SEC. 504. LIGHT AND VENTILATION.

   General. For the purpose of determining the light or ventilation required by this Section, any room may be considered as a portion of an adjoining room when one-half of the area of the common wall is open and unobstructed and provides an opening of not less than one-tenth of the floor area of the interior room or 25 square feet, whichever is greater.

   Exterior openings for natural light or ventilation required by this Section shall open directly onto a public way or a yard or court located on the same lot as the building.

   EXCEPTIONS:

      1.   Required windows may open into a roof porch where the porch:

         a.   Abuts a public way, yard or court; and

         b.   Has a ceiling height of not less than seven feet; and

         c.   Has a longer side at least 65 percent open and unobstructed.

      2.   Skylights.

   (a)   Natural Light and Ventilation – Habitable Room. Guest rooms and habitable rooms within a dwelling unit or congregate residence shall have an aggregate window area of not less than one-twelfth of the floor area or 10 square feet, whichever is greater. In one-family and two-family dwellings not more than one story and basement in height, a skylight is permitted over a required court or side yard if the skylight ventilating area equals the minimum required window area for rooms ventilated by such court and where another source of ventilation to the court exists or is provided, e.g., a tunnel entrance. In no case shall a skylight be permitted when a sleeping room opens into an enclosed court or side yard.

      Openable Window Area. In guest rooms and habitable rooms within a dwelling unit or congregate residence one-half of the required window area in all rooms and hallways shall be openable.

      Clerestory windows are permitted, provided they meet the requirements for ventilation as set forth in this Code.

   (b)   Reserved.

   (c)   Mechanical Ventilation. An approved system of mechanical ventilation or air conditioning may be used in lieu of openable exterior windows. Such system shall provide not less than two air changes per hour, except that in bathrooms, containing a bathtub, shower or combination thereof, laundry rooms and similar rooms such system shall provide five air changes per hour. A minimum of 15 cubic feet per occupant of the air supply shall be taken from the outside per Section 1202.5 of the Building Code. The point of discharge of exhaust air shall be at least three feet from any opening into the building.

      Bathrooms that contain only a water closet, lavatory or combination thereof and similar rooms may be ventilated with an approved mechanical recirculating fan or similar device designed to remove odors from the air.

      In single-family dwellings, separate switches for the light and ventilation are permissible.

      Any person in charge of a building in which an exhaust fan system of ventilation is installed and used pursuant to this chapter, who fails, neglects or refuses to operate and maintain the system in good order and repair so that the air in each for which it is provided is not completely changed within the specie intervals, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

   (d)   Exit Corridors. Every exit corridor in all apartment houses or hotels shall be ventilated as follows:

      (1)   Windows Required. In an apartment house or hotel, every exit corridor shall have at least one window unless it is lighted and ventilated by a skylight, a ventilated connecting hallway, or a mechanical ventilation system pursuant to the provisions of this Section.

      (2)   Window Area and Location. Each required window shall be 10 square feet in area, at least 50 percent of which shall be openable.

      (3)   Existing transoms in corridor walls shall be removed and the openings covered or closed with incombustible materials fastened so as to prevent the opening of the transoms. A transom is defined as a window above a door or any other window in a hallway, corridor or passageway, other than exterior windows.

      (4)   Doors opening to corridors from guest rooms or dwelling units shall be maintained in a normally closed position except when used for entrance or egress to the room or dwelling unit.

      (5)   Skylight Permitted. Skylights shall be permitted in lieu of the required windows in exit corridors in the topmost story of apartment houses and hotels.

      (6)   Skylight Area and Location.

         (i)   Each skylight shall have an effective horizontal area of glass of at least eight square feet.

         (ii)   Each skylight shall be so arranged that its entire ventilating area may be readily opened, or its ventilators may be fixed permanently in an open position providing not less than 400 square inches of ventilating area.

      (7)   Mechanical Ventilation. An exit corridor of an apartment house or hotel may, in lieu of any window, be:

         (i)   Lighted and ventilated by a connecting exit corridor equipped with a window or skylight meeting the requirements of this chapter; or

         (ii)   Ventilated by an approved mechanical system of ventilation designed and operated to produce not less than two complete changes of air per hour.

      (8)   Stairway Ventilation.

         (i)   Each enclosed stairway shall be vented at the top by means of a skylight or other approved means of ventilation. If by other approved means, the net ventilating area shall be not less than five percent of the cross-sectional area of the stairwell.

         (ii)   Construction of skylights shall conform to the Building Code.

   (e)   Electrical Convenience Outlets. Every habitable room shall have at least one electrical convenience outlet and every kitchen shall have at least two electrical convenience outlets; or in a kitchen in which all major appliances such as range, refrigerator, stove, oven, disposal unit and/or dishwasher are built into the wall or cabinets of said kitchen, or in which there is no major electrical appliance or in which the major appliance is operated from a central unit in the building, one electrical convenience outlet shall be furnished for each 12 feet of continuous counter and for each separate counter area. Ceiling and wall lighting fixture outlets shall not be included in the required number of the required outlets.

      Rooms with running water shall require wall switches for control of the lighting outlets.

      All new outlets, fixtures and wiring shall comply with the Electrical Code.

   (f)   Dormitories – Capacity. No dormitory shall contain sleeping accommodations for more than 15 persons, nor shall any dormitory be so overcrowded as to be inconsistent with the requirement of this chapter for rooms used for sleeping purposes, or for the amount of sleeping room floor area per occupant.

      The bed frames shall be made of hard, smooth, incombustible, nonabsorbent material; the beds to be arranged as follows:

      (1)   Not less than three feet of horizontal space between beds.

      (2)   Not less than one foot of clear space between the floor of the dormitory and the underside of the lower bed.

   (g)   Artificial Light. In every apartment house and in every hotel there shall be installed artificial light sufficient in volume to illuminate properly every exit corridor, passageway, public stairway, fire escape egress, elevator, public water closet compartment, or toilet room to prevent safety hazard.

(Added by Ord. 399-89, App. 11/6/89; amended by Ord. 160-92, App. 6/4/92; Ord. 161-92, App. 6/4/92; Ord. 350-95, App. 11/3/95; Ord. 192-02, App. 9/17/2002; Ord. 136-05, App. 6/28/2005; Ord. 256-07, App. 11/6/2007)