Batavia, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 143 § 143-2
Purpose and intent
Operative Text
In recognition of the saturation of rooming houses in the City, it is the intent of this chapter to permit existing owners of dwellings to maintain sanitary, safe and attractive rooming houses for persons, in order to promote the public health, welfare and safety of the community. It is also the intent of this chapter to prevent new rooming houses from being established after the enactment of this amendment.
Chapter 143 § 143-2 of the Batavia, N.Y., Code of Ordinances establishes the dual purpose behind the city's rooming house regulations: to ensure that existing rooming houses are maintained in a sanitary, safe, and attractive condition, and to prohibit the creation of any new rooming houses following the chapter's enactment. The provision reflects the city's recognition that rooming houses had reached a saturation point within Batavia's boundaries. These twin goals—preservation with standards and a freeze on new establishments—frame all other requirements within the chapter.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Batavia Code ch. 143 § 143-2, operators of rooming houses that were lawfully established before this chapter's amendment took effect are the only ones permitted to continue operating such facilities. Compliant operators generally keep their properties in sanitary, safe, and visually acceptable condition in line with the public-health and safety goals the provision articulates. Anyone seeking to open a new rooming house after the amendment's enactment would be operating outside the scope of what § 143-2 allows, as the chapter expressly prohibits new establishments.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Batavia Code ch. 143 § 143-2 signals that the city intends rooming houses operating under this chapter to meet sanitary, safe, and attractive living conditions as a matter of public health and welfare. Tenants residing in a rooming house that falls short of those standards may have grounds to raise the chapter's stated intent when pursuing a complaint through local code enforcement or housing authorities. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Batavia's local ordinances can help residents understand what avenues are available when conditions in a rooming house do not align with the purposes set out in § 143-2.
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 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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