No person shall own or operate a rooming house or occupy or let to another for occupancy any room unit in any rooming house unless the rooming house accommodations have been approved by the Building Official. In addition:
(a) At least one flush water closet, lavatory basin and bathtub or shower, properly connected to a water and sewer system approved by the Building Official and in good working condition, shall be supplied for each six persons or fraction thereof residing within a rooming house, including members of the owner or operator's family wherever they share the use of the facilities, provided that in a rooming house where rooms are let only to males, flush urinals may be substituted for not more than one-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 and cold water at all times. No such facilities shall be located in a basement except by written approval of the Building Official.
(b) The owner or 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 occupancy. The owner or operator shall be responsible for the maintenance of all supplied bedding in a clean and sanitary manner.
(c) 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 additional floor space for each additional occupancy thereof.
(d) Every rooming unit shall have safe, unobstructed means of egress leading to safe and open space at ground level.
(e) The owner and operator of every rooming house shall be responsible for the sanitary maintenance of all walls, floors and ceilings, and for maintenance of a sanitary condition in every other part of the rooming house. He or she shall be further responsible for the sanitary maintenance of the entire premises where the entire structure or building is leased or occupied by the owner or operator.
(f) Every rooming unit and every dwelling unit in every rooming house of more than three units shall be numbered in a plain and conspicuous manner, the number to be placed on the outside of the door to such rooming unit or dwelling unit. No two doors may bear the same number. No number on any door of any rooming unit or dwelling unit shall be changed to any other number without first securing a written approval of the Building Official.
(g) If the owner or operator of a rooming house permits the keeping of pets, such pets shall not create a nuisance by accumulations of body wastes or infestation of ectoparasites.
(h) No occupant of a rooming house shall cook or prepare meals in a rooming house unless such meals are prepared or eaten in a dwelling unit contained therein.
(i) The Building Official may require the owner or operator to post in every rooming unit a sign on which shall be written or printed in letters not less than three-eighths of an inch in height the following words “NO COOKING OR EATING IN THIS ROOM.” Such sign shall remain so posted at all times.
(j) Every window of every room used for sleeping shall be supplied with shades, draw drapes or other devices or materials which when properly used will afford privacy to the occupant of the room.
(k) Adequate rubbish storage containers, which have been approved by the Building Official as to type and location, shall be supplied by the rooming house owner or operator. The operator or owner shall be responsible for the disposal of all rubbish in a clean and sanitary manner by placing it in the required containers.
(l) The owner or operator of a rooming house shall be responsible for hanging all screen doors and window screens whenever the same are required by the provisions of this chapter or by any rule or regulation adopted pursuant hereto.
(m) The owner or operator of a rooming house shall be responsible for the extermination of any insects, rodents or other pests therein, and he or she shall be further responsible for extermination of the entire premises where the entire structure or building within which the rooming house is contained is leased or occupied by the owner or operator.
(n) Every exit shall be easily accessible from every rooming unit and dwelling unit by passage through a public passageway and without passing through any part of any other rooming unit or dwelling unit. Exits shall be unobstructed at all times.
(o) It shall be the duty of the operator of a rooming house to report forthwith to the Building Official the name of any person living in the rooming house whenever the owner or operator has reason to believe or suspect that such person may be afflicted with any communicable disease or is committing acts constituting a violation of law within the rooming house.
(p) Every provision of this chapter which applies to rooming houses shall also apply to hotels and motels, except to the extent that any such provision may be found to be in conflict with State or County laws and regulations.
(Ord. 1966-4. Passed 9-13-66.)