Winona, Minn., City Code ch. 33A (2026) § 33A.05
Space and Occupancy Standards
Operative Text
33A.05 - SPACE AND OCCUPANCY STANDARDS
All dwellings, dwelling units, roominghouses, rooming units, residential retreat centers, bed and
breakfasts, and tourist homes let for occupancy to another shall comply with the following
requirements:
(a) Room Dimensions.
(i) Ceiling Heights. Habitable space, hallways, bathrooms, toilet rooms,
laundry rooms, and portions of basements containing these spaces shall
have a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet. The required height shall be
measured from the finished floor to the lowest projection from the ceiling.
Alterations to existing basements or portions thereof shall have a ceiling
height of not less than 6 feet 4 inches, including beams, girders, ducts or
other obstructions. If any room in a building has a sloping ceiling, the
prescribed ceiling height for the room is required in only one-half the area
thereof. No portion of the room measuring less than 5 feet from the
finished floor to the finished ceiling shall be included in any computation
of the minimum area thereof.
EXCEPTION: Bathrooms shall have a minimum ceiling height of 6 feet 8
inches at the center of the front clearance area for water closets, bidets or
sinks.
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(ii) Floor Area. In single-family, two-family (duplexes) and buildings
consisting of 3 or more townhouse units, all habitable rooms shall have a
floor area of 70 square feet and shall not have a dimension of less than 7
feet in any horizontal direction. All residential dwelling units other than
single-family, two-family (duplexes) and buildings consisting of 3 or more
townhouse units shall have not less than one room with 120 square feet
or more of net floor area. All other habitable rooms shall have a floor area
of not less than 70 square feet and shall not have a dimension of less
than 7 feet in any horizontal direction. Where more than one person
occupies a room used for sleeping purposes, the required floor area shall
be 50 square feet for each occupant.
EXCEPTION: Kitchens are not required to be of a minimum floor area.
EXCEPTION: Nothing in this section shall prohibit the use of an efficiency living
unit within an apartment house meeting the following requirements:
A. The unit shall have a living room of not less than 220 square feet of floor
area for the first occupant. An additional 100 square feet of floor area
shall be provided for each additional occupant.
B. The unit shall be provided with a separate closet.
C. The unit shall be provided with a kitchen sink, cooking appliance and
refrigeration facilities, each having a clear working space of not less than
30 inches in front. Light and ventilation conforming to this chapter shall
be provided.
D. The unit shall be provided with a separate bathroom containing a water
closet, lavatory, and bathtub or shower.
(b) Light and Ventilation.
(i) General. For the purpose of determining the light or ventilation required
by this section, any room may be considered as a portion of an adjoining
room when one half of the area of the common wall is open and
unobstructed and provides an opening of not less than one tenth of the
floor area of the interior room or 25 square feet. Exterior openings for
natural light or ventilation required by this section shall open directly onto
a public way or a yard or a court located on the same lot as the building.
EXCEPTIONS:
A. Required windows may open into a roofed porch where the porch:
A.1 Abuts a public way, yard or court;
A.2 Has a ceiling height of not less than 7 feet; and
A.3 Has a longer side at least 65 percent open and
unobstructed.
B. Skylights.
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(ii) Light. Habitable rooms shall have an aggregate glazing area of not less
than 8 percent of the floor area of such rooms
EXCEPTION: Artificial light in accordance with the building code.
(iii) Ventilation. Habitable rooms shall have natural ventilation through
windows, skylights, doors, louvers, or other approved openings to the
outdoor air. Such openings shall be provided with ready access or shall
otherwise be readily controllable by the building occupants. The
openable area to the outdoors shall be not less than 4 percent of the floor
area being ventilated. Exterior openings for natural ventilation shall be
provided with tight fitting insect screens in good condition.
EXCEPTION: Artificial ventilation in accordance with the building code.
Bathrooms, water closet compartments and similar rooms shall be
provided with aggregate glazing area in windows of not less than 3
square feet, one-half of which shall be openable.
EXCEPTION: The glazed area shall not be required where artificial light
and a local exhaust system are provided. The minimum local exhaust
rates shall be 50 cubic feet per minute for intermittent exhaust and 20
cubic feet per minute for continuous exhaust. Such exhaust fans shall be
exhausted directly to the outdoors and be kept clean and maintained in
good operating condition to prevent the accumulation of moisture.
(iv) Hallways. All public hallways, stairs and other exit ways shall be
adequately lighted at all times. Every common hall and stairway in
residential occupancies, other than in one and two family dwellings, shall
be lighted at all times with at least a 60-watt standard incandescent light
bulb for each 200 square feet (19 m2) of floor area or equivalent
illumination, provided that the spacing between lights shall not be greater
than 30 feet (9144 mm). In other than residential occupancies, means of
egress, including stairways and exterior means of egress, shall be
illuminated at all times during which the building space served by the
means of egress is occupied, with a minimum of 1 footcandle (11 lux) at
floors, landings and treads.
(v) Interior Stairway Illumination. For one and two-family dwellings, interior
stairways shall be provided with an artificial light source to illuminate the
landings and treads. The light source shall be capable of illuminating
treads and landings to levels of not less than 1 foot-candle (11 lux) as
measured at the center of treads and landings. There shall be a wall
switch at each floor level to control the light source where the stairway
has six or more risers.
EXCEPTION: A switch is not required where remote, central or automatic
control of lighting is provided.
(vi) Exterior Stairway Illumination. For one and two-family dwellings, exterior
stairways shall be provided with an artificial light source located at the top
of the landing of the stairway. Exterior stairways providing access to a
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basement from the outdoor grade level shall be provided with an artificial
light source located at the bottom landing of the stairway.
Ord. No. 3978 11/03/14 Ord. No. 4063 12/18/2017 Ord. No. 4151 06/07/21
(c) Sanitation.
(i) Dwelling Units. Dwelling units shall be provided with a bathroom
equipped with facilities consisting of a water closet, lavatory, and either a
bathtub or shower.
(ii) Rooming Units. Rooming Units. Where private water closets are not
provided, there shall be provided at least one bathroom accessible from a
public hallway.
(iii) Kitchen. Each dwelling unit shall be provided with a kitchen. Every
kitchen shall be provided with a kitchen sink. Sinks shall be of
nonabsorbent materials.
(iv) Fixtures. All plumbing fixtures shall be connected to a sanitary sewer or
to an approved private sewage disposal system. All plumbing fixtures
shall be connected to an approved system of water supply and provided
with hot and cold running water necessary for its normal operation. All
plumbing fixtures shall be of an approved glazed earthenware type or of a
similarly nonabsorbent material.
(v) Bathroom Accessibility. Where bathrooms are shared by rooming units or
by occupants of a dwelling unit, the bathroom shall be located so that no
occupant has to pass through another occupant’s room to use the facility.
(vi) Room Separations. Every water closet, bathtub or shower required by
this chapter shall be installed in a room that will afford privacy to the
occupant. Bathrooms shall be separated from food-preparation areas by
a tight fitting door.
(vii) Floor Coverings. Bathroom floors shall have a smooth, hard
nonabsorbent surface such as vinyl tile, vinyl sheet goods, ceramic tile or
concrete. Floor surfaces shall be maintained in good condition so the floor
can be maintained in a sanitary condition.
(viii) Installation and Maintenance. All sanitary facilities shall be installed and
maintained in a safe and sanitary condition and in accordance with
applicable requirements of the Plumbing Code.
(ix) Wall Coverings. In a bathtub or shower compartment shall be finished
with a nonabsorbent surface. Such wall surfaces shall extend to a height
of not less than 6 feet above the drain opening.
Ord. No. 4063 12/18/2017 Ord. No. 4151 06/07/21
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CHAPTER 33AWinona City Code Ch. 33A § 33A.05 establishes minimum physical standards for all rental dwellings in the city, covering ceiling heights, room sizes, natural light and ventilation, stairway lighting, and sanitation facilities. Habitable rooms must meet specific square-footage and ceiling-height thresholds, bathrooms must include required fixtures and nonabsorbent surfaces, and common areas must be adequately lit at all times. Efficiency units in apartment buildings are permitted under the section provided they meet defined area, closet, kitchen, and bathroom requirements.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of rental properties subject to Winona City Code Ch. 33A § 33A.05 generally ensure that every habitable room meets the applicable ceiling-height minimums (7 feet in most cases, with defined exceptions for basements and sloped ceilings) and floor-area requirements before a unit is offered for occupancy. Compliant operators also maintain functioning ventilation openings or approved mechanical alternatives, keep insect screens in good condition, and verify that all plumbing fixtures are connected to approved water supply and sewage systems with hot and cold running water. Stairways, hallways, and common areas are kept adequately illuminated at all times, and bathroom surfaces—including floors and tub or shower surrounds—are maintained in nonabsorbent, sanitary condition as required by § 33A.05.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Renters in Winona have a right to occupy units that meet the space, light, ventilation, and sanitation minimums set out in City Code Ch. 33A § 33A.05, including properly sized rooms, working bathroom fixtures, adequate natural or mechanical ventilation, and lit common areas. If a unit appears to fall short of these standards—such as a bathroom lacking required fixtures, a room with insufficient ceiling height, or a hallway that is not adequately lit—tenants may consider documenting the conditions and contacting the City of Winona's code enforcement or housing inspection office, which administers the rental property licensing and inspection program under Chapter 33A. Tenant-rights organizations can also help renters understand how § 33A.05 standards may be raised in conversations with landlords or in formal complaint or inspection processes.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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