§ 20.04.050. General requirements relating to the safe and sanitary maintenance of parts of dwellings and dwelling units.

No owner or operator shall occupy as owner-occupant or permit another to occupy any dwelling or dwelling unit, for the purposes of living therein, which does not comply with the following requirements:

(1)

Foundations. Every footing, foundation, foundation wall and foundation support shall be substantially weathertight, watertight, and rodentproof, and shall be maintained in structurally sound condition and good repair, free of cracks, and/or loose or missing mortar;

(2)

Structural Supporting Members. Supporting structural members are to be maintained in a structurally sound condition and in good repair, free of deterioration and rot, capable of bearing imposed live and dead loads in a safe manner;

(3)

Chimney and Towers. All chimneys and towers shall be maintained in structurally sound condition and good repair, free of cracks and loose and/or missing mortar;

(4)

Exterior walls. All exterior walls and wall coverings shall be maintained in sound condition and good repair, free of deterioration and rot, substantially weathertight, watertight and rodentproof, and free of missing and/or loose mortar. New wall coverings shall be installed in a workmanlike manner using building materials recognized for that purpose in compliance with the building code;

(5)

Roof Covering. Roofs shall have a covering free of holes, cracks or excessively worn surfaces, which will prevent the entrance of moisture into the structure and provide reasonable durability, shall be substantially weathertight and watertight, and shall conform to the requirements of the building code. Metal roofs showing signs of corrosion shall be painted with an approved product applied in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications or protected using materials recognized for that purpose. Gutters and downspouts, where in existence, shall be maintained in a good state of repair;

(6)

Soffits, Fascias and Exterior Trim. All soffits, fascias and exterior trim shall be maintained in sound condition and good repair, substantially free of deterioration and rot. New soffits, fascias and exterior trim shall be installed in a workmanlike manner using materials recognized for that purpose in compliance with the building code;

(7)

Stairs, Porches and Appurtenances. Every inside and outside stair, every porch, and every appurtenance thereto shall be so constructed as to be safe to use and capable of supporting the load that normal use may cause to be placed thereon, and shall be maintained in structurally sound condition and good repair; substantially free of deterioration and/or rot. Each stairway shall have uniform risers and treads, the greatest riser height within any flight of stairs shall not exceed the smallest by more than one-half inch. No stair riser shall exceed nine inches and no stair tread shall be less than eight inches, provided that the tread is at least equal to the rise, and further provided that any new stair construction shall meet the requirements of the building code;

(8)

Handrails and Guardrails. Structurally sound handrails shall be provided, on at least one side, on any stairway having five or more risers. Stairways with open sides having any tread five feet or higher above adjacent grade shall have intermediate rails or ornamental closures on both sides of the stairs that will not allow passage of an object six inches or more in diameter. Porches and/or balconies located more than five feet higher than the adjacent area shall have structurally sound protective guardrails at least thirty inches high and, if unenclosed, shall be protected as required for stairways with open sides. No ladders shall be permitted. New stairs, porches and appurtenances shall be installed in a workmanlike manner using materials recognized for that purpose in compliance with the building code;

(9)

Windows, Doors and Hatchways. Every window and exterior door and basement hatchway shall be reasonably weathertight, watertight and rodentproof, and shall be maintained in sound working condition, maintained without cracks or holes and in a good state of repair. All windows intended for ventilation must be equipped with fully operable hardware;

(10)

Floors, Interior Walls and Ceilings. Every floor, interior wall and ceiling shall be maintained in sound condition and good repair, free of holes and cracks, and constructed of a building material recognized for that purpose;

(11)

Plumbing. Every plumbing fixture and water and waste pipe shall be properly installed and maintained in good sanitary working condition, free from defects, leaks and obstruction;

(12)

Utilities. Every supplied facility, piece of equipment, or utility shall be so constructed and installed that it will function safely and effectively and shall be maintained in satisfactory working condition, or it shall be removed, replaced and/or repaired in accordance with the applicable codes;

(13)

Kitchen, Water Closet Room and Bathroom Floors. Every kitchen floor surface and every water closet room floor surface and bathroom floor surface, except where constructed of materials impervious to moisture, shall be covered with asphalt, vinyl-plastic, rubber tile, ceramic tile, terrazzo or linoleum or other durable waterproof, nonabsorptive material and maintained so as to be reasonable impervious to water and so as to permit such floor to be easily kept in a clean and sanitary condition. Existing carpet will be allowed provided that it has been maintained in a clean and sanitary manner;

(14)

Paint and/or Surface-Coating. The exterior of all structures, including accessory buildings and fences, shall be protected from the elements by the application of paint or other approved protective material and shall be maintained in a good state of repair. All paint and other approved protective materials shall be applied in accordance with the manufacturer s specifications provided, however, wood of natural decay resistance, recognized as not needing finish, does not require surface coating provided one has never been applied;

(15)

Maintenance. All structures, accessory structures, appurtenances and fences shall be free of deterioration and maintained in a good state of repair and such that the appearance of the premises and structures shall not constitute a blighting factor for adjoining property;

(16)

Mobile Homes. Mobile homes shall be properly blocked and anchored as provided in Chapter 26 and shall be solid skirted with an approved fire resistive material;

(17)

Sanitary Premises. No person, owner or operator shall occupy or let to any other occupant any vacant dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit unless it is clean, sanitary and fit for human occupancy and unless it complies with all provisions of this chapter;

(18)

Installations. All existing installations and/or repairs made to conform to this and all other applicable city codes must be installed in a workmanlike manner.

(Ord. No. 44-967 § 4; Ord. No. 47-302, § 4, 11-21-06)