Cal. Civ. Code § 64

Lighting; gas meters; gas and oil appliances

In Force
Verified 9/13/2026 · Next check 9/20/2026
effective 9/22/2014New YorkSpecific Conditions

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 64
  § 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.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

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.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 13, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

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.

For Tenants

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.

Effective Timeline

Current
Sep 22, 2014
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Related Rules

§ 115
Interior water-closets and bathrooms
§ 116
Water-closets in certain class B multiple dwellings
§ 117
Employees' water-closets

Source Information

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