Housing Code Violations- Ann Arbor

The following summary of the Ann Arbor Housing Code gives a strict evaluation of most of the requirements each rental unit must meet. To find out if your house is up to code, print out this page, then walk through it and check off the code violations you believe you have. You can also pick up a copy of the complete Ann Arbor City Housing Code at the Building Department on the fourth floor of City Hall.

If you live outside of Ann Arbor: Many of these regulations apply statewide. Contact your local housing department for the standards that apply to you. The list below can give you a good idea of basic code requirements.

Light and Ventilation

______Every public hall and stairway bin of every multiple dwelling shall be adequately lighted at all times.

______Units with multiple outside entrances shall have at least two of those entrances lighted.

______For 4 or more units - lights should be automatic so that they operate from 1/2 hour after sunset until 1/2 hour before dawn.

______Every occupied room should have at least one window or sliding glass door facing directly to the outdoors.

______The total area of the skylight and window should be 8% of the floor area, half of which must have screens for ventilation. Kitchen window space may be waived. Bathrooms can be exempt from the window requirement if there is mechanical ventilation which is kept in continuous operation.

______Screens must be put up not later than May 1 and removed no sooner than September 30. When screen doors are provided, they must be self-closing.

Minimum Space and Facilities

______Every dwelling shall have at least 450 square feet of habitable room area.

______Every dwelling unit shall have at least one common room of 120 square feet for one bedroom apartments,

* _____135 square feet of common room for a two bedroom apartment and

* _____150 square feet of common room for three or more bedroom apartments.

______Kitchen and dining areas shall have a minimum habitable room area of 50 square feet.

______Sleeping rooms, except for efficiencies, used by one person shall contain at least 80 square feet and 70 if there is a closet.

______Every sleeping room used by more than one person shall contain 50 square feet of habitable area for each occupant. For occupants under 12 years of age, only 40 square feet of area is required.

______Rooms other than the cellar or attic shall have a ceiling height of at least 7 feet.

______In a dwelling unit that has more than 1 bedroom, access to any bedroom shall not be through another bedroom or a bathroom and there should be access to the bathroom without having to pass through another bedroom.

Cellar and Basement Apartments

Cellar Apartments must meet the following requirements:

_______Room(s) must have windows for natural light and ventilation with area at least 8% of the floor area served, half of which is for ventilation.

______Sleeping areas must have an emergency escape window or door at least 5 square feet in area, with an opening width of at least 20" and a clear opening height of 24".

______The room is weatherproof and draft tight.

______The room is dry and free of mold.

______Insulation is provided on the inside of exterior walls.

______The basement is adequately sound proofed.

______There is no evidence of flooding or dampness.

______If the unit floods it shall be corrected immediately. The unit should not flood more than twice in 5 years. If it does, the Certificate of Occupancy should be suspended until evidence is submitted that the cause of flooding has been corrected.

______The owner must pay for damages and relocation costs, including increased rent if the tenant has to move due to flooding.

Basement rooms must meet these requirements:

______80% of the required floor area of every habitable room should have a ceiling height of at least six feet eight inches.

______The floor and exterior walls are damp-proofed.

Attic Rooms

______50% of the required floor area of every habitable room in an attic must have a ceiling height of at least seven feet.

Egress and Fire Escapes

______There must be an approved second means of exit.

______Exterior doors and dwelling unit doors shall not be equipped with locks which require a key for operation from the inside.

______The owner or agent is responsible for the safety of all people in a dwelling with regard to the means of exit.

______Each floor, including the basement or the cellar, needs two independent means of exit each accessible without passing through the other.

______All doors opening into the exit way need approved self-closing and latching devices.

______Every sleeping room in one family or two family dwellings should have at least one outside window which can be opened and used as an emergency exit unless there are two doors or one leading directly outside of the building.

______Exit access corridors should have a clear width of 30" or more to be considered adequate. Height should be 6'6" or more except in isolated areas which must be at least 6 feet.

______Handrails must be 30-33" above the stairs.

______Stairs should support 100 pounds per square foot.

Electrical

______Cords for appliances shouldn't run through doorways, rugs, holes in floors or partitions - nor fastened to baseboards or door casings.

______Wiring should be free from damage or deterioration.

______Rooms should have two electrical receptacles and one ceiling or side wall fixture.

______Additional convenience outlets must be provided in sufficient numbers to adequately service the appliances in a dwelling without the use of unapproved wiring methods.

Security

______All windows and doors must be equipped with locks.

______All exterior doors which are at grade or accessible from the exterior of the dwelling unit must have deadbolt locks.

______The locks must have at least a 1 inch throw.

______A lock must be made so that the bolt can be retracted by the action of a single inside knob, thumb turn, or lever.

______A lock must be capable of being deadlocked from the interior and by an exterior key - except in the case of a fire escape door.

______The strike plate should be attached to the frame of the doorway, and it should be attached by wood screws at least 2 inches long if the frame is made of wood.

______Double-hung windows must be equipped with sash locks attached to the inner window frame by screws a minimum of 3/4 of an inch in length. Double hung windows at ground level or otherwise accessible from the exterior shall be equipped with steel pin locks or other metal window vent locks. These window securing devices must be strong enough to require the window to be broken to permit entry.

______The pins (one per window) for such locks must be secured to the window frames through two drilled holes.

______Sliding windows and doors at ground level or otherwise accessible from the exterior must be equipped with a rod at least 5/8 inch in width or diameter and be such a length as to prevent the window or door from being opened when the rod is laid in the lower track.

______Casement type steel windows at grade or accessible from the outside must be equipped with a steel latch. Wood casement windows must be equipped with a hardened steel slide bolt or a steel latch lock in good repair.

______Every entrance door which does not contain a window or have a side light must be equipped with a wide angle peephole door viewer.

Heating Facilities

______Every dwelling shall have heating facilities which are properly installed and maintained in a safe and good working condition. The facilities shall be capable of supplying heat of at least 68 but not more than 85 for all rooms, bathrooms, and toilet compartments, when the outdoor temperature is as low as minus 10F.

______If the dwelling is cited by the department because it will not maintain the required temperature, without portable heaters, 3 times during a heating season, corrective action such as storm windows, insulation, and additional heating capability should be installed.

Plumbing Systems

______Dwelling shall have a plumbing system free from defects, leaks, and obstructions.

______Dwelling must have a kitchen sink with hot and cold water.

______Dwelling must have interior access to the bathroom.

______In a rooming house, at least one toilet, lavatory, and bathtub or shower shall be provided for each eight people who share the use of the facilities. Urinals may be substituted for not more than one-half the required number of toilets.

______Water heating facilities should be properly connected to the fixtures capable of providing a temperature of 110F.

Sanitation

______No owner shall permit any vacant dwelling unit or premises to be occupied by new tenants under lease or tenancy contracted for between the owner and tenant unless such dwelling unit, rooming unit, or premises is clean, sanitary, and fit for human occupancy. Cleaning waivers are prohibited, unless the tenant has agreed to certain compensations from the landlord for cleaning the unit.

______Every toilet compartment, kitchen and bathroom floor surface shall be constructed of impervious material and maintained so as to permit such floor to be kept clean and sanitary.

______The owner of every dwelling shall be responsible for maintaining in a clean and sanitary condition, the dwelling, premises, and all other structures on the premises.

Bugs

______If treating an infested unit, owners are required to notify residents of treatment 3 days in advance unless the residents request management to treat the dwelling.

______At the time of treatment, or sooner, if requested by the tenants, the management should give: the name of the product being used, and its specific detailed chemical composition, date of application/treatment; emergency telephone number if provided on the retail purchased chemical; and name of the applicator company, phone number for the company, name of the product being used, kind of pest being treated, and the date of application.

______Agents may not apply over-the-counter products to food preparation surfaces, in cupboards, or for repeated problems.

Maintenance

______Every foundation, floor, wall, ceiling, and roof shall be weather tight, watertight, and rodent proof, afford privacy and kept in good repair.

______Every porch or balcony over 30 inches from grade shall be provided with guards 30 to 36 inches in height on all open sides.

______Exterior property areas shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, free from any accumulation of rubbish, garbage, and other offensive and hazardous material.

______Gardens and sheds shall be maintained free of vermin and rodents.

______All snow and ice which accumulates prior to 6:00 a.m. on a private sidewalk used for entrance or exit, maintenance of the building, or garbage disposal shall be removed by 2:30 of the same day.

______The owner of any dwelling shall maintain the refuse area in a clear, sanitary and litter free condition and provide removal of refuse as needed.

Paint

______Lead paint is prohibited, paint flaking in food preparation areas is prohibited.

______When 15% or more of the exterior painted surfaces are peeling or in need of repaint, it should be painted.

Smoke and Fire Detection Devices

______No owner shall rent dwelling units which are not equipped with smoke or fire detectors, or with an automatic fire alarm.

Weatherization

______All cracks at window frames where glass meets frame, and where frame meets wall shall be applied with a sealant material or weather resistant caulking outside the dwelling as needed.

______Cracks at door frames of doors providing access fom unheated to heated space where any glass meets frame and where frame meets wall shall be applied with a sealant material or weather resistant caulking, both inside and outside the dwelling as needed.

______Cracks in windows or doors where sliding or swinging windows or doors meet their frames shall be sealed with spring steel, rubber, foam or other weatherstripping or insulation device, except where such window or door fits so tightly in its frame that such insulation is not useful to prevent heat leakage.

______Cracks at locations where the building structure is penetrated by utility connections, pipes, wires, dryer vents, exhaust fans or other objects, devices or systems, shall be applied with a sealant material or weather resistant caulking as needed.

______Accessible cracks where building foundation and structure meet, and where exterior siding material meets trim, and where exterior siding boards or pieces have separated due to warping, and at all fixed joints on the building, shall be repaired, if needed, and applied with a sealant material or weather resistant caulking.

______In every unheated attic directly under the roof, the floor shall be fitted with insulation of such quality and grade that the insulation material alone, exclusive of the floor material, provides an R insulation value of not less than R-30. In every heated attic the roof should be fitted with such insulation material of such quality and grade that the insulation material alone, exclusive of the roof material provides an R insulation value of not less than R-30.

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Housing Code Violations- Ann Arbor