Cal. Civ. Code § 26
Egress from dwellings
Operative Text
§ 26. Egress from dwellings. In every such dwelling three stories or more in height there shall be from each story at least two independent means of egress accessible to each apartment or suite. The first means shall open into a public hall connected with a stair affording safe access to a street, or to a yard, court or passageway affording continuous, safe and unobstructed access to a street. The second means shall be directly to a fire-escape or to an enclosed stair without passing through the first means, except that where the first means includes an interior stair which is closed off at each floor level by fire-retarded construction with a fireproof self-closing door therein, the second means may be another such interior stair or a fire-escape directly accessible on the same story from a public hall therein whether or not such public hall is also a part of the first means provided such fire-escape is not a wire, chain, cable, vertical ladder or rope fire-escape. In lieu of a second means of egress a sprinkler system may be installed in the public halls and stairs. Except as required by the provisions of article four of this chapter, the second means of egress shall not be required in a multiple dwelling of fireproof construction, six stories or less in height, erected before July first, nineteen hundred fifty-two, if the egress arrangements thereof complied with requirements of law applicable at the time the dwelling was erected.
New York Multiple Residence Law § 26 requires that every dwelling three stories or taller provide at least two separate, independent ways to exit from each story, each accessible to every apartment or suite. The first exit path must connect to a public hall and stairway leading safely to a street or open area with unobstructed street access, while the second must lead directly to a fire escape or an enclosed stairway without routing through the first exit. As an alternative to a second exit, a qualifying sprinkler system may be installed in public halls and stairs; older fireproof buildings of six stories or fewer built before July 1, 1952, may also be exempt from the second-egress requirement if their original egress arrangements met the law in effect when they were built.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of multiple residences covered by N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 26 generally ensure that every story in a three-or-more-story building is served by two distinct, code-compliant egress paths accessible from each apartment or suite. Compliant operators verify that the second means of egress leads directly to an approved fire escape or enclosed stair—not through the first means—and confirm that any fire escape used does not consist of wire, chain, cable, vertical ladder, or rope construction. Where a second egress path is not feasible, operators may explore whether an approved sprinkler system in public halls and stairs satisfies the statute, and those managing pre-1952 fireproof buildings of six stories or fewer should document whether a historical-compliance exemption under § 26 applies to their property.
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 § 26, tenants in buildings three stories or taller generally have a right to two independent means of egress accessible from their floor, designed to provide safe escape routes in an emergency. If a building appears to lack a compliant second exit—or if a fire escape seems to be of a prohibited type such as a rope or chain ladder—tenants can document the condition and consider reporting it to the local housing or building code enforcement agency or a rent board if one has jurisdiction. Tenant-rights organizations can help residents understand whether § 26 applies to their building, whether any exemption might be claimed by the landlord, and what complaint or defense options 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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