§ 12-236. Interior structure

The interior of a structure and equipment therein shall be maintained in good repair, structurally sound and in a sanitary condition. Occupants shall keep that part of the structure which they occupy or control in a clean and sanitary condition. Every owner of a structure containing a rooming house, housekeeping units, a dormitory, two or more dwelling units or two or more nonresidential occupancies, shall maintain, in a clean and sanitary condition, the shared or public areas of the structure and exterior property.

12-236.1 Structural members. All structural members shall be maintained structurally sound, and be capable of supporting the imposed loads.

12-236.2 Interior surfaces. All interior surfaces, including windows and doors, shall be maintained in good, clean and sanitary condition. Peeling, chipping, flaking or abraded paint shall be repaired, removed or covered. Cracked or loose plaster, decayed wood and other defective surface conditions shall be corrected.

12-236.3 Stairs and walking surfaces. Every stair, ramp, landing, balcony, porch, deck or other walking surface shall be maintained in sound condition and good repair.

12-236.4 Handrails and guards. Every handrail and guard shall be firmly fastened and capable of supporting normally imposed loads and shall be maintained in good condition. Every interior flight of stairs shall have handrails and guardrails installed in accordance with Chapter 553, Florida Statutes and applicable portions of the Florida Building Code.

12-236.5 Interior doors. Every interior door shall fit reasonably well within its frame and shall be capable of being opened and closed by being properly and securely attached to jambs, headers or tracks as intended by the manufacturer of the attachment hardware. 

12-236.6 Light and ventilation.

a) Minimum light requirements. The owner of the structure shall provide and maintain light in compliance with the following: 

1) Common halls and stairways: Every common hall and stairway in residential occupancies, other than in one-family and two-family dwellings, shall be lighted at all times with a least a sixty (60) watt standard incandescent lightbulb for each two hundred (200) square feet of floor area or equivalent illumination, provided that the spacing between lights shall be greater than twenty (20) feet. In other than residential occupancies, means of egress, including exterior means of egress, [and] stairways shall be illuminated at all times that the building space served by the means of egress is occupied with a minimum of one footcandle at floors, landings and treads.

2) Other spaces: All other spaces shall be provided with natural or artificial light sufficient to permit the maintenance of sanitary conditions, and the safe occupancy of the space and utilization of the appliances, equipment and fixtures. 

b) Minimum ventilation requirements: The owner of the structure shall provide and maintain ventilation in compliance with the following: 

1) Bathroom and toilet rooms: Every bathroom and toilet room shall comply with the ventilation requirements of the applicable Florida Building Code or building standards. Air exhausted by a mechanical ventilation system from a bathroom or toilet room shall discharge to the outdoors and shall not be recirculated.

2) Cooking facilities: Unless approved through the certificate of occupancy, cooking shall not be permitted in any rooming unit or dormitory unit, and a cooking facility or appliance shall not be permitted to be present in the rooming unit or dormitory unit except when specifically approved in writing by the building official or city fire marshal. Devices such as coffee pots and microwave ovens shall not be considered cooking appliances.

3) Process ventilation: Where injurious, toxic, irritating or noxious fumes, gases, dusts or mists are generated, a local exhaust ventilation system shall be provided to remove the contaminating agent at the source. Air shall be exhausted to the exterior and not be recirculated to any space.

4) Clothes dryer exhaust: Clothes dryer exhaust systems shall be independent of all other systems and shall be exhausted in accordance with the manufacturer's instruction.

(Ord. No. 2016-02, § 1, 1-19-16; Ord. No. 2022-35, § 1, 7-19-22)