§ 18-99. Space requirements.

The number of persons occupying any dwelling unit shall be limited by the following regulations:

(1)

Size of sleeping rooms. Every sleeping room shall have at least 70 square feet of floor area for the first occupant and at least 50 square feet of floor area per additional occupant.

(2)

Maximum number of occupants. The maximum number of occupants permissible per dwelling unit shall be as follows:

Dwelling Size	Maximum Number of Occupants
0 Bedrooms	1
1 Bedroom	4
2 Bedrooms	6
3 Bedrooms	8
4 Bedrooms	10
5 Bedrooms	12
6 Bedrooms	14

 

For purposes of determining whether a violation has occurred, if the square footage requirements contained in subsections (1) and (3) of this section conflict with the maximum number of occupants permissible per dwelling unit contained in subsection (2) of this section, then the greatest number of occupants permissible under either subsections (1), (2) or (3) of this section shall prevail.

(3)

Size of dwelling unit. The total of all habitable rooms in a dwelling unit should be such as to provide at least 150 square feet of floor area for the first occupant thereof and at least 100 additional square feet of floor area per additional occupant. No dwelling containing two or more sleeping rooms shall be arranged so that access to a bathroom, shower room or water closet compartment intended for use by the occupants of more than one sleeping room can be achieved only by going through another sleeping room or outside the structure, nor shall room arrangements be such that access to a sleeping room can only be achieved through another sleeping room, bathroom, shower room or water closet compartment.

(4)

Minimum height of habitable rooms. Every habitable room shall be not less than seven feet in height from the floor to the ceiling throughout one-half of the area of such room. Any portion of a room having a ceiling height less than five feet shall not be considered in computing floor area.

(5)

Responsibilities of landlord, lessor or owner. It shall be unlawful for any landlord, lessor or owner to consent, allow, fail to prevent, or follow a course of conduct that the landlord, lessor or owner knows, or reasonably should know, will likely cause or result in overcrowding pursuant to this section. Every landlord, lessor or owner shall take affirmative actions to ensure that the number of persons occupying any dwelling or residential structure conforms to the requirements of this article. A violation shall be punishable as provided in section 1-13.

(Code 1979, § 15-25)