Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29 § 29-256f
Amendments to State Building Code and Fire Safety Code re residential occupancies served by single exit stairway and three-unit and four-unit residential buildings.
Operative Text
The State Building Inspector and the Codes and Standards Committee shall, jointly, with the approval of the Commissioner of Administrative Services, in accordance with the provisions of section 29-252b, include in the amendments to the State Building Code next adopted after June 6, 2024, and the State Fire Marshal and the Codes and Standards Committee shall, in accordance with section 29-292a, include in the amendments to the Fire Safety Code next adopted after June 6, 2024, provisions that: (1) Allow additional residential occupancies to be served safely by a single exit stairway, in such a way as to: (A) Be consistent with safe occupancy and egress; (B) Consider the experience of the cities of Seattle, New York City and Honolulu in implementing similar provisions; (C) Apply to municipalities in which the fire service is sufficient to maintain safe occupancy and egress under such additional occupancies, if appropriate; (D) Promote the inclusion of units with three or more bedrooms in building designs to promote construction of family-sized units, especially on smaller lots; and (E) Allow additional stories above grade plane to be served by a single exit stairway in a building with an automatic sprinkler system, under such conditions as to ensure safe occupancy and egress. Such conditions may include, but need not be limited to, additional levels of fire and smoke separation and any features necessary to allow for firefighters to ascend a stair as occupants descend; and (2) Encourage construction of safe three-unit and four-unit residential buildings, which shall: (A) Be consistent with safe occupancy and egress; and (B) Include three-unit and four-unit residential buildings in the International Residential Code portion of the Connecticut State Building Code, or otherwise provide for requirements for three-unit and four-unit residential buildings in the International Building Code portion of the Connecticut State Building Code similar to those for one-unit and two-unit residential buildings in the International Residential Code portion of the Connecticut State Building Code, under such conditions as to ensure safe occupancy and egress.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-256f directs Connecticut's State Building Inspector, State Fire Marshal, and the Codes and Standards Committee to update both the State Building Code and the Fire Safety Code after June 6, 2024. The updates must expand the circumstances under which residential buildings may use a single exit stairway—provided safety and egress standards are met—and must also make it easier to build three- and four-unit residential buildings under code frameworks similar to those already applied to one- and two-unit homes. The law specifically encourages designs that include larger, family-sized units, particularly on smaller lots, and allows taller buildings with sprinkler systems to qualify for single-stairway configurations under appropriate safety conditions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-256f, property owners and developers in Connecticut should monitor the next round of State Building Code and Fire Safety Code amendments, as those updates are expected to open new design possibilities for residential buildings. Compliant operators generally track code amendment cycles, engage with local building departments early in the design process, and verify whether their municipality's fire service capacity meets any locality-specific requirements that may accompany single-stairway allowances. Buildings with automatic sprinkler systems may qualify for additional stories under a single-exit configuration, making it worthwhile to review sprinkler requirements alongside the forthcoming code language.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-256f is intended to expand the supply of residential housing—including larger, family-sized units and small multifamily buildings—by updating Connecticut's building and fire safety codes. Tenants living in or considering buildings affected by these code changes can look to local building departments or the State Building Inspector's office for information about whether a specific building meets applicable safety and egress standards. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help residents understand how building code compliance intersects with habitability rights and other tenant protections under Connecticut law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 24, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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