Cal. Civ. Code § 13
Application of chapter to existing dwellings
Operative Text
§ 13. Application of chapter to existing dwellings. Any building erected and occupied on or before April eighteenth, nineteen hundred twenty-nine, or thereafter, as a tenement, which is not recorded as such in the department, shall be required to comply with all the provisions governing dwellings of like class or kind erected after such date. Except as otherwise expressly required in this section and in sections nine and twenty-five, subdivision six of section thirty-one, and sections thirty-three, sixty-six and sixty-seven and in articles six and seven, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require any change in the construction, use or occupancy of any multiple dwelling lawfully occupied as such on April eighteenth, nineteen hundred twenty-nine, under the provisions of all local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations applicable thereto on such date; but should the occupancy of any such dwelling be changed to any other kind or class after such date, such dwelling shall be required to comply with the provisions of section nine.
N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 13 establishes how the Multiple Dwelling Law applies to buildings that existed before or on April 18, 1929. Buildings that were used as tenements by that date but were never officially recorded as such with the relevant department must meet the same standards as newly constructed buildings of the same type. For buildings that were lawfully occupied as multiple dwellings on April 18, 1929, the law generally does not require structural or occupancy changes—unless specific enumerated sections apply—but if the occupancy type or class is later changed, the building must then comply with the standards set out in section nine.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 13, operators of older buildings should verify whether their property was properly recorded as a tenement with the relevant department prior to or on April 18, 1929, since unrecorded buildings are held to the same construction and safety standards as post-1929 structures. Owners of buildings that were lawfully occupied as multiple dwellings on that date generally benefit from a baseline exemption from certain retrofit requirements, provided the occupancy class or kind has not changed. When a property owner converts or changes the occupancy type of such a building, compliance with section nine's requirements becomes mandatory, making it important to understand how any proposed use change interacts with this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 13 is relevant to tenants living in older buildings because it determines which construction and habitability standards legally apply to their home. If a building's occupancy type has been changed after April 18, 1929, without meeting the requirements of section nine, that gap in compliance may be relevant to housing code enforcement or rent-related proceedings. Tenants who have questions about whether their building is properly classified and recorded can seek information from local housing or building departments, raise concerns through a local rent board if one has jurisdiction, or consult a tenant-rights organization for general guidance.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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