CHAPTER 20. TENEMENT, LODGING AND
BOARDING HOUSES
GENERAL PROVISIONS Sec.
20.1. Definitions.
20.2. Scope.
20.3. Responsibility of the owner.
20.4. Responsibility of the tenant.
WATER SUPPLY
20.11. General requirement.
20.12. Source.
20.13. Location.
TOILET FACILITIES
20.21. General requirement.
20.22. Sewer connections.
20.23. Number.
20.24. Location.
VENTILATION AND LIGHT
20.31. General requirement.
20.32. Living and sleeping areas.
20.33. Bath and toilet areas.Authority The provisions of this Chapter 20 issued under sections 1919-A and 1920-A of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § § 510-19 and 510-20), unless otherwise noted.
Source The provisions of this Chapter 20 adopted September 18, 1971, effective September 19, 1971, 1 Pa.B. 1921; renumbered from 25 Pa. Code Chapter 175, June 7, 1996, effective June 8, 1996, 26 Pa.B. 2707, unless otherwise noted. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (186093) to (186097).
GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 20.1. Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
Boarding house—A building or portion of a building occupied for human habitation in which five or more persons, not related to the proprietor or manager, are furnished with meals and lodging.
Garbage—Putrescible wastes, except sewage and body waste, including animal and vegetable offal.
Lodging house—A building or portion thereof in which five or more persons, not related to the proprietor or manager, are furnished with sleeping accommodations and shall include rooming houses, bachelor apartments, dormitories, barracks, bunk houses and other kinds of buildings used to furnish sleeping accommodations.
Refuse—Nonputrescible wastes generally regarded and classified as rubbish, trash, junk and similar designations which have been rejected by the owner or possessor as useless or worthless.
Sewage—A substance which contains the waste products or excrementitious or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or animals.
Tenement house—A house or building, or portion thereof, which is intended or designed to be occupied or leased for occupation, or actually occupied, as a home or residence for three or more families, living in separate apartments and doing their cooking upon the premises and shall include apartment houses, apartment hotels and flats.
Water supply—A source of water, and other water treatment, storage, transmission and distribution facilities.§ 20.2. Scope.
This chapter applies to a building or portion of a building hereafter erected or altered and subsequently used as a tenement, lodging or boarding house in second and third class cities, boroughs, towns and townships of the first and second class of this Commonwealth.
§ 20.3. Responsibility of the owner.
The owner of a tenement, lodging or boarding house or the authorized agent of the owner, shall keep the entire building in repair including the plumbing, lighting, heating and ventilating systems, and shall also keep the entire building in a cleanly condition, free from an accumulation of dirt, garbage or other refuse matter.
§ 20.4. Responsibility of the tenant.
The tenant or other lessee of a tenement house shall keep in a clean condition, free from any accumulation of dirt, garbage or refuse matter, the portion of the tenement house occupied or used exclusively by the tenant or other lessee.
WATER SUPPLY
§ 20.11. General requirement.
Tenement, lodging and boarding houses shall be provided with an adequate quantity of pure and wholesome water for the use of the occupants.
§ 20.12. Source.
(a) Where water is obtained from a public waterworks system approved by the required State authorities, it shall be distributed by means of pipes as required.
(b) Where water is obtained from a private source, such as a well, spring or cistern, the source may not be polluted or contaminated nor may it be situated, constructed or maintained in such manner that it may become polluted or contaminated or rendered injurious to health.
§ 20.13. Location.
(a) Tenement houses. In tenement houses, each family shall be provided with a water supply for its separate use.
(b) Lodging and boarding houses. In lodging and boarding houses, if the rooms are not arranged in suites or groups provided with separate water supply and if the water is distributed by means of pipes there shall be at least one stationary washstand for each six occupants or fraction of six occupants.
TOILET FACILITIES
§ 20.21. General requirement.
Tenement, lodging and boarding houses shall be provided with adequate and sanitary toilet facilities for the disposal of the excreta of the occupants but the facilities may not be located in a room used for living or sleeping purposes or in which food is prepared or handled.
§ 20.22. Sewer connections.
(a) Where the tenement, lodging or boarding house is accessible to a public sewer from which sewage is lawfully discharged, the tenement, lodging or boarding house shall be provided with water closet facilities which discharge to such sewer.
(b) Where the tenement, lodging or boarding house is not accessible to a public sewer, the means for excreta or sewage disposal shall be constructed and maintained in compliance with the provisions of Chapter 73 (relating to standards for sewage disposal facilities).
§ 20.23. Number.
(a) Flush toilets. One water flushed toilet or privy seat for common or general use of the occupants of a lodging or boarding house, shall be provided for each 12 persons or fraction of 12 persons.
(b) Urinals. One urinal or 24 inches of urinal trough for the use of men may be provided. Where the urinals are installed, the required number of water-flushed toilets or privy seats may be reduced by 1/3.
§ 20.24. Location.
(a) Family area. In tenement houses, each suite or group of rooms occupied by a family shall be provided with separate toilet facilities.
(b) Commercial area. Where the upper portion of a building is used as a tenement, lodging or boarding house and the lower portion is used for commercial or business purposes, toilet facilities for the use of the occupants of the upper portion shall be separate and independent from any toilet facilities provided for the use of the employes of the commercial or business establishment.
VENTILATION AND LIGHT
§ 20.31. General requirement.
In existing buildings the required ventilation and light shall be obtained by windows, opening directly to or communicating with the outside air, but in buildings hereafter erected the required ventilation and light shall be obtained solely by windows opening directly to the outside air.
§ 20.32. Living and sleeping areas.
(a) Rooms for living or sleeping purposes in tenement, lodging or boarding houses shall have ample ventilation and natural light and shall have windows with a sash so constructed and maintained that it may be easily opened.
(b) Rooms used for sleeping purposes in any tenement, lodging or boarding house shall provide the following minimum requirements per occupant:
(1) Rooms with window area in one wall shall have a 12 square feet window area, a 70 square feet floor area and a 600 cubic feet air space.
(2) Rooms with window area in two walls at right angles to each other shall have a 10 square feet window area, a 60 square feet floor area and a 560 cubic feet air space.
(3) Rooms with window area in two walls opposite each other shall have an 8 square feet window area, a 50 square feet floor area and a 520 cubic feet air space.
(4) Rooms with window area in three or more walls shall have a 6 square feet window area, a 40 square feet floor area and a 480 cubic feet air space.
(c) A cellar, basement or lower story may not be used for living or sleeping purposes if there is evidence of undue dampness.
§ 20.33. Bath and toilet areas.
Bathrooms, toilet rooms and water closet compartments in tenement, lodging and boarding houses, shall be provided with ample ventilation and light by means of window area at least equal to 1/10 of the floor area and opening directly to the outside air or by equivalent artificial means maintained in constant and satisfactory service.
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