New Haven, Conn., Code of Ordinances tit. V § 300

Basic facilities for dwelling units (New Haven Housing Code)

In Force
Verified 9/17/2026 · Next check 12/16/2026
New HavenHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

New Haven, Conn., Code of Ordinances tit. V § 300
No person shall occupy as owner-occupant or let to another for occupancy any dwelling or dwelling unit for the purpose of living, sleeping, cooking, or eating therein, which does not comply with the following requirements: (a)
Cooking facilities. Every dwelling unit shall contain space for the storage, preparation and cooking of food which shall include space for a stove and other cooking facilities, space for refrigerated food storage, a kitchen sink installed (which sink shall be in good working condition and properly connected to hot and cold running water system under pressure and sewer systems, which sink and systems shall be installed and maintained in a manner prescribed by ordinances, rules and regulations of the city), and cabinets and/or shelves for dry food storage which shall be adequate for the permissible occupancy of the dwelling unit, the surfaces of which shall be maintained in good repair.
(b) Bathroom facilities. Every dwelling unit, except as otherwise permitted under subparagraph (c) of this paragraph, shall be equipped with a complete bathroom fixture group consisting of a flush water closet, lavatory basin, and bathtub or shower in good working condition and installed and maintained in a manner prescribed by ordinances, rules and regulations of the city. Said fixture group shall be properly connected to and approved sewer system and to an approved hot and cold water running water system under pressure, except that the flush water closet shall be connected to an approved sewer system and to an approved cold running water system under pressure. The flush water closet, lavatory basin, and bathtub or shower shall be installed in the same room, which shall afford privacy to a person within said room.
(c) Sharing of bathroom facilities. The occupants of not more than two (2) dwelling units may share a single flush water closet and/or a single lavatory basin and/or a single bathtub or shower if:
(1) The dwelling units, were created on or before September 30, 1954;
(2) Neither of the two (2) dwelling units contains more than two (2) rooms, provided that, for the purposes of this provision, a kitchenette or an efficiency kitchen with not more than sixty (60) square feet of floor area shall not be counted as a room;
(3) The habitable area of each of such dwelling units shall equal not more than two hundred fifty (250) square feet of floor area;
(4) Such water closet, lavatory basin, and bathtub or shower shall be in good working condition, installed and maintained, and properly connected as required in subparagraph (a) of this paragraph;
(5) Such shared facility or facilities are located within the dwelling so as to be reasonably accessible from a common hall or passageway to all persons sharing such facilities or facilities; and that
(6) Such shared facility or facilities are contained within a room or rooms which afford privacy to a person within said room or rooms.
(d) Rubbish and garbage disposal. Every dwelling unit shall be supplied with adequate rubbish storage facilities and with adequate garbage disposal facilities or garbage storage containers whose type and location are approved by the enforcing officer. It shall be the responsibility of the owner to supply such facilities or containers for all dwelling units in a dwelling containing two (2) or more dwelling units. In all other cases, it shall be the responsibility of the occupants to furnish such facilities or containers.
(e) Water-heating facilities. The water-heating facilities necessary to provide the hot water required under subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this paragraph and paragraphs 405 and 412 shall be properly installed and connected to hot water lines required under those sections, shall be maintained in safe and good working condition, and shall be capable of heating water to such a temperature as to permit an adequate amount of water to be drawn at every required kitchen sink, lavatory basin, bathtub or shower at a temperature of not less than one hundred twenty (120) degrees (120) Fahrenheit. Such supplied water-heating facilities shall be capable of meeting the requirements of this subsection when the dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house, or rooming unit heating facilities required under the provisions of paragraph 400 and subparagraph (e) of paragraph 301 are not in operation.
(f) Means of egress. Every dwelling unit shall have safe, unobstructed means of egress leading to safe and open spaces at ground level as required by the statutes, ordinances and regulations of the State of Connecticut and the city.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

New Haven Code of Ordinances tit. V § 300 establishes a baseline set of physical facilities that every occupied dwelling unit must have, regardless of whether it is owner-occupied or rented. These requirements cover functional cooking spaces (including a sink with hot and cold running water), a complete bathroom fixture group with privacy, rubbish and garbage disposal arrangements, water-heating equipment capable of delivering water at a minimum of 120°F, and a safe, unobstructed means of egress. Limited exceptions allow occupants of no more than two small, pre-1954 dwelling units to share certain bathroom fixtures under specific conditions.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 17, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under tit. V § 300, property owners and managers are generally expected to ensure that every dwelling unit they offer for occupancy is equipped with functioning cooking facilities—including a properly connected kitchen sink with hot and cold running water—a complete, private bathroom fixture group, and water-heating equipment that meets the 120°F minimum standard. Owners of buildings with two or more dwelling units bear direct responsibility for supplying adequate rubbish and garbage storage facilities. Compliant operators also verify that all means of egress remain safe and unobstructed and that any shared bathroom arrangements meet the strict eligibility criteria set out in § 300(c), including unit-size limits and pre-1954 construction dates.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Tit. V § 300 establishes that tenants have a right to occupy a dwelling unit that meets minimum facility standards, including a working kitchen sink with hot and cold running water, a private bathroom with a complete fixture group, adequate garbage disposal arrangements, water heated to at least 120°F, and a safe exit path. If any of these conditions are absent or in disrepair, tenants may have grounds to raise a violation of § 300 as part of a housing complaint or as a defense in certain legal proceedings. Tenants who believe their unit falls short of these standards can consider contacting the city's housing enforcement office, reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization, or consulting with a housing attorney to understand the options available to them.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated September 17, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 244.260
Compliance required
§ 14.567
ADOPTED BY REFERENCE
§ 244.340
Sewer and water connections

Source Information

Snapshot SHA:
Fetched:Sep 17, 2026, 09:37 AM UTC