N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 2 § 27-2061
Lighting and ventilation of living rooms in old law tenements (New York City Housing Maintenance Code)
Operative Text
a. Required windows. Every living room in an old law tenement shall either have a window opening: (1) On a street; or (2) On a yard at least four feet in depth; or (3) On a court or shaft at least twenty square feet in area open to the sky without a roof or skylight; or (4) Above the roof of an adjoining building; or it shall meet the requirements of the multiple dwelling law. In the event that a window opens above the roof of an adjoining building and the light and air from the adjoining lot is thereafter diminished in any way, the department may determine that such a room is a noncomplying room and require compliance with the requirements of the multiple dwelling law. For a room located on the top story, a ventilating skylight opening to the outer air may be substituted for a window. At least one-half of every required window shall open. b. Dining space. A dining space shall have at least one window which: (1) Opens on a street, yard or legal court, and (2) Has an area not less than one-eighth the floor area of such dining space.
Section 27-2061 of the N.Y.C. Admin. Code establishes minimum lighting and ventilation standards for living rooms in old law tenements. Every such living room must have at least one window that opens onto a qualifying outdoor space—such as a street, a yard at least four feet deep, or an unroofed court of at least twenty square feet—or must otherwise satisfy the Multiple Dwelling Law. Dining spaces in these buildings are separately required to have at least one window opening onto a street, yard, or legal court, with that window's area equaling no less than one-eighth of the dining space's floor area. At least half of every required window must be operable to allow actual ventilation.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of old law tenements must ensure that each living room meets the window and ventilation criteria set out in N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 27-2061, including verifying that qualifying windows open onto a street, a yard of sufficient depth, or an adequately sized unroofed court. If a window relies on light and air from an adjoining lot, owners should be aware that any subsequent reduction in that light or air can cause the Department of Buildings to reclassify the room as noncomplying, triggering additional obligations under the Multiple Dwelling Law. Compliant operators also confirm that dining spaces contain a window of the required proportional area and that at least half of every required window is capable of opening.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants living in old law tenements have a right to habitable living rooms that meet the window and ventilation requirements of N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 27-2061, including access to natural light and openable windows. If a living room or dining space lacks a qualifying window or has windows that cannot open, this may constitute a housing code violation that tenants can report to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Tenants may also consult a tenant-rights organization to understand how a violation of § 27-2061 could be raised in housing court proceedings or used in other enforcement contexts.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 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.