§ 20-169. General maintenance requirements.

No person shall occupy as owner, occupant or let to another for occupancy any dwelling or dwelling unit, for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply with the following requirements:

(1)

Every foundation, roof and exterior wall, door, skylight and window shall be reasonably weathertight, watertight, and dampfree, and shall be kept in sound condition and good repair. All exterior wood surfaces, other than decay-resistant woods, shall be protected from the elements and decay by paint or other protective covering or treatment using nontoxic materials where readily accessible to children. Walls shall be capable of affording privacy for the occupants.

(2)

Every window, exterior door and basement hatchway or similar device shall be kept rodentproof and reasonably watertight and weathertight, and shall be kept in good working condition and repair.

(3)

Every premises shall be graded, drained, free of standing water, and maintained in a clean, sanitary and safe condition.

(4)

Unless other provisions are made, gutters, leaders and downspouts shall be provided and maintained in good working condition so as to provide proper drainage of stormwater.

(5)

a.

All painted portions of all buildings used in whole or in part for human habitation, as well as any accessory structures on the premises thereof, shall be kept free of cracked, chipped, blistered, flaked, loose or peeling paint. Any such surface shall be properly prepared and repainted with a paint or other covering conforming to the standards as required in accordance with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act, Chapter 63 of the Social Security Act, as the same may be amended from time to time.

b.

The owners of all dwellings shall comply with the requirements of C.G.S. § 19a-111c concerning the removal of toxic levels of lead from dwellings, as the same may be amended from time to time. The Director of Health may require any such owner to submit evidence of compliance with the requirements of the aforesaid provisions of the Connecticut General Statutes from qualified testing firms acceptable to the Director.

c.

Whenever the Director of Health receives a report of lead poisoning or otherwise determines that a child under the age of six (6) has an abnormal body burden of lead, the Director may cause the paint or water on the premises of the dwelling in which such child resides to be tested for lead content. The Director shall take appropriate action to compel abatement of hazardous conditions if the lead content of paint or water on such premises exceeds the permissible limits thereof as established in this subsection. For purposes of this subsection, abatement shall be required if the lead content of paint on the premises exceeds the standards established in accordance with the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Act, Chapter 63 of the Social Security Act, as the same may be amended from time to time. Similarly, abatement shall be required if the lead content of water on the premises meets or exceeds five one-hundredths of one milligram per liter (0.05 milligram/liter).

d.

The Director of Health may engage or order the engagement of qualified firms to perform testing for lead content in paint and water. In addition, the Director may engage or order the engagement of firms to monitor compliance with abatement regulations or with abatement orders issued pursuant to this section or to certify that abatements have been successfully accomplished.

(6)

Every dwelling, multiple dwelling, roominghouse or accessory structure, and the premises on which any such structures are located, shall be maintained so as to prevent and eliminate rodent harborage.

a.

All openings in the exterior walls, foundations, basements, ground or first floors and roofs which have a half-inch-diameter or more opening shall be ratproofed in an approved manner if they are within forty-eight (48) inches of the existing exterior ground level immediately below such openings or if they may be reached by rats from the ground by climbing unguarded pipes, wires, cornices, stairs, roofs, and other items such as trees or vines or by burrowing.

b.

All sewers, pipes, drains or conduits and openings around such pipes and conduits shall be constructed to prevent the ingress or egress of rats to or from a building.

c.

Interior floors of basements, cellars and other areas in contact with the soil shall be ratproofed in an approved manner.

d.

Any materials used for ratproofing shall be acceptable to the Director of Health.

(7)

Every foundation, roof, floor, exterior and interior wall, ceiling, inside and outside stair, every porch, and every appurtenance thereto, shall be safe to use and capable of supporting the loads that normal use may cause to be placed thereon, and shall be kept in sound condition and good repair. Every inside and outside stair or step shall have uniform risers and treads.

(8)

Every plumbing fixture and water and waste pipe shall be properly installed and maintained in good sanitary working condition.

(9)

Every water closet compartment, bathroom and kitchen floor surface shall be constructed and maintained so as to be reasonably impervious to water and so as to permit such floor to be easily kept in a clean and sanitary condition.

(10)

Every plumbing fixture and pipe, every chimney, flue and smoke pipe, and every other facility, piece of equipment, or utility which is present in a dwelling or dwelling unit, or which is required under this article, shall be constructed and installed in conformance with the appropriate statutes, ordinances and regulations of the City of Danbury and the State of Connecticut.

(11)

All construction and materials, ways and means of egress, and installation and use of equipment shall conform to applicable state and local laws dealing with fire protection.

(Code 1961, § 10-4; Ord. No. 241, 3-6-1979; Ord. No. 254, § 2, 3-4-1980; Ord. No. 417, 6-4-1991; Ord. No. 466, 5-4-1993)