Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 12 § 12-156
Light in public halls and stairways
Operative Text
(a) Every public hall and common stairway located in a structure used for human habitation and which is used primarily for ingress and egress in connection with two or more dwelling units in rooming units shall be supplied with a proper amount of natural light or lighting facilities controllable by the occupants of the structure and shall be available at all times. (b) The natural or artificial lighting provided shall not be less than five footcandles [five lumens] measured in the darkest portions of normally traveled stairs and passageways during the darkest hours of the day. (c) Structures containing three or more dwelling units or where rooms are let to five or more persons shall meet the requirements of the Multiple Residence Law .
Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 12 § 12-156 requires that shared hallways and stairways in residential buildings serving two or more dwelling or rooming units be adequately lit at all times, either by natural light or artificial fixtures that occupants can control. The minimum brightness standard is five footcandles measured at the darkest points of regularly used stairs and passageways during the darkest part of the day. Buildings with three or more dwelling units, or where five or more persons rent rooms, must also satisfy the requirements of New York's Multiple Residence Law.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under ch. 12 § 12-156, compliant property operators ensure that all shared hallways and stairways in multi-unit residential buildings are continuously illuminated to at least five footcandles at their darkest points, with controls accessible to occupants. Operators of buildings with three or more dwelling units, or where five or more persons rent rooms, also verify that their lighting arrangements satisfy the applicable Multiple Residence Law standards. Routine inspections of lighting fixtures, bulb replacements, and documentation of footcandle measurements in common areas are practices associated with maintaining compliance.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 12-156 of the Poughkeepsie Code of Ordinances gives occupants the right to adequate, controllable lighting in shared hallways and stairways at all times, with a measurable minimum brightness standard. If common-area lighting falls short of this standard, tenants may report the condition to the appropriate local housing or code enforcement office, which has authority to inspect and require corrections. Tenant-rights organizations can help explain how this provision interacts with the Multiple Residence Law and what documentation may be useful when raising a lighting deficiency as a housing code complaint.
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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