Hartford, Conn., Mun. Code ch. 18 § 18-51

Every owner of housing or a housing unit must: A.
Maintain at all times in a clean and sanitary condition every surface, including walls, floors, installed carpets, stairwells, passages, windows, doors, water closets, cesspools, drains, halls, cellars, roofs, porches, decks, stoops, ceilings, and elevators, for the housing or housing unit, whether occupied or not, including the entire exterior structure of the housing or housing unit and any common areas.
B. Protect all exterior wood surfaces, other than decay-resistant woods, from the elements and from decay by paint or other protective covering or treatment, using lead-free materials upon any surface that is readily accessible to children.
C. Ensure that all painted surfaces of every building used or intended to be used in whole or in part for human habitation are kept free of cracked, chipped, blistered, flaking, loose, or peeling paint.
D. Maintain in sound condition and good repair every foundation, floor, wall, ceiling and roof, door, skylight, basement hatch, and window so that it shall be reasonably weathertight, watertight, rodentproof, secure, and capable of affording privacy, and:
(1) Ensure windows designed with insulated glass and thermal pane windows do not exhibit seal leakage, such as condensation or discoloration between glass panes.
(2) Ensure that windows that are the means of emergency egress from a floor area open without the need of keys, tools, or special knowledge.
(3) Ensure that windows and doors accessible from the outside have working locks.
(4) Ensure that door locks to individual housing units, or to shared facilities or rooms associated thereto, function as designed and as prescribed by the manufacturer.
(5) Change the keys or combination for each positive locking device to individual housing units when occupants change.
(6) Windows to bedrooms shall be provided with blinds, draw drapes, curtains, or shades, in good working condition and capable of providing occupants with privacy.
E. Ensure light and air to every habitable room and bathroom by satisfying the following criteria:
(1) Every habitable room and bathroom has one (1) window or skylight facing the outdoors, where minimum total window area, measured between stops, shall be one-eighth (⅛) the net floor area of the room, or if the room has only a skylight, where minimum total window area is fifteen (15) percent of the net floor area of the room. Whenever walls or other portions of structures face a window of any such room from the exterior and such light obstruction structures are located less than three (3) feet from the window and extend to a level above that of the ceiling of the room, such a window shall not be deemed to face directly to the outdoors and shall not be included as contributing to the required minimum total window area.
(2) Every habitable room and bathroom has one (1) operable window or skylight facing the outdoors, where forty-five (45) percent of the minimum size prescribed in subsection (1) above or such other device as will adequately ventilate the room.
(3) The director of health may grant an exception for the requirement that each habitable room and bathroom have one (1) operable window or skylight, where he or she determines that such room is equipped with a ventilation system which is kept in efficient operation.
(4) All clothes dryer exhaust must adequately be ventilated to the outdoors except where there is supplied some other device affording adequate ventilation.
F. Supply rubbish disposal facilities or containers, including containers for recyclable materials as required by chapter 15 of the city code, sufficient in number and size for holding rubbish and recycling accumulated between regular collections; arrange for regular collections of rubbish and recycling; provide for the regular disposal of litter in and around the premises; and arrange for proper disposal of bulky waste.
G. Properly install and maintain in sound condition and good repair all supplied amenities and facilities therein, including but not limited to bathrooms, electrical outlets and fixtures, heat, heated water, kitchens, lighting, and plumbing, and:
(1) Provide, in the case of a bathroom, all of the following:
a. A flush water closet.
b. A lavatory basin.
c. A bathtub or shower in working condition, free of deterioration and installed and maintained in a manner prescribed by city and state regulations and codes.
d. Flooring that is reasonably impervious to water, level, and able to be kept in a clean and sanitary state condition.
e. Such fixture group must be properly connected to an approved sewer system and to an approved hot and cold water running water system under pressure, except that the flush water closet must be connected to an approved sewer system and to an approved cold water running water system under pressure.
f. The flush water closet, lavatory basin, and bathtub or shower must be installed in the same room, or in an adjacent room, in a configuration and design that affords privacy to a person using said facilities.
(2) Provide, in the case of electrical outlets and fixtures, all the following:
a. Every habitable room and nonhabitable room used for food preparation shall have at least one (1) floor-or wall-type electrical convenience duplex outlet for each sixty (60) square feet or fraction thereof of total floor area, and in no case fewer than two (2) such duplex outlets per room.
b. Every water closet compartment, bathroom, kitchen or kitchenette, laundry room, furnace room and public hall shall contain at least one (1) supplied ceiling-or wall-type electric light fixture.
c. Every bathroom and laundry room shall be provided with at least one (1) electric outlet.
(3) Provide, in the case of heat, heating units that: heat all habitable rooms, bathrooms, and water closet compartments to a minimum temperature of at least sixty-five (65) degrees Fahrenheit whenever the outer or street temperature falls below fifty (50) degrees Fahrenheit; and are equipped with a control valve or thermostat to allow the occupant to regulate the heat supplied.
(4) Provide, in the case of a kitchen, or in location that is within three (3) feet of a kitchen and in an adjacent room within the housing unit, all of the following:
a. A kitchen sink installed, and properly connected to hot and cold running water system under pressure and sewer systems, and maintained in accordance with city and state regulations and codes, and which provides at all times an adequate amount of heated and unheated water under pressure and which has the capacity to handle dish washing.
b. Cabinets or shelving for the storage of eating and drinking and cooking equipment and utensils and of food that does not, under ordinary summer conditions, require refrigeration for safekeeping, and a counter for food preparation. Said cabinets and/or shelves and counter shall be adequate for the permissible occupancy of the dwelling unit and shall be of sound construction, furnished with surfaces that are easily cleanable and that will not impart any toxic or deleterious effect to food.
c. A stove or equivalent device for cooking food and a refrigerator or equivalent device for the safe storage of food at temperatures less than fifty degrees Fahrenheit (50° F) but more than thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit (32° F) under ordinary summer conditions, which are properly installed with all necessary connections for safe, sanitary and efficient operation. Such stove or equivalent device, or refrigerator or equivalent device, need not be installed where an agreement between the owner and occupant has been executed which so provides, but sufficient space and adequate electrical outlets must nevertheless be provided for the safe and efficient installation and operation of said stove or equivalent device and refrigerator or equivalent device.
d. Flooring that is reasonably impervious to water, level, and kept in a clean and sanitary state condition.
(5) Provide, in the case of lighting, adequate lighting at every exterior entrance, porch, public hall, and stairway so as to provide at least three (3) foot-candles of light at the tread or floor level at all times, provided that for two-unit dwellings, such lighting may be controlled by switches and turned off when not in use; and adequate lighting in any bathroom, kitchen, and other habitable room, provided that replacement of light bulbs within a housing unit after the first month of occupancy shall be the responsibility of the occupant.
H. For housing with three (3) or more housing units, properly install prior to June 1 of each year and remove by October 31 of each year a properly fitting screen of not less than sixteen (16)-mesh per inch and a self-closing device in good operating condition, for at least one (1) door opening directly from a housing unit to an outdoor space; for any door, window, hatch, or other opening from a basement to any outdoor space; or for a window intended to be used for ventilation.
I. Exterminate to prevent or eliminate an infestation of bed bugs in accordance with G.S. § 47a-7a; exterminate to prevent or eliminate infestations throughout a group living dwelling, hotel, or rooming house, or exterminate to prevent, or eliminate infestations in a dwelling. Glue traps, and other temporary measures that do not address the root causes of the infestation, will not be deemed acceptable methods for preventing or eliminating an infestation.
J. Ensure that every water closet compartment floor surface and 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.
K. Maintain the housing, including repairing leaky faucets and plumbing and ensuring a watertight building envelope, in such a physical condition so as to prevent the accumulation of moisture and visible mold; remediate visibly moldy surfaces through measures recommended by the State department of health, including but not limited to installing dehumidifiers, fixing structural problems, using bleach on nonporous surfaces, and replacing porous surfaces such as wallboard that have become moldy; and promptly respond to any notices from an occupant regarding the existence of an accumulation of moisture and visible mold, provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent an owner from pursuing legal action against an occupant whose actions caused the accumulation of moisture or visible mold.
L. Prevent from being removed, shut off, or discontinued any service, facility, equipment, or utility required under this chapter, except for such temporary interruption as may be necessary while actual repairs or alterations are in process or during temporary emergencies when discontinuance of service is approved by the director of health.
M. Allow an occupant at occupant's expense to implement energy conservation measures (including but not limited to removable weatherstripping around doors and windows, removable interior storm windows, and insulation wrap around hot water heating tanks), in any dwelling or dwelling unit, but not any group living unit, hotel unit, or rooming unit. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the occupant to make structural changes to a building or otherwise restrict the availability to the occupant of other legal remedies.
N. Ensure compliance of construction, materials, and means of egress, and install and use all equipment, as required by laws dealing with fire protection of the city and the state, and:
(1) For smoke detectors required in dwelling units by the State Fire Safety Code and the State Building Code, owners must replace a smoke detector that malfunction for reasons other than the fault of the occupant and must test a smoke detector and replace batteries when an occupant vacates a let unit.
(2) For smoke detectors required in group living units, hotel units, and rooming units by the State Fire Safety Code and the State Building Code, owners must periodically test a smoke detector and replace batteries.
(3) No person may remove or render a smoke detector inoperative except for its periodic maintenance or maintenance or repair to the housing or housing unit.
(4) Each floor of a structure used, any part of which is used, for housing shall have a fire extinguisher in a common area.
O. Maintain vegetation on the premises such that:
(1) Trees are maintained in a healthy condition pursuant to the zoning regulations and chapter 28 of the code.
(2) Grass, weeds, or similar growth does not grow more than one (1) foot in height.
(3) Invasive species do not grow.
(4) Weeds or other plant which may, in the opinion of the director of health, cause hay fever or similar diseases, do not grow.
(5) Poison ivy and poison sumac does not grow within twenty-five (25) feet of a street line or within twenty-five (25) of adjoining property, except with the written consent of the owner of such adjoining property.
(6) Wild and untrimmed bushes do not grow or remain on any land fronting on a public street in the city, or on any interior lot bounded on three (3) or more sides by land fronting on any such street.
P. Address issues related to lead hazards in accordance with the lead statute, including (using terms as defined in such statute and related regulations):
(1) When a child under the age of six (6) resides in a housing unit, abatement of all defective lead-based surfaces, and abatement of all accessible lead-based surfaces shall be abated to a level of six hundredths percent (0.06%) and nonaccessible abated to a level of forty-nine hundredths percent (0.49%).
(2) When a child under the age of six (6) resides in a housing unit and has an elevated blood lead level, abatement to a level of forty-nine hundredths percent (0.49%) of all lead-based chewable surfaces, whether or not that surface is defective, and all lead-based movable parts of windows and surfaces that rub against movable parts of windows.
(3) When a child under the age of six (6) resides in a dwelling unit requiring lead abatement, assessment of interior dust, drinking water, and exterior soil: abatement of soil or sand areas not covered by materials specified in the statute and regulations which are found to contain lead concentrations in excess of four hundred (400) parts per million; reduction of lead dust hazards to a safe level; and reduction of lead in drinking water through means approved by the director of health.
(4) Under no circumstances shall an owner take eviction action to avoid abatement actions described in this section and in the lead statute.
Q. Arrange room dimensions and locations to comply with all of the following:
(1) At least seventy-five (75) percent of the floor area of every habitable room shall have a ceiling height of at least seven (7) feet eight (8) inches, except for attic rooms which shall each be at least seven (7) feet four (4) inches high in half of its area; and the floor area of that part of any room where the ceiling height is less than five (5) feet shall not be considered as part of the floor area in computing the floor area of the room for the purpose of determining the maximum permissible occupancy thereof.
(2) No basement space shall be used as a habitable room unless: floor and walls are impervious to leakage of underground and surface runoff water and are insulated against dampness; total window area in each room is equal to at least the minimum window area sizes as required in this section; required minimum window area is located entirely above the grade of the ground adjoining such window area: total of openable window area in each room is equal to at least the minimum as required in this section, except where there is supplied some other device affording adequate ventilation and approved by the director of health; and rooms shall be at least eight (8) feet six (6) inches high in each part from the floor to the ceiling and the ceiling shall be at least four (4) feet six (6) inches above the outside ground level.
(3) No cellar space shall be used as a habitable room or housing unit.
(4) No housing or housing unit containing two (2) or more sleeping rooms shall have such arrangements that access to a bathroom or water closet compartment, intended for use by occupants of more than one (1) sleeping room, can be had only by going through another sleeping room, nor shall room arrangements be such that access to a sleeping room can be had only by going through another sleeping room or a bathroom or water closet compartment.
R. Maintain in good repair any porch, stoop, stair, or elevator.
S. Refrain from installing wall-to-wall carpeting or replacing existing wall-to-wall carpeting in any kitchen, kitchenette, or bathroom, to assist with asthma prevention, allergy control, and mold prevention.
T. Report to the police department any illegal activity taking place within the housing or housing unit of which the owner has actual knowledge or should reasonably be expected to have knowledge.
U. Provide to each occupant known to be over age seventeen (17) a voter registration form, in the form then available by the office of the registrar of voters of the city and the State, at the time such occupant or occupants take possession of a housing unit.
V. Post, in a size and format as may be prescribed by the director of licenses and inspections, any license issued pursuant to this chapter and the contact information for the person responsible for the maintenance of the housing, in a location that is within ten (10) feet of the front door, or in a common mailroom accessible by tenants, or in a weather-proof display case mounted outside of the front wall of the housing; ensure that such posting not be defaced, marred, camouflaged, hidden, or removed; and within three (3) business days of a defacement, marring, or removal, replace the posting or, if available from the director of licenses and inspections, request a replacement copy of the posting, pay a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) fee to the city, and promptly post upon receipt.
W. Upon turnover of a housing unit, remediate any visible mold and infestations, and thoroughly clean and vacuum all carpeting and furniture provided by such owner to incoming occupants.