Stamford, Conn., Code of Ordinances ch. 146 § 146-39
Bathroom facilities; cooking; door locks
Operative Text
A. At least one (1) flush water closet, lavatory basin and bathtub or shower properly connected to a water supply and sewer system approved by the Director of Health and in good working condition shall be supplied for each six (6) persons or fraction thereof residing within a rooming house or hotel, including members of the operator's family whenever they share the use of the said facilities; provided that in a rooming house or hotel where rooms are let only to males, flush urinals may be substituted for not more than one-half (½) 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 of the persons sharing such facilities and shall be on the same floor as the rooming units or hotel rooms which such facilities serve. Every lavatory basin and bathtub or shower shall be supplied with heated and unheated water under pressure at all times. No such facilities shall be located in a basement except by written approval of the Director of Health. No such facilities shall be located in a cellar. B. The following provisions shall apply in all rooming houses and hotels: (1) Cooking in a rooming unit or hotel room shall be prohibited. (2) Communal cooking and dining facilities in a rooming house or hotel shall be prohibited except as approved by the Director of Health in writing. C. The rooming unit or hotel room doors shall have operating locks to ensure privacy.
Stamford Code of Ordinances ch. 146 § 146-39 establishes minimum standards for bathroom facilities, cooking, and door locks in rooming houses and hotels. Shared bathroom facilities—including a toilet, sink, and bathtub or shower with both hot and cold running water under pressure—must be provided for every six residents, must be accessible from a common hallway, and must be on the same floor as the rooms they serve; basement placement requires written approval from the Director of Health, and cellar placement is never permitted. Cooking inside individual rooming units or hotel rooms is prohibited, communal cooking and dining areas require written Director of Health approval, and every room door must have a functioning lock for privacy.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of rooming houses and hotels subject to Stamford Code of Ordinances ch. 146 § 146-39 generally maintain at least one compliant toilet, lavatory basin, and bathtub or shower for every six residents, ensuring those fixtures are connected to approved water and sewer systems and supplied with hot and cold water under pressure at all times. Compliant operators keep all shared bathroom facilities on the same floor as the rooms they serve, accessible from a common hallway, and obtain written Director of Health approval before placing any such facility in a basement—and never place facilities in a cellar. Operators also enforce the prohibition on in-room cooking, seek written Director of Health approval before offering any communal cooking or dining space, and ensure every room door is equipped with a working lock.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Stamford Code of Ordinances ch. 146 § 146-39, residents of rooming houses and hotels are entitled to properly functioning shared bathroom facilities—including hot and cold running water—located on the same floor as their room and accessible from a common hallway, as well as a working lock on their room door. If these conditions are not met, or if a landlord is improperly permitting in-room cooking arrangements that violate the ordinance, tenants may consider documenting the conditions and filing a complaint with the Stamford Director of Health or another appropriate local authority. Tenant-rights organizations in Connecticut can help residents understand what remedies or enforcement paths may be available under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.