N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 2 § 27-2063
Location of water closets (New York City Housing Maintenance Code)
Operative Text
a. Water closets are prohibited in any yard, court or other open space. The owner shall remove any such existing water closet or other similar receptacle and, under the direction of the department, disinfect the area where such receptacle was located. b. Water closets are prohibited in a cellar or basement, unless they are either provided for lawful cellar and basement dwelling units, or are supplementary to water closets required under the provisions of this article. c. In any apartment, a water closet may be placed in a separate compartment or in a bathroom. d. In any apartment, no more than one water closet shall be placed within a single compartment. e. In a class A multiple dwelling, a general toilet room containing more than one water closet is prohibited, unless such water closets are supplementary to the facilities required for each apartment, or serve the nonresidential portions of the premises. f. In a multiple dwelling erected after April eighteenth, nineteen hundred twenty-nine, no water closet located within a compartment or bathroom may open into any kitchen or kitchenette.
N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 27-2001 and 27-2063 establish where water closets (toilets) may and may not be located within residential buildings. Outdoor placement in yards or courts is entirely prohibited, and cellar or basement installations are only permitted under specific circumstances tied to lawful dwelling units or supplementary needs. In apartments, toilets must be in a separate compartment or bathroom, with no more than one per compartment, and in buildings erected after April 18, 1929, no toilet compartment or bathroom may open directly into a kitchen or kitchenette.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers subject to N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 27-2001 and 27-2063 are generally expected to ensure that no water closets exist in outdoor spaces such as yards or courts, and to remove and disinfect any such fixtures under the direction of the relevant department. Compliant operators verify that any basement or cellar toilet installations meet the narrow exceptions permitted by the code, and that each apartment's toilet is housed in a proper compartment or bathroom — never shared in a general toilet room beyond what the code allows for Class A multiple dwellings. For buildings constructed after April 18, 1929, operators also confirm that no toilet compartment or bathroom has a door or opening that leads directly into a kitchen or kitchenette.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 27-2001 and 27-2063, tenants have a right to housing where toilet facilities are located in code-compliant spaces — not in open outdoor areas, and not in configurations that open into kitchens in newer buildings. If a tenant believes their building has an outdoor water closet, an improperly placed basement toilet, or a bathroom that opens directly into a kitchen in violation of these provisions, they may consider filing a complaint with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development or raising the condition as a housing maintenance code violation. Tenant-rights organizations can help residents understand how these location requirements connect to broader habitability standards and what documentation may be useful when reporting a concern.
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.
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