§ 1117-23. Habitable Rooms Below Grade.

1117-23.1 General: No room in an apartment or dwelling unit below grade shall be used as a habitable room if it does not comply with all the following requirements:

(1)

At least 50% of the required height of such room shall be above grade at walls which have required windows;

(2)

The finished grade shall be at least six inches below the window sill level; when areaways are used to reduce the finished grade, the width measured at right-angles to a building, of an areaway serving a required window, shall be not less than the depth of the sill of the window below the top of the areaway; areaways shall be drained in an approved manner;

(3)

Light and ventilation shall be provided in accordance with the requirements of §§ 1117-37, no window shall open directly upon a street, alley or public sidewalk, nor within three feet thereof, unless the window sill is at least two feet six inches above such street, alley or public sidewalk;

(4)

Every basement apartment or dwelling unit shall be so located that the required living room windows open upon required front or rear yards, or upon a side yard or court at least nine feet wide, measured at right angles to the building;

(5)

All floors and walls of habitable rooms below grade and in contact with the ground shall be of concrete or masonry and shall be made waterproof and dampproof in an approved manner.

(Ordained by Ord. No. 67-1996, eff. Apr. 5, 1996)