiling shall be free of loose plaster or other structural material, the collapse of which might constitute an accident or hazard;
(5) Plaster, paint, and all other surface materials shall be of a character as to be easily cleanable and reasonably smooth, clean, and tight; and
(6) Every toilet room and bathroom floor surface shall be substantially impervious to water and be capable of being maintained easily in a clean and sanitary condition.
(C) Every window, exterior door, and basement hatchway shall be substantially tight, and shall be kept in sound condition and repair:
(1) Every window shall be fully supplied with window panes which are without open cracks or holes;
(2) Every window sash shall be in good condition and fit reasonably tight within its frame;
(3) Every window, other than a fixed window, shall be capable or being easily opened and shall be held in position by window hardware;
(4) Every exterior door, door hinge, and door latch shall be in good condition;
(5) Every exterior door, when closed, shall fit reasonably well within its frame;
(6) Every window, door, and frame shall be constructed and maintained in relation to the adjacent wall construction as completely to exclude rain and substantially to exclude wind from entering the dwelling;
(7) Every basement hatchway shall be so constructed and maintained as to prevent the entrance of rodents, rain, and surface water into the dwelling; and
(8) Every door available as an exit shall be capable of being opened from the inside, easily and without the use of a key.
(D) Screens shall be supplied to the following extent:
(1) Every basement or cellar window which is openable shall be supplied with a heavy wire screen or hardware cloth of not less than four mesh per inch which fits tightly and is securely fastened to the frame or with any other material affording equivalent protection against the entry of rodents; and
(2) From April 15 to November 15 of each year, every door opening directly from any dwelling unit to the outdoors and every window or other outside opening used for ventilation purposes, shall be supplied with a screen of not less than 16 mesh per inch, and every screen door shall have a self-closing device in good working condition; provided, that the screens shall not be required during the period in rooms deemed by the Health Officer to be located high enough in the upper stories of the buildings as to be free from insects.
(E) Every stairway, inside or outside of the dwelling, and every porch, shall be kept in safe condition and sound repair:
(1) Every flight of stairs and every porch floor shall be free of holes, grooves, and cracks which are large enough to constitute possible accident hazards;
(2) Every stairwell and every flight of stairs, which is more than two risers high, shall have rails not less than two and one-half feet high, measured vertically from the nose of the tread to the top of the rail; and every porch which is more than two risers high shall have rails not less than three and one-half feet above the floor of the porch;
(3) Every rail and balustrade must be firmly fastened and maintained in good condition;
(4) No flight of stairs shall have settled more than one inch out of its intended position or have pulled away from supporting or adjacent structures;
(5) No flight of stairs shall have rotting, loose, or deteriorating supports;
(6) The treads of every flight of stairs shall be uniform in height;
(7) Every stair tread shall be sound and be securely fastened in a substantially level position;
(8) Every stair tread shall be strong enough to bear a concentrated load of at least 400 pounds without danger of breaking;
(9) Every porch shall have a sound floor; and
(10) No porch shall have rotting, loose, or deteriorating supports.
(F) Every basement and every cellar shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition:
(1) Water shall not be permitted to accumulate or stand on the floor;
(2) All sewer connections shall be properly trapped;
(3) All cellar and slab drains shall be covered with grating; and
(4) Junk, rubbish, and waste shall not be permitted to accumulate to an extent as to create fire hazards or to endanger health or safety.
(G) Every supplied facility, piece of equipment, or utility, and every chimney and chimney flue, shall be installed and maintained in a safe and sound working condition.
(H) Every yard, court, vent passageway, and other portion of the lot on which the dwelling stands shall be graded and drained so as to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water on any surface.
(Prior Code, § 152.08) Penalty, see § 10.999