Cal. Civ. Code § 104
Size of rooms
Operative Text
§ 104. Size of rooms. 1. Every living room, except kitchens, shall contain at least eighty square feet of floor space and shall be not less than eight feet in its least horizontal dimension. However, in every permanently occupied dwelling, one living room in each apartment or suite shall have at least one hundred thirty-two square feet of floor space. 2. Every living room shall be at least seven and a half feet high, the measurements in all cases to be taken from the finished floor to the finished underside of the ceiling. Beams crossing the ceiling may be disregarded if none of them extends below the ceiling more than six inches.
New York Multiple Residence Law § 104 establishes minimum size requirements for living rooms in residential dwellings. Every living room (excluding kitchens) must have at least 80 square feet of floor space and measure no less than 8 feet across at its narrowest point, and in any permanently occupied dwelling, at least one room per apartment or suite must reach 132 square feet. Additionally, every living room must stand at least 7.5 feet tall from finished floor to finished ceiling, though ceiling beams that drop no more than 6 inches may be excluded from that measurement.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 104 generally ensure that each living room meets the 80-square-foot floor area and 8-foot minimum width thresholds before a unit is offered for occupancy. Compliant operators also confirm that at least one room per apartment or suite in a permanently occupied dwelling reaches the 132-square-foot requirement, and that ceiling heights throughout are verified at 7.5 feet or more using the finished-floor-to-finished-ceiling measurement method the statute specifies. Renovation or conversion projects that alter room dimensions or ceiling heights typically involve a review of these standards before work is finalized.
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 § 104, tenants in permanently occupied dwellings have a right to living spaces that meet defined minimums for floor area, room width, and ceiling height. If a room appears to fall short of these standards, tenants can document the dimensions and raise the issue with their local housing or building code enforcement agency, or bring it to the attention of a tenant-rights organization familiar with New York multiple residence law. A violation of § 104 may also be relevant in housing court proceedings, and tenants can explore whether such a condition affects their rights under their lease or other applicable rent regulations.
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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