Cal. Civ. Code § 245
Cellar entrance
Operative Text
§ 245. Cellar entrance. In tenements erected after April twelfth, nineteen hundred one, there shall be an entrance to the cellar, or to the basement or other lowest story if there be no cellar, from the outside of the tenement.
Under N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 245, tenement buildings constructed after April 12, 1901 are required to have an exterior entrance leading to the cellar—or, if there is no cellar, to the basement or lowest story of the building. This rule establishes a minimum structural access requirement tied to the building's original construction date. The provision does not apply to tenements built on or before that date.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Owners and managers of post-April 12, 1901 tenements should confirm that their building maintains a code-compliant exterior entrance to the cellar or lowest below-grade story as required by N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 245. Compliant operators typically document this feature during routine property inspections and ensure it is not obstructed, sealed, or removed during renovations. Buildings subject to this provision that lack such an entrance may be cited during municipal housing inspections.
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 § 245 establishes that tenants residing in qualifying post-1901 tenements have the benefit of a building code requirement mandating an exterior cellar or lowest-story entrance. If this structural feature appears to be absent or has been removed, tenants may have grounds to raise the issue with a local housing or building code enforcement agency. Tenant-rights organizations can help residents understand whether this provision applies to their building and what general options exist for reporting potential violations.
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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