You are viewing an archived code
Apartment. "Apartment" means a dwelling unit as defined in this Code.
Apartment House. "Apartment house" is any building or portion thereof which contains three or more dwelling units and, for the purpose of this Code, includes residential condominiums.
Basement. "Basement" is any floor level below the first story in a building, except that a floor level in a building having only one floor level shall be classified as a basement unless such floor level qualifies as a first story as defined herein.
Bathroom. A room containing a bathtub, tub or shower compartment; water closet and lavatory or other similar approved facilities provided immediately adjacent thereto.
Bay Window. A rectangular, curved or polygonal window, projecting beyond the exterior wall of the building.
Building. "Building" shall mean any building or structure, or portion thereof, which is used, designed or intended for residential use, for living, sleeping, cooking or eating purposes or any combination thereof.
Building Code. The San Francisco Building Code, Part II, Chapter I, of the San Francisco Municipal Code.
Building (Existing). A building erected prior to the adoption of this Code, or one for which a legal building permit and a "Certificate of Final Completion" has been issued.
Building Official. "Building Official" is the Director of the Department of Building Inspection, City and County of San Francisco. The Director is the authorized representative in the enforcement of this Code.
Ceiling Height. The distance between the finished floor and the finished ceiling.
City. The City and County of San Francisco.
Congregate Residence. "Congregate Residence" is any building or portion thereof which contains facilities for living, sleeping and sanitation, as required by this Code, and may include facilities for eating and cooking, for occupancy by other than a family. A congregate residence may be a shelter, convent, monastery, dormitory, fraternity or sorority house but does not include jails, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, or lodging houses.
Deterioration. The condition of a building or a portion of a building characterized by holes, breaks, rot, crumbling, cracking, peeling, rusting, or other evidence of physical decay or neglect, or lack of maintenance, or excessive use.
Director of the Department of Building Inspection.The Director of the Department of Building Inspection, City and County of San Francisco, sometimes referred to as the Director, who shall herein have charge and control of all matters set forth in this Code.
Dormitory. A room occupied by more than two guests.
Dwelling. Any building or portion thereof which contains not more than two dwelling units.
Dwelling Unit. A "dwelling unit" is any building or portion thereof which contains living facilities, including provisions for sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation as required by the Code, for not more than one family.
Electrical Code. The San Francisco Electrical Code, Part II, Chapter III of the San Francisco Municipal Code.
Equivalent Public Way. "Equivalent public way" is approved space on private property complying with all of the following:
(1) Connects with boundary street or streets.
(2) Is a least 40 feet in width, open to the sky, when the structures served by the equivalent public way are protected throughout with an approved automatic fire-extinguishing system installed in conformance with Chapter 9 of the Building Code.
(3) Is accessible to Fire Department vehicles and equipment.
(4) Access is recorded as being irrevocable for the life of the structure for which access is required, stating this is a requirement of the City.
Family. One or more persons related or unrelated, living together as a single integrated household in a dwelling unit.
Fire Code. The San Francisco Part II, Chapter IV, of the San Francisco Municipal Code.
Fire Hazard or Nuisance. "Fire hazard" shall mean anything or the lack of any equipment or any act, which increases or may cause an increase of the hazard or menace to life or property from fire, explosion or panic to a greater degree than that customarily recognized as normal by persons in the public service of preventing, suppressing or extinguishing fire; or which may obstruct, delay or hinder the saving of life from fire, explosion or panic or may have become the cause of any obstruction, delay, suppression or hindrance, to the prevention or extinguishment of fire.
Garage. A building or portion thereof in which a motor vehicle containing flammable or combustible liquids or gas in its tank is stored, repaired or kept, or in which bicycles, scooters, and other personal items used by the tenants of the building or buildings on the premises are stored or kept.
Garage, Private. A building or a portion of a building, not more than 1,000 square feet in area, in which motor vehicles, bicycles, scooters, and other personal items used by the tenants of the building or buildings on the premises are stored or kept.
Guest Room. A room occupied, or intended, arranged or designed for occupation by one or more guests. Every 100 square feet of superficial floor area in a dormitory is a guest room. A guest is any person paying in money, goods or services for the use of a sleeping facility. Guest rooms with cooking shall have approved kitchen units as set forth in Section 507 of this Code.
Guest Room Suite. A contiguous group of two or more habitable rooms, not part of a dwelling unit, having one entry door. Each habitable room within a guest room suite shall individually conform to the requirements set forth in Section 503(b) of this Code.
Habitable Space (Room). Any room or space in a structure for living, sleeping, eating or cooking. Bathrooms, toilet compartments, closets, halls, storage or utility space areas are not considered habitable space.
Handrail. A rail capable of being readily grasped by the hand to provide support on ramps or stairs.
Height of Building. Height of building shall be determined in accordance with Chapter 2 of the Building Code.
Hotel. "Hotel" is any building containing six or more guest rooms, or guest room suites, intended or designed to be used, or which are used, rented or hired out to be occupied, or which are occupied for sleeping purposes by guests.
Guest rooms with cooking facilities as defined in Section 507 of this Code located therein are permitted. Hotel does not include any jail, hospital, asylum, sanitarium, orphanage, prison, detention home or other institution in which human beings are housed and detained under legal restraint.
Housekeeping Room/Unit with Cooking Facilities. Housekeeping unit or room containing one guestroom with electric cooking facilities, in existence and legalized by permit prior to 1969 in a residential building built before 1960.
Kitchen. Any room used, or intended or designed to be used, for cooking, preserving and preparing food.
Life Hazard. "Life hazard" is any act, condition, or omission or lack of construction, equipment, material or maintenance, that increases or may cause an increase in the menace to life to occupants within a building or structure from fire, explosion, earthquake, panic or structural failure above the level of safety established in this Code.
Lodging House. "Lodging house" is any building or portion thereof, containing not more than five guest rooms where rent is paid in money, goods, labor or otherwise.
Main Entrance or Exit. "Main entrance or exit" is that entrance from a street, alley or other open space serving as a way of approach to a building to which is apportioned the greater aggregate of the required outside exit width.
Mechanical Code. The San Francisco Mechanical Code Part II, Chapter XIV, of the San Francisco Municipal Code.
Mechanical Ventilation. The ventilation of any area or space by mechanical means.
Mold and Mildew. Any visible or otherwise demonstrable growth of microscopic organisms or fungi (mold or mildew) that feeds on damp conditions in the interior of a residential building, sufficiently chronic or severe to cause a health hazard or damage a residential structure or part thereof, excluding the presence of mold or mildew which is minor in nature caused by inappropriate housekeeping practices or the improper use of natural or mechanical ventilation.
Motel. "Motel" shall mean "hotel" as defined in this Code.
Municipal Code. The Municipal Code of the City and County of San Francisco.
Nuisance. The following shall be defined as nuisances:
(1) Any public nuisance known at common law or in equity jurisprudence;
(2) Any attractive nuisance which may prove detrimental to children, whether in a building or on the premises of a building. This includes open wells, abandoned basements, or excavations; abandoned iceboxes, refrigerators and motor vehicles, or any structurally unsound fences or structures, or lumber, trash, fences, debris, or vegetation which may prove a hazard for inquisitive minors;
(3) Whatever is dangerous to human life or is detrimental to health;
(4) Overcrowding a room with occupants;
(5) Insufficient ventilation or illumination;
(6) Inadequate or insanitary sewage or plumbing facilities;
(7) Insanitary conditions or anything offensive to the senses or dangerous to health;
(8) Whatever renders air, food or drink unwholesome or detrimental to the health of human beings;
(9) Fire hazard;
(10) Substandard building;
(11) Any "apartment," "dwelling unit," "habitable space" or "building" as defined in this Code, which is the subject of a final hazard reduction order under Section of the San Francisco , or an emergency order under Section of the San Francisco ;
(12) Mold and mildew as defined by this chapter.
Openable Window Area. That portion of a window opening left clear and unobstructed when the window is in an open position.
Overcrowding. Use of occupancy of a room, dwelling unit, guest room or guestroom suite in excess of that permitted by this Code.
Owner. The owner or owners of the freehold of the premises or a lesser estate therein, a vendee in possession, or the lessee or joint lessees of the whole thereof.
Pantry. A space accessible to a dining room or kitchen for the storage of food, dishes or utensils.
Partition. An interior vertical separation running from floor to ceiling and dividing one part of an enclosed area from another.
Person. Any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, company, municipal, state or federal agency, executors, administrators, successors, assigns or agents or their heirs.
Plumbing Code. The San Francisco Plumbing Code Part II, Chapter VII, of the San Francisco Municipal Code.
Porch. A porch is a projection of appendage on the exterior of a building, which has a roof the ceiling height of which cannot be less than seven feet. Where one balcony is placed one story above another balcony, the balconies shall be considered as porches.
Premises. Land including improvements or appurtenances or any part thereof.
Repairs. The reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing building for the purpose of its maintenance.
Required. As required in this Code.
Roof Structure. "Roof structure" is any building or structure erected upon the roof of a building, designed to protect machinery or mechanical devices located on such roof and not used for any of the occupancies set forth in Chapter 3 of the Building Code.
Rooming House. Same as "lodging house."
Service Room. "Service room" shall mean any room used for storage, bath or utility purposes, and not included in the definition of "habitable rooms."
Shaft. Any shaft used for air, light or ventilation, or for vertical openings within a building. A vent shaft is one used solely to ventilate a water-closet compartment, bathroom, toilet, utility room or other service room.
Stairwell. A volume formed by the enclosure of any stair, or that would have been formed if the stairs were enclosed.
Story. "Story" is that portion of a building included between the upper surface of any floor and the upper surface of the floor next above, except that the topmost story shall be that portion of a building included between the upper surface of the topmost floor and the ceiling or roof above. If the finished floor level directly above a basement or unused under-floor space is more than six feet above grade as defined herein for more than 50 percent of the total perimeter or is more than 12 feet above grade as defined herein at any point, such basement or unused under-floor space shall be considered a story.
Story, first, is the lowest story in a building which qualifies as a story, as defined herein, except that a floor level in a building having only one floor level shall be classified as a first story, provided such floor is not more than four feet below grade, as defined herein, for more than 50 percent of the total perimeter, or more than eight feet below grade, as defined herein, at any point.
Substandard Building. See Chapter 10 of this Code.
Superficial Floor Area. "Superficial floor area" is the net floor area within the enclosing walls of the room in which the ceiling height is not less than seven feet six inches, excluding built-in equipment such as wardrobes, cabinets, kitchen units, or fixtures which are not readily removable.
Toilet Room. A room containing one or more water closets or urinals.
Unusable Space. A space or area which is not readily accessible and which has not more than three feet vertical clearance at any point.
Use. "Use" shall mean as used or designed or intended to be used.
Ventilating Area. The net area of an opening for the unobstructed passage of air. An approved screen is not considered as obstructing the area provided that the required ventilating area is maintained.
Water Closet Compartment. Same as "toilet room."
Weathering. Deterioration, decay or damage caused by exposure to the elements.
Window. "Window" shall mean a glazed opening, including glazed doors, which open upon a yard, court, or recess from a court, or a vent shaft open and unobstructed to the sky. Clerestory windows shall be included in this definition.
(Added by Ord. 399-89, App. 11/6/89; amended by Ord. 161-92, App. 6/4/92; Ord. 350-95, App. 11/3/95; Ord. 256-07, App. 11/6/2007; Ord. 160-14, File No. 140009, App. 7/31/2014, Eff. 8/30/2014)