Cal. Civ. Code § 64
Lighting; gas meters; gas and oil appliances
Operative Text
§ 64. Lighting; gas meters; gas and oil appliances. 1. Every multiple dwelling after July first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, shall be adequately equipped throughout all stories and cellars for lighting by gas or electricity, with proper fixtures at every light outlet, including lighting for all means of egress leading to the street, yards or courts, and for every room, water-closet compartment, bathroom, stair or public hall. 2. No gas meter, other than a replacement meter, installed in a multiple dwelling after July first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, shall be located in any boiler room or other room or space containing a heating boiler, nor in any stair hall, nor in any public hall above the cellar or above the lowest story if there is no cellar, except that in any multiple dwelling where there is an existing gas meter located in any boiler room or other room or space containing a heating boiler, one additional gas meter may be installed in such room or space, provided such additional gas meter is installed adjacent to such existing gas meter and is used in conjunction with the supply of gas for a gas-fired heating boiler or a gas-fired water heater used as a central source of supply of heat or hot water for the tenants residing in such multiple dwelling. Such additional gas meter may be installed only upon condition that space heaters or hot water appliances in the apartments are eliminated. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term "gas meter" shall not include any instrument, device or apparatus used to measure the consumption of gas where no gas, manufactured, natural or mixed, is contained in or flows through such instrument, device or apparatus, provided that such instrument, device or apparatus is approved by and installed under the supervision of the city agency vested by law with jurisdiction to inspect and test wiring and appliances for electric light, heat and power and provided further that the location of such instrument, device or apparatus is approved by the department. 3. It shall be unlawful to place, use, or to maintain in a condition intended, arranged or designed for use, any gas-fired cooking appliance, laundry stove, heating stove, range or water heater or combination of such appliances in any room or space used for living or sleeping in any new or existing multiple dwelling unless such room or space has a window opening to the outer air or such gas appliance is vented to the outer air. All automatically operated gas appliances shall be equipped with a device which shall shut off automatically the gas supply to the main burners when the pilot light in such appliance is extinguished. A gas range or the cooking portion of a gas appliance incorporating a room heater shall not be deemed an automatically operated gas appliance. However, burners in gas ovens and broilers which can be turned on and off or ignited by non-manual means shall be equipped with a device which shall shut off automatically the gas supply to those burners when the operation of such non-manual means fails. All gas appliances shall be connected directly to the gas supply by means of rigid piping or other approved connectors or connections of incombustible materials. All such automatically operated gas appliances and devices shall be approved by the local agency empowered to grant the same. 4. It shall be unlawful to use, or to maintain in a condition intended, arranged or designed for use, in any multiple dwelling any oil-burning equipment for heating or cooking, unless such equipment has been approved for design, manufacture and appropriate safety and ventilating requirements by the local board of standards and appeals; provided, however, that in a city having a population of one million or more, approval of such equipment for use in any multiple dwelling shall be made by the commissioner of buildings or the fire commissioner, as appropriate, in accordance with local law. 5. All appliances in use after June thirtieth, nineteen hundred fifty-five, shall conform to the provisions of subdivisions three and four of this section except that appliances now in use shall conform to such provisions not later than June thirtieth, nineteen hundred fifty-six.
New York Multiple Dwelling Law § 64 establishes a set of baseline safety requirements for lighting, gas metering, and fuel-burning appliances in multiple dwellings. The law requires adequate lighting throughout all floors, cellars, egress routes, and common areas, and restricts where new gas meters may be installed—generally prohibiting them from boiler rooms, stair halls, and public halls above the cellar. Gas-fired appliances used in living or sleeping spaces must have proper ventilation, and automatically operated gas appliances must include automatic shutoff devices; oil-burning equipment for heating or cooking must carry approval from the appropriate local authority.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of multiple dwellings subject to N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 64 generally maintain adequate lighting at every outlet, in all common areas, and along all egress paths leading to streets, yards, or courts. Compliant operators ensure that any new gas meter installations avoid prohibited locations such as boiler rooms, stair halls, and public halls above the cellar, and that gas appliances in living or sleeping spaces are either vented to the outside or served by a window opening to the outer air. Owners also verify that automatically operated gas appliances carry the required local agency approvals and are fitted with functioning automatic shutoff devices, and that any oil-burning equipment holds the appropriate design and safety approvals from the relevant local authority.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 64, tenants in multiple dwellings have an interest in adequate lighting throughout common areas and egress routes, as well as properly installed and ventilated gas appliances in their living spaces. If a tenant observes conditions that appear to conflict with § 64—such as unlit hallways, unvented gas appliances, or appliances lacking automatic shutoff devices—those conditions may be reportable to the New York City Department of Buildings or the relevant local housing or building enforcement agency. Tenants may also consult a tenant-rights organization to understand how a potential violation of § 64 could be raised in a housing proceeding or used as a basis for a formal 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 September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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