River Grove CHAPTER 21 PROPERTY INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE1 § 7-21-1

For the purpose of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this section:


BASEMENT: That portion of a structure which is partly or completely below grade.


DWELLING: A building or portion thereof designed or used as a residence, including mobile homes, but excluding boarding or lodging houses, nursing homes, motels, hotels, tourist homes, tents and recreational vehicles.


DWELLING, MULTI-FAMILY: A building consisting of two (2) or more dwelling units.


DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY: A single dwelling unit and accessory uses thereto.


DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY ATTACHED: A single-family dwelling attached to one or more single-family dwellings by one or more party walls with each dwelling located on a separate subdivided lot.


DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED: A single-family dwelling separated from other dwelling units by open space.


DWELLING, TOWNHOUSE: A dwelling unit that is attached to one or more other dwelling units on the same lot, that has an individual private ground level entrance to the outside, and no portion of which is located above or below any other premises or portion thereof.


DWELLING, TWO-FAMILY: A building consisting of only two (2) dwelling units.


DWELLING UNIT: A single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.


EXTERMINATION: The control and elimination of insects, rodents or other pests by eliminating their harborage places, by removing or making inaccessible materials that may serve as their food, by poisoning, spraying, fumigating, trapping or by any other recognized and legal pest elimination methods approved by the county health department.


FLOOR AREA, DWELLING UNIT: The area inside the exterior or fire walls of a building, exclusive of vent shafts, courts, and public places.


FLOOR AREA, ROOM: The net area within the finished walls of a room.


HABITABLE ROOM: A room or enclosed floor space used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking, or eating purposes, excluding bathrooms, water closet compartments, laundries, pantries, foyer or communicating corridors, closets, storage spaces or bomb shelters.


HOUSEKEEPING UNIT: A room or group of rooms forming a single habitable unit equipped and intended to be used for sleeping, cooking, and eating which does not contain within such unit a toilet, lavatory, and bathtub or shower.


LANDLORD: An owner, agent of an owner or other person who rents or leases a dwelling, dwelling unit, housekeeping unit or rooming unit to a tenant under an oral or written rental agreement.


OCCUPANT: Any person living, sleeping, cooking, or eating in, or having actual possession of, a dwelling unit, housekeeping unit, or rooming unit.


OPERATOR: Any person who has charge, care or control of a building, or part thereof, in which dwelling units or rooming units are leased.


OWNER: Any person who, alone or jointly or severally with others:


(A)Shall have legal title to any dwelling or dwelling unit, with or without accompanying actual possession thereof; or


(B)Shall have charge, or care or control of any dwelling or dwelling unit, as owner or agent of the owner, prime tenant, or as executor, executrix, administrator, administration, trustee or guardian of the estate of the owner. Any such person thus representing the actual owner shall be bound to comply with the provisions of this code to the same extent as if such person were the owner.


PERSON: Any individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, or limited liability entity.


RENTAL AGREEMENT: An oral or written agreement covering a definite or indefinite period of time of one week or more between a landlord and a tenant for the renting or leasing of a dwelling, dwelling unit, housekeeping unit, or rooming unit.


RENTAL UNIT: Any dwelling unit or housekeeping unit that is rented or leased or offered for rent or lease under a rental agreement.


ROOMING HOUSE: A building or part thereof that is not a hotel, motel, or tourist home and that provides lodging rooms to three (3) or more paying guests who are not members of the keeper's family and mainly to nontransients.


TENANT: An occupant who occupies a dwelling, dwelling unit, housekeeping unit or rooming unit pursuant to a written or oral agreement with a landlord covering a definite or indefinite period of one week or more.


Meaning Of Certain Words: Whenever the words "dwelling", "dwelling unit", "housekeeping unit", "rooming house", "rooming unit", or "premises" are used in this code, they shall be construed as though they were followed by the words "or any part thereof". (Ord. 1997-06, 8-7-1997, eff. 10-1-1997)