Norwalk, Conn., Code of Ordinances ch. 59 § 59-9

No person shall operate a rooming house or shall occupy or let to another for occupancy any rooming unit in any rooming house except in compliance with the provisions of this chapter, except the provisions of §§ 59-4 , 59-8 . A. No person shall operate a rooming house unless he holds a valid rooming house permit issued by the Director of Public Health in the name of the operator and for the specific dwelling or dwelling unit. The operator shall apply to the Director of Public Health for such permit, which shall be issued by the Director of Public Health upon compliance by the operator with the applicable provisions of this chapter. This permit shall be displayed in a conspicuous place within the rooming house at all times. No such permit shall be transferable. Every person holding such permit shall give notice in writing to the Director of Public Health within 24 hours after having sold, transferred, given away or otherwise disposed of ownership of, interest in or control of any rooming house. Such shall include the name and address of the person succeeding to the ownership or control of such rooming house. The Director of Public Health shall send a copy of the permits, suspensions, revocations or terminations to the Police Department. Every rooming house permit shall expire on the last day of January following its date of issuance, unless sooner suspended or revoked as hereinafter provided. B. The application for a rooming house permit will be made on a form prescribed by the Director of Public Health in a quantity of copies as prescribed by the Director of Public Health and shall include the name and address of the applicant, the name and address of the premises to be used as such rooming house, the number of dwelling units included in such rooming house premises and any other information required by the Director of Public Health. C. It shall be the duty of the Director of Public Health to issue a rooming house permit for every application which is favorably acted upon, and it shall also be his duty to keep a record of all permits so granted hereunder, and such permits shall contain the number and date of all permits, the name and residence of the person receiving such permit, the address of the premises so licensed and the date upon which any permit shall be revoked or suspended and the period of suspension. The fee for such permit shall be collected by the Director of Public Health on issuance of such permit. The Director of Public Health shall prepare and keep a detailed account of all his receipts for such permits and make return thereof to the City Treasurer at least once every six months. [Amended 6-10-1980 [1] ] [1] Editor's Note: See § 57-5 of Ch. 57 , Health and Sanitation, for current fee provisions. D. Any person whose application for a permit to operate a rooming house has been denied may request in writing and shall be granted a hearing on the matter before the Code Enforcement Committee under the procedure provided by § 59-3 for the hearing of petitions relating to notices. E. Whenever, upon inspection of any rooming house, the Director of Public Health finds that conditions or practices exist which are in violation of any provision of this chapter or of any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, the Director of Public Health shall give notice in writing to the operator of such rooming house that, unless such conditions or practices are corrected within a reasonable period, to be determined by the Director of Public Health, the operator's rooming house permit will be suspended. At the end of such period the Health Officer shall reinspect such rooming house, and, if he finds that such conditions or practices have not been corrected, he shall give notice in writing to the operator that the latter's permit has been suspended. Upon receipt of notice of suspension, such operator shall immediately cease operation of such rooming house, and no person shall occupy for sleeping or living purposes any rooming unit therein. F. Any person whose permit to operate a rooming house has been suspended, or who has received notice from the Director of Public Health that his permit is to be suspended unless existing conditions or practices at his rooming house are corrected, may request in writing and shall be granted a hearing on the matter before the Code Enforcement Committee under the procedure provided by § 59-3 , provided that if no petition for such hearing is filed with 20 days following the day on which such permit was suspended, such permit shall be deemed to have been automatically revoked. G. At least one flush water closet, lavatory basin and bathtub or shower, properly connected to a water and approved sewage disposal system approved by the Director of Public Health and in good working condition shall be supplied for each six persons, or fraction thereof, residing within a rooming house, including members of the operator's family wherever they share the use of such facilities, provided that in a rooming house where rooms are let only to males, flush urinals may be substituted for not more than 1/2 the required number of water closets. All such facilities shall be so located within the dwelling as to be reasonably accessible from a common hall or passageway to all persons sharing such facilities. Every lavatory basin and bathtub or shower shall be supplied with hot water at all times in accordance with the provisions of § 59-4E . No such facilities shall be located in a basement, except by written approval of the Director of Public Health. H. The operator of every rooming house shall provide bed linen and towels therein, and said linen and towels shall be changed at least once a week and prior to the letting of any room to any occupant. The operator shall be responsible to maintain all supplied bedding in a clean and sanitary manner. I. Every room occupied for sleeping purposes by one person shall contain at least 70 square feet of usable floor area as defined in § 59-7B, and every room occupied for sleeping purposes by more than one person shall contain at least 50 square feet of usable floor area having a ceiling height of at least seven feet six inches as so defined for each additional occupant thereof. J. A rooming unit may include a kitchenette, provided that the area of the unit is not less than a total of 120 square feet for one occupant and an additional 60 square feet for every additional occupant. K. No meals may be prepared and eaten in a rooming house unless such meals are prepared and eaten in communal kitchens and dining rooms, or unless the rooming unit includes a kitchenette, and complies with the size requirements of § 59-9J . L. A communal kitchen shall comply with the following standards: (1) It shall contain at least 100 square feet of floor area in every case. (2) It shall be supplied with one dining chair and two lineal feet of dining table space, in addition to the surface area for food preparation required under § 59-9L(6) below, for each occupant of the rooming house, the surface of each dining table to be smooth and easily cleanable. (3) It shall contain at least one supplied kitchen sink of an approved type which shall be supplied with hot water at all times in accordance with the provision of § 59-4E . (4) It shall contain at least one supplied kitchen gas stove or electric stove, every such stove to have at least two top burners and an oven. (5) It shall contain one or more supplied electric or gas refrigerators with an adequate food storage capacity. (6) It shall contain one or more supplied tables or other facilities having a total surface area for food preparation of not less than six square feet, the surface of each table or other facility to be suitable for the preparation of food, smooth and easily cleanable. (7) It shall contain at least one supplied cabinet of adequate size for and suitable for storage of food and eating and cooking utensils assigned to each rooming unit. (8) It shall be supplied by the operator with the rubbish storage facilities and the garbage disposal or storage facilities specified by § 59-4D . (9) It shall be located within a room accessible to the occupant of each rooming unit sharing the use of such kitchen without going outside of the dwelling and without going through a dwelling unit or rooming unit of another occupant. M. Every rooming unit shall have safe, unobstructed means of egress leading to safe and open space at ground level, as required by the statutes, ordinances and regulations of this state and this city. N. The operator of every rooming house shall be responsible for the sanitary maintenance of all walls, floors and ceilings and for the maintenance of a sanitary condition in every other part of the rooming house; and he shall further be responsible for the sanitary maintenance of the entire premises where the entire structure or building is leased or occupied by the operator. O. Provisions of this chapter which apply to rooming houses shall also apply to hotels and motels. P. The operator of every rooming house shall be responsible for maintaining a register of occupants which shall be available for inspection upon the request of the Director of Public Health or the Chief of Police or their duly authorized representatives. Failure to maintain or produce such register to such authorities will result in immediate suspension or revocation of the operator's rooming house permit.