Sec. 518.421. - Space, occupancy and maintenance requirements—Residential.

No person shall occupy or let to another for occupancy a dwelling unit for the purpose of living, sleeping, cooking or eating therein which does not comply with the requirements of this Chapter with respect to basic facilities. (a) Water closet. Within the main enclosing walls of every dwelling unit there shall be a nonhabitable room which affords privacy to a person within the room and which is equipped with a flush water closet in good working condition. The water closet shall be: (1) Equipped with easily cleanable surfaces; (2) Connected to a water system that at all times provides an adequate amount of running water under pressure to cause the water closet to be operated properly; and (3) Connected to an approved sewer system or an approved septic tank installation. (b) Lavatory. Within the main enclosing walls of every dwelling unit there shall be a lavatory sink. The lavatory sink may be in the same room as the flush water closet or, if located in another room, the lavatory sink shall be located in close proximity to the door leading directly into the room in which the water closet is located. The lavatory sink shall be in good working condition and properly connected to: (1) A potable water supply which is approved by the Duval County Public Health Unit and which provides at all times an adequate amount of heated and unheated running water under pressure; and (2) An approved sewer system or an approved septic tank installation. (c) Bathtub or shower. Within the main enclosing walls of every dwelling unit there shall be a room which affords privacy to a person within the room and which is equipped with a bathtub or shower in good working condition. The bathtub or shower may be in the same room as the flush water closet or in another room and shall be properly connected to: (1) A water supply system which is approved by the Duval County Public Health Unit and which provides at all times an adequate amount of heated and unheated running water under pressure; and (2) An approved sewer system or an approved septic tank installation. (d) Kitchen. Every dwelling unit shall have a room or portion of a room in which food may be prepared or cooked, which shall have adequate circulation area and which shall be equipped with a kitchen sink in good working condition and properly connected to: (1) A potable water supply which is approved by the Duval County Public Health Unit and which provides at all times an adequate amount of heated and unheated running water under pressure; and (2) An approved sewer system or an approved septic tank installation. (e) Waste water from laundry devices. Waste water from every device used for laundering clothes shall be properly drained. (f) Water-heating facilities. Every dwelling unit shall be supplied with water-heating facilities which are installed in an approved manner, properly maintained and properly connected with hot water lines to the fixtures required to be supplied with hot water under this Section. Water-heating facilities shall be capable of heating water to such a temperature as to permit an adequate amount of water to be drawn at every required kitchen sink, lavatory basin, bathtub, shower and laundry facility or other similar unit at a temperature of not less than 120°F at any time needed. Water-heating facilities shall be provided with a properly installed pressure-temperature venting device. (g) Heating facilities. Every dwelling, dwelling unit and rooming unit shall have heating facilities which are properly installed, are maintained in safe and good working condition and are capable of safely and adequately heating all habitable rooms and bathrooms located therein to a temperature of at least 65°F at a distance three feet above floor level under ordinary minimum winter conditions. (h) Operation of heating and water heating facilities. Every heating or water-heating facility shall be installed and shall operate in accordance with the requirements of the building code and the fire prevention code. (i) Privacy. Access to or egress from each dwelling unit shall be provided without passing through another dwelling or dwelling unit. (j) Locking devices. No person shall let to another for occupancy a dwelling or dwelling unit unless all exterior doors of the dwelling unit are equipped with safe and properly functioning locking devices. The locking devices shall be capable of being easily opened from the inside. (k) Minimum ceiling heights. The ceiling height of a habitable room shall be at least seven feet, except that in a habitable room under a sloping ceiling, at least one-half of the room shall have a ceiling height of at least seven feet and the floor area of that part of the room where the ceiling height is less than seven feet shall not be considered as part of the floor area in computing the total floor area of the room for the purpose of determining maximum permissible occupancy. (l) Required space in dwelling units. The maximum occupancy of a dwelling unit shall not exceed the following requirements: (1) One hundred fifty square feet of floor space for the first occupant and at least 100 square feet of floor space for every additional occupant. The floor space shall be calculated on the basis of total habitable room area. (2) The total number of occupants shall not exceed two times the number of habitable rooms in the dwelling unit. (m) Required space in sleeping rooms. In every dwelling unit of two or more rooms every room occupied for sleeping purposes by one occupant shall contain at least 70 square feet of floor space and every room occupied for sleeping purposes by more than one occupant shall contain at least 50 square feet of floor space for each occupant. (n) Access limitation of dwelling unit to commercial uses. No habitable room, bathroom or water closet compartment which is accessory to a dwelling or rooming house shall open directly into or shall be used in conjunction with a food store, barber or beauty shop, doctor's or dentist's examination or treatment room or similar room used for public purposes. Home occupations permitted under the Zoning Code are excluded from this requirement. (o) Location of bath. A bathroom or water closet compartment shall not be used as the only passageway to a habitable room, hall, basement or cellar or to the exterior of the dwelling. (p) Electrical system and artificial light—minimum requirements. (1) General. (i) All fixtures, receptacles, equipment and wiring shall be maintained in a state of good repair, safe, capable of being used, installed and connected to a source of electric power in accordance with the building code. (ii) Where the determination is made, upon examination of the existing electrical service supply, that the electrical service supply is obsolete or is being used in a manner constituting a hazard to life and property, the following standards shall be used for determining the adequacy of the service supply and main disconnect switch: Total Number of Lighting and Electrical Outlets Capacity of Main Service Supply and Main Disconnect Switch 0—24 60 amp service 25—50 100 amp service   (iii) Notwithstanding the standards of subsection (b) of this Section, the minimum capacity of the service and the main disconnect switch shall be sufficient to adequately carry the total load required in accordance with the building code. (2) Electrical lights and receptacles required. Every dwelling shall be wired for electricity and every habitable room shall be provided with not less than two separate floor or wall-type duplex electric receptacles. Every habitable room shall be provided with not less than one ceiling or wall-type electric lighting fixture or, in lieu thereof, with a duplex electric receptacle located near the entrance door to the room, the receptacle being in addition to those otherwise required for habitable rooms. Every bathroom, laundry room, furnace room, corridor and hallway shall be provided with not less than one ceiling or wall-type electric lighting fixture. Each receptacle and lighting fixture shall be properly installed and maintained in good and safe working condition and shall be connected to the source of electricity in a safe manner. (3) Light in public halls and stairways. Every public hall and stairway in every multiple dwelling and rooming house containing three or more units shall be adequately lighted at all times. Every public hall and stairway in structures devoted solely to dwelling occupancy and containing not more than two units may be supplied with conveniently located light switches controlling an adequate lighting system which may be turned on when needed, instead of full-time lighting. (q) Fire safety—minimum requirements. No person shall occupy or let to another for occupancy a dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit which does not comply with the applicable provisions of the fire prevention code and the additional requirements contained in this Subpart for safety from fire. (1) Storage of flammable liquids prohibited. No dwelling unit or rooming unit shall be located within a building containing an establishment handling, dispensing or storing flammable liquids with a flash point of 100°F or lower. (2) Cooking and heating equipment. All cooking and heating equipment, components and accessories and every heating, cooking and water-heating device shall be maintained free from leaks and obstructions and kept functioning properly so as to be free from fire, health and accident hazards. Installations and repairs shall be made in accordance with the building code or other laws of the City applicable thereto. Portable cooking or heating equipment employing flame is prohibited, except on a temporary basis during power failures or in times of natural disaster. (3) Construction and materials. All construction and materials, ways and means of egress and installation and use of equipment shall conform with the appropriate laws and regulations of the City and the State dealing with fire protection. (4) Fire warning equipment. At least one smoke detector (which may be a single-station alarm device) shall be installed on each floor of a dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit. The detector shall operate from an alternating current source, a monitored battery or a combination alternating-current/battery-power source. Detectors shall conform to the following standards: (i) A smoke detector shall be located outside bedrooms in a hallway or space communicating thereto and on or near the ceiling and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Dwelling units and rooming units having bedrooms separated by any one or a combination of common-use areas, such as a kitchen, dining room, living room or family room (but not a bathroom or utility room) shall have at least two smoke detectors. (ii) Every smoke-detecting device shall cause the operation of an alarm signaling device or devices which shall be clearly audible in all bedrooms with all intervening doors closed. Alarm sounding devices shall be rated not less then 85 decibels at ten feet. (iii) Detectors requiring a light source for operation shall have an audible trouble signal on failure of the light source, but the failure shall not cause an alarm. Detectors not requiring a light source for operation shall have either a visible light to indicate operability or an audible trouble signal. Audible trouble signals shall be designed to operate at least every minute for seven consecutive days. (Ord. 96-458-297, § 1)