Cal. Civ. Code § 103
Lighting and ventilation of rooms
Operative Text
§ 103. Lighting and ventilation of rooms. 1. Except as in this section and in sections one hundred five, one hundred seventy-one and articles three and four otherwise expressly provided, every living room shall have at least one window opening directly upon a street, yard or court upon the same lot as that occupied by the dwelling in which such room is situated. 2. Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting the windows of any room from opening on a partially-enclosed terrace provided such terrace opens directly to a street, yard or court and the area of the front of the terrace which is open to the outer air is at least equal to seventy-five per centum of the floor surface area of the terrace. 3. No required window shall open upon any offset or recess less than six feet in width except a window of a water-closet compartment, bathroom, or stair or of a kitchenette. 4. The total window area in every living room shall be at least one-tenth of the floor surface area of such room.
New York Multiple Residence Law § 103 establishes minimum standards for natural light and ventilation in living rooms. Every living room must have at least one window that opens directly onto a street, yard, or court on the same lot, and the total window area must equal at least one-tenth of the room's floor surface area. Windows may open onto a partially-enclosed terrace if that terrace itself opens to the outside and its open face is at least 75% of the terrace's floor area, but no required window may open onto a narrow offset or recess less than six feet wide, with limited exceptions for bathrooms, water-closet compartments, stairways, and kitchenettes.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 103 generally ensure that each living room has at least one qualifying window with direct exposure to a street, yard, or court on the same lot. Compliant operators also verify that the combined window area in every living room meets the one-tenth-of-floor-area minimum, and they confirm that any window opening onto a terrace satisfies the 75% open-face requirement before treating it as a code-compliant light source. When planning renovations or new configurations, operators typically review the exceptions for bathrooms, kitchenettes, and similar spaces to confirm which rooms are subject to the full window-placement requirements under this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 103, tenants in multiple residences have a right to living rooms that meet minimum natural light and ventilation standards, including at least one window opening directly to a street, yard, or court and a total window area of at least one-tenth of the room's floor space. If a living space appears to fall short of these requirements, tenants can document the conditions and consider raising the violation with a local housing or building code enforcement agency. Tenant-rights organizations can help residents understand how § 103 applies to their building type and what remedies — such as raising a housing code violation as a defense in certain proceedings — may be available.
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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