Cal. Civ. Code § 2
Legislative finding
Operative Text
§ 2. Legislative finding. It is hereby declared that intensive occupation of multiple dwellings having three or more families, inadequate provision for light and air, insufficient protection against and defective provisions for escape from fire, as well as the amount of improper sanitation existing in multiple dwellings throughout this state are a menace to the health, safety, morals, welfare, and reasonable comfort of its citizens; and that the establishment and maintenance of proper housing standards requiring sufficient light, air, sanitation and protection from fire hazards are essential to the public welfare. Therefore the provisions hereinafter prescribed to provide more adequate protection in the event of fire, and sufficient light, ventilation and sanitation for certain multiple residence buildings are enacted and their necessity in the public interest is hereby declared as a matter of legislative determination.
N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 2 sets out the legislature's rationale for regulating multi-family housing in New York State. It identifies overcrowding, poor light and air, fire-safety deficiencies, and inadequate sanitation in buildings with three or more families as threats to public health, safety, morals, and welfare. On that basis, the legislature declared that establishing and enforcing housing standards for light, ventilation, sanitation, and fire protection is a matter of public necessity, providing the legal foundation for the requirements that follow in the statute.
Plain English — not legal advice.
N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 2 signals that the entire Multiple Residence Law rests on a public-welfare rationale, meaning the standards it imposes are treated as essential rather than discretionary. Operators of buildings with three or more families generally maintain compliance with the statute's light, ventilation, sanitation, and fire-protection requirements as a baseline obligation rooted in this legislative finding. Understanding § 2 helps property managers appreciate why regulators and courts tend to treat violations of the substantive provisions that follow as serious public-interest matters.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 2 establishes that adequate light, air, sanitation, and fire protection in multi-family buildings are recognized public-welfare rights, not mere amenities. Tenants living in buildings with three or more families can point to this foundational finding when raising concerns about conditions that fall short of those standards under the broader statute. General enforcement paths include filing a complaint with a local housing or building department, raising a housing-code violation in a housing court proceeding, or reaching out to a tenant-rights organization for guidance on how § 2's underlying policy framework supports claims under the substantive provisions of the law.
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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